▁nearly ▁as ▁strong ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁port rayed . ▁But ▁more ▁important ly , ▁it ▁required ▁him ▁to ▁re plan ▁his ▁spring ▁off ensive , ▁and ▁instead ▁of ▁an ▁am ph ib ious ▁landing ▁at ▁his ▁preferred ▁target ▁of ▁U rb anna , ▁he ▁chose ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Pen ins ula , ▁between ▁the ▁James ▁and ▁York ▁R ivers , ▁as ▁his ▁a venue ▁of ▁approach ▁toward ▁Richmond . ▁ ▁Pen ins ula ▁Camp aign ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁April ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁McC le ll an , ▁having ▁land ed ▁his ▁troops ▁at ▁Fort ▁Mon roe ▁at ▁the ▁tip ▁of ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Pen ins ula , ▁began ▁to ▁move ▁slowly ▁toward ▁York town . ▁John ston ' s ▁plan ▁for ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁capital ▁was ▁controvers ial . ▁Know ing ▁that ▁his ▁army ▁was ▁half ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁McC le ll an ' s ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁Union ▁Navy ▁could ▁provide ▁direct ▁support ▁to ▁McC le ll an ▁from ▁either ▁river , ▁John ston ▁attempted ▁to ▁conv ince ▁Davis ▁and ▁Lee ▁that ▁the ▁best ▁course ▁would ▁be ▁to ▁concent rate ▁in ▁fort ifications ▁around ▁Richmond . ▁He ▁was ▁un success ful ▁in ▁persu ading ▁them ▁and ▁deployed ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁force ▁on ▁the ▁Pen ins ula . ▁Following ▁length y ▁sie ge ▁prepar ations ▁by ▁McC le ll an ▁at ▁York town , ▁John ston ▁with d rew ▁and ▁fought ▁a ▁sharp ▁def ensive ▁fight ▁at ▁Williams burg ▁( May ▁ 5 ) ▁and ▁turned ▁back ▁an ▁attempt