Hey everyone, welcome to episode 247 of our Civil War podcast.

My name is Rich.

And I'm Tracy.

Hello, y'all.

Thanks for tuning into the podcast.

With this show, we'll pick up where we left off last time, with our look back at what

happened during the second year of the war.

As y'all recall, by the end of the last episode, we were up to May of 1862.

During the preceding six weeks, McClellan's massive army of the Potomac had transferred

by water from the vicinity of Washington, D.C. to the Virginia Peninsula, southeast of

Richmond.

Little Mac had transported his army to the peninsula, ostensibly to steal a march on the

rebels, and make a swift strike at Richmond.

But he squandered any advantage he had gained through the move, by deciding to stop and

besiege Yorktown, rather than using his overwhelming numerical advantage, to quickly

break through the Confederate lines there.

By the beginning of May, Little Mac had positioned his heavy siege cannon and was finally ready

to shell the Confederate defensive lines.

However, just before the Big Bombardment was to begin, the rebel commander, Joseph E.

Johnston, ordered an evacuation of Yorktown.

The Confederates slipped away at the peninsula, and the army of the Potomac lurched forward

and pursued, after having just wasted an entire month stalled in front of Yorktown because

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