Seacoast Mortars in the Peninsula Campaign of April, 1862

The campaign season of 1862 was planned with a grand strategy to be implemented by Federal forces with a view towards a rapid reduction of the Confederacy. MG George B. McClellan was under pressure by President Lincoln to "Do something" towards the above stated goal. While armies in the west under Butler and Halleck were to link up in movements along the Mississippi river basin, in conjunction with naval forces, McClellan, in command of the Army of the Potomac, was to pressure Richmond, Virginia with a view towards the capture of the Confederate capitol. Movement by McClellan in February to attain the goal of a position on Richmond was thwarted by Confederate withdrawl to interior lines. It was then determined by the Federals to stage an amphibious campaign, with troop staging at Alexandria, Virginia and Fortess Monroe on Old Port Comfort, the goal again Richmond, but the line of march to be along the peninsula formed between the channels of the James and York rivers.

It was determined from knowledge gained of entrenchments constructed by the Confederates on the peninsula that siege operations were called for to reduce the Southern works in order to provide a clear path for the main assault by Infantry and Cavalry.
A siege train was formed under the command of BG William F. Barry comprised of 101 large pieces of ordnance. Between the initial landing of Federal troops on the peninsula on April 5th to the initial firing of Federal siege ordnance at 2 P.M. on April 25th there were fourteen batteries constructed and armed with artillery landed at Cheesemans Creek by vessels under FA Louis Goldsborough with the intention of the destruction of entrnchments in the Yorktown area. Among the heavy ordnance dedicated to the task were ten and thirteen inch Seacoast Mortars manned by the 1st Connecticutt Artillery and the Fifth New York Volunteers. With all of the difficult work involved and manpower committed to this operation it was effectually nullified by MG Robert E. Lee's once again withdrawing his troops to an interior line on May 3rd, leaving Federal forces little to do. Though a series of battles occured between May and July of 1862 the conclusive aims of the Federal Army to move on Richmond could not be attained. The Army of the Potomac was withdrawn, not to have the soil of the Virginia Peninsula under its boots again until 1865.