and dismal. The objective point was Richmond,
seventy-five miles away, and the first obstruction met by the Federal
army was at Yorktown. The defense adopted by General Magruder was a
series of dams extending along the Warwick River, which stretched across
the peninsula from the York to the James River, a distance of thirteen
miles. The fords along the Warwick had been destroyed by dams defended
by redoubts, and the invader and defender were stationed in dense
swamps. At dam No. 1 Toombs' troops were often under fire. They fought
with spirit. Each detachment was on duty defending the dam forty-eight
hours, and between long exposure in the trenches, the frequent alarms,
and sharp sorties, the service was very exhausting. It was only possible
to change troops at night. On the 16th of April Toombs writes:

One of my regiments, the 17th Georgia, had a skirmish day
before yesterday. They acted splendidly, charging the
Yankees, and driving them from the rifle-pits, killing,
wounding, and taking prisoners over one hundred of the
enemy. I lost but two killed and a few wounded.

At the siege of Yorktown in the early part of May, 1862, General Toombs
commanded a division consisting of his own and Semmes' brigades. He had
2357 men in his own and 2342 in Semmes' brigade, making about 4700
troops in line. During this siege General Magruder reports that General
Toombs supported Cobb's brigade, and promptly and energetically led the
remainder of his command under fire, arriving just before the enemy
ceased their attack, and in time to share its danger. General Magruder
had only 11,000 men under him in the peninsula, and General Huger but
8000, to oppose McClellan's march with 80,000. Johnston and Lee both
pronounced the peninsula untenable, and on the 4th of May Yorktown was
evacuated.

After the retreat from the peninsula, General Johnston concentrated his
entire army behind the Chickahominy River, sixteen miles from Richmond.
On the 12th of May General Toombs writes home that his command near the
Chickahominy was "resting easily after a disagreeable march from
Yorktown. I hear that there is great consternation in Richmond.... The
loss of New Orleans gives us a terrible blow, and, followed by Norfolk,
makes it necessary for us to strike a decisive blow somewhere." On 19th
of May, 1862, he writes home from the camp near Richmond:

We seem to have come up here to defend this city. You ask
m