that he was firing was abandoned, says General Carr, and his body left beside it, but subsequently recovered by a company that volunteered for that purpose.
Swinton in his "Army of the Potomac" says that while Colonel Warren yet remained on the ground the Confederates abandoned the position. This is far from correct. General Magruder in his report says that the Confederate cavalry pursued the Federals for five miles. Colonel Carr, who commanded the Federal rear guard, says, "The pursuit of the Confederates was easily checked."[1] These two reports establish the fact that there was pursuit and not abandonment. Colonel Magruder further says,[2] "It was not thought prudent to leave Yorktown exposed any longer. I therefore occupied the ground with cavalry, and marched the remainder of my force to Yorktown. So evidently the position was not abandoned while "Warren was yet on the ground. The Confederate loss in this precursor of many bloody fields was 1 killed and 11 wounded; the Federal loss was 18 killed and 53 wounded.
In the South this little victory over a vastly superior force awakened the wildest enthusiasm, for it was thought to indicate the future and final success of the cause for which its people were battling.
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