Darwin Willard

• BIRTH 31 Mar 1826 Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York, USA
• DEATH 5 May 1862 (aged 36) Virginia, USA
• BURIAL Lake View Cemetery, Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York, USA
• PLOT Chestnut Hill section, lot 31 MEMORIAL ID 212534427 Photos by Brenda E.

Biography

Darwin Willard was the son of Hermes and Ann Shaw Willard who married Ann Shaw. Before enlisting and his promotion to captain in civil war in 1861, he an Ann had 2 known children before he was killed at the battle of Williamsburg.

Battle of Williamsburg, May 5, 1862

When General Joseph E. Johnston withdrew from the Warwick–Yorktown Line, he established a rear guard position along a series of redoubts built by Major General John Bankhead Magruder. The key position was Fort Magruder, which commanded the junction of two roads leading up the Peninsula to Williamsburg. Major General James Longstreet’s division took up positions in Fort Magruder and the nearby redoubts during the evening of May 4 under pressure from Federal cavalry.

The next morning, May 5, 1862, Union troops commanded by Major General Joseph Hooker attacked Fort Magruder, but were repulsed. The Union line was driven back by a strong Confederate counterattack until Brigadier General Philip Kearny’s division arrived to stabilize the Federal position. Kearny led his men onto the field shouting, "I am a one–armed Jersey Son–of–a–Gun, Follow me!" The Confederates fell back into their defenses.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Winfield Scott Hancock’s brigade had marched behind the Confederate left flank and occupied two vacant redoubts along Cub Creek. Hancock’s men then began shelling the Confederate flank and rear.

Longstreet sent elements of Major General D. H. Hill’s division to dislodge the Federals. Hill and Brigadier General Jubal A. Early hastily prepared a flank attack, but the assault was misdirected and disjointed, resulting in a bloody repulse. Early was wounded and D. H. Hill called the scene "one of the most awful things I ever saw." The Confederates suffered 1,603 casualties and the Federals 2,239.

That night, successful in delaying the Union advance, the Confederates abandoned their redoubts and continued their withdrawal toward Richmond. Major General George McClellan telegraphed to Washington, "The victory is complete." Confederate General Johnston would later rebut, "Had the enemy beaten us on the fifth, as he claims to have done, our army would have lost most of its baggage and artillery." [4]

Genealogy

Parents
Hermis Willard 1797–1881
Elvina Kidder Willard 1799–1885

Spouse
Ann Shaw Willard-Vanderburgh 1833–1919

Siblings
Lucius Newell Willard 1827–1899
Corbin Kidder Willard 1829–1921
Caroline Willard Jones 1834–1918
Henry Kirk Williard 1839–1861

Children both born Jamestown, Chautauqua Co., NY
Ernest Russell 3/11/1854-7/16/1903 m. Marie Louise Atkinson, d. of Hobart Ford Atkinson and Louise Sibley
Hermis Darwin Willard 1/19/1860–11/14/1862

References

[1] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/212534427/darwin-willard

[2] WFA Genealogy #1526 in the 1915 Willard Genealogy.88

[3] https://books.google.com/books?id=E56RAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA571&lpg=PA571&d...

[4] ©1999-2003 The Virginia War Museum. All rights reserved.

[5] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Battle of Williamsburg, by Kurz and Allison, 1893. Date May 5, 1862

Additional Information

130. Darwin8 Willard (Hermes7, Oliver6, Jonathan5, Jonathan4, Jonathan3, Jacob2, George1); born 31 March 1826 at Jamestown, Chautauqua Co., New York;88 married Ann Shaw, daughter of Russell Shaw and Mary Ann (--?--), 4 January 1853;88 died 5 May 1862 at age 36 at the battle of Williamsburg.88

The two known children of Darwin8 Willard and Ann Shaw both born Jamestown, Chautauqua Co., New York, were as follows:

276. i. Ernest Russell9 Willard; born 11 March 1854;88,71 married Marie Louise Atkinson, daughter of Hobart Ford Atkinson and Louise Sibley, 16 July 1903.88

277. ii. Hermes Darwin Willard; born 19 January 1860;88,83 died 14 November 1862 at age 2.88

Location York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia

Result Inconclusive[1]

Combatants

United States of America Confederate States of America

Commanders

George B. McClellan

Joseph Hooker

Philip Kearny

Winfield S. Hancock James Longstreet

Jubal A. Early

D. H. Hill

Strength

40,768[1] 31,823[1]

Casualties

2,283[1] 1,682[2]

Peninsula Campaign[hide]

Hampton Roads – Yorktown – Williamsburg – Eltham's Landing – Drewry's Bluff – Hanover Court House – Seven Pines – Seven Days Battles (Oak Grove – Beaver Dam Creek – Gaines' Mill – Garnett's & Golding's Farm – Savage's Station – White Oak Swamp – Glendale – Malvern Hill)

The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first pitched battle of the Peninsula Campaign, in which nearly 41,000 Federals and 32,000 Confederates were engaged, fighting an inconclusive battle that ended with the Confederates continuing their withdrawal.

Following up the Confederate retreat from Yorktown, the Union division of Brig. Gen. Joseph Hooker encountered the Confederate rearguard near Williamsburg. Hooker assaulted Fort Magruder, an earthen fortification alongside the Williamsburg Road, but was repulsed. Confederate counterattacks, directed by Maj. Gen. James Longstreet, threatened to overwhelm the Union left flank, until Brig. Gen. Philip Kearny's division arrived to stabilize the Federal position. Brig. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock's brigade then moved to threaten the Confederate left flank, occupying two abandoned redoubts. The Confederates counterattacked unsuccessfully. Hancock's localized success was not exploited. The Confederate army continued its withdrawal during the night in the direction of Richmond, Virginia.[5]

Williamsburg

Fort Magruder

Civil War Virginia

American Civil War

May 5, 1862

Peninsular Campaign Map

In the first pitched battle of the Peninsular Campaign, nearly 41,000 Federals and 32,000 Confederates were engaged.

Following up the Confederate retreat from Yorktown, Hooker's division encountered the Confederate rearguard near Williamsburg. Hooker assaulted Fort Magruder, an earthen fortification alongside the Williamsburg Road, but was repulsed.

Confederate counterattacks, directed by Major General James Longstreet, threatened to overwhelm the Union left flank, until Kearny's division arrived to stabilize the Federal position. Hancock's brigade then moved to threaten the Confederate left flank, occupying two abandoned redoubts.

The Confederates counterattacked unsuccessfully. Hancock's localized success was not exploited. The Confederate army continued its withdrawal during the night.

Result(s): Inconclusive

Location: York County and Williamsburg

Campaign: Peninsular Campaign (March-September 1862) next battle in campaign previous battle in campaign

Date(s): May 5, 1862

Principal Commanders: Major General George B. McClellan [US]; Major General James Longstreet [CS]

Forces Engaged: 72,591 total (US 40,768;CS 31,823)

Estimated Casualties: 3,843 total (US 2,283; CS 1,560) [5]