The
Warwick Line (also known as the
Warwick–Yorktown line) was a defensive works across the
Virginia PeninsulaThe Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
maintained along the
Warwick RiverThe Warwick River is a short tidal estuary which empties into the James River a few miles from Hampton Roads at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States...
by
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States...
General
John B. MagruderJohn Bankhead Magruder was a career military officer who served in the armies of three nations. He was a U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War, a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and a postbellum general in the Imperial Mexican Army...
against much larger
UnionDuring the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that tried to form the Confederacy...
forces under General
George B. McClellanGeorge Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
in 1861–62.
The main line extended 12 miles from
YorktownYorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 203 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the 8 original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
to the Warwick River and downstream to Lee's Mill, then westward to Skiffe's Creek, which flowed into the
James RiverThe James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people...
at
Mulberry IslandMulberry Island is located along the James River in southeastern Virginia at the confluence of the Warwick River on the Virginia Peninsula.- History:Mulberry Island, settled shortly after Jamestown, was established a few miles downriver in 1607...
, where the line was anchored on the east by a four-gun battery at Mulberry Island Point.
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The
Warwick Line (also known as the
Warwick–Yorktown line) was a defensive works across the
Virginia PeninsulaThe Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
maintained along the
Warwick RiverThe Warwick River is a short tidal estuary which empties into the James River a few miles from Hampton Roads at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States...
by
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States...
General
John B. MagruderJohn Bankhead Magruder was a career military officer who served in the armies of three nations. He was a U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War, a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and a postbellum general in the Imperial Mexican Army...
against much larger
UnionDuring the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that tried to form the Confederacy...
forces under General
George B. McClellanGeorge Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
in 1861–62.
The main line extended 12 miles from
YorktownYorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 203 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the 8 original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
to the Warwick River and downstream to Lee's Mill, then westward to Skiffe's Creek, which flowed into the
James RiverThe James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people...
at
Mulberry IslandMulberry Island is located along the James River in southeastern Virginia at the confluence of the Warwick River on the Virginia Peninsula.- History:Mulberry Island, settled shortly after Jamestown, was established a few miles downriver in 1607...
, where the line was anchored on the east by a four-gun battery at Mulberry Island Point. The south end of Mulberry Island (now part of Fort Eustis) is located at the confluence of the Warwick and James Rivers.
Through elaborate ruse tactics, "Prince John" Magruder, who was also an amateur actor, deceived McClellan and held the line for about 30 days, a delay which helped provide valuable time for the ultimately successful defense of
RichmondRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
led by General
Robert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career United States Army officer, an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history. Lee was the son of Major General Henry Lee III "Light Horse Harry" , Governor of Virginia, and his second wife, Anne Hill Carter...
, prolonging the war almost three additional years.