Official Records of the Rebellion

No. 13.

Reports of B. J. Allen [Allen Pinkerton], Chief of Secret Service Division.

HDQRS. PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Washington, D. C., March 29, 1862.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following information relative to the forces and defenses at Yorktown and Gloucester Point, as extracted from a report of one of my operatives, made to you on November 15, 1861; the date of his visit to the above-named places being October 26, 1861:

That, as my operative was informed, General Magruder (whose headquarters were at Yorktown) commanded all the forces on the Peninsula bounded by James and York Rivers, and also those on Gloucester Point, his command at that time including twenty-seven regiments of infantry, 1,200 cavalry, and four field batteries, containing each from four to six guns, iron and brass, rifled and smooth bore. That Colonel Crump was in command of the forces at Gloucester Point, where were

[265] then encamped two regiments of infantry, two companies of cavalry, and one field battery, consisting of four brass and two iron guns, ranging from 6 to 12-pounders. That on the beach at Gloucester Point was a heavy earthwork, with twelve mounted guns, ranging from 32 to 64 pounders. That the intrenchments surrounding all the guns and forces (with theexception of one regiment of infantry) above specified commence about one-fourth of a mile above the aforesaid earthwork on the point and run, in a somewhat circular form, until they again strike the York River about half a mile below the said earthwork. That these intrenchments are composed of split pine logs, set up endwise inside, with an earth bank outside about 12 feet at the base, the earth being taken from the outside front, thus making a ditch of some 5 or 6 feet in depth and the same in width at the top. That at about the center of this breastwork is a 64-pounder mounted on a high carriage, which traverses on a circle calculated for a sweep of the whole land side of the intrenchments, which is a clear field of about 700 acres, bounded by timber on the north and York River on the south. That between October 26 and November 11, 1861, the rebels commenced a heavy earthwork on an elevation 50 yards back from the water, 30 to 35 feet above the water level, and 200 yards lower down the river than the earthwork at the point first mentioned. That said earthwork had an intrenchments in frontpartly finished, 8 to 10 feet wide at the top, 5 to 6 feet in depth, the front of the embankment perpendicular, and the back of the ordinary slope. That on this work were employed more than 100 soldiers. That in order to draw out the real purpose of this fortification my operative asked Colonel Crump if it was an infantry breastwork; that the colonel replied: “O, no, sir; it’s a battery, and we intend to mount six heavy guns thereon—four 32-pounders and two 64-pounders.” (For masked batteries below Gloucester Point, see report of this date extracted from statement of Ringgold.) That the landing at Yorktown is in front of a bill which rises with a slope some 25 feet above the beach, on the top of which hill, and in front of the town, is an earthwork mounting six or eight guns, 32 to 64 pounders, of which guns my operative saw six, but was informed by the sentine1 that there were eight. That this last-named battery is about three- quarters of a mile from that on Gloucester Point, to which it is nearly opposite, but a short distance lower down. (For further particulars concerning Yorktown batteries, see report of this date on statements of Maurice and Ringgold.) That, as my operative was informed by a lieutenant in the rebel army, from Yorktown down the Peninsula toward Fort Monroe are small creeks and inlets running into both the York and James Rivers. That many of these creeks or inlets head near each other and run in opposite directions into the different rivers. That for nearly 15 miles down from Yorktown breastworks were thrown up on the several points of land between the headings of these various creeks or inlets, said breastworks facing toward Fort Monroe, and mounted with 18 to 64-pounders.

All of which is respectfully submitted by your obedient servant,

E. J. ALLEN [ALLEN PINKERTON].

Maj. Gen. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN,

Commanding U. S. Army.

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