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SEVEN DAYS BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND
THE
SEVEN DAYS BATTLES BEFORE RICHMOND
(Adapted
from "Confederate Military History, Volume 3, Chapter XVI")
| Seven Days Battles Around Richmond Map |
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| Civil War Seven Days Battles Around Richmond Map |
The Peninsula Campaign [March-July 1862] consisted of the following battles: Hampton Roads (aka Monitor vs. Virginia, Monitor vs. Merrimack, and Battle of the Ironclads), Yorktown, Williamsburg
(aka Fort Magruder), Eltham's Landing (aka Barhamsville, West Point), Drewry's Bluff (aka Fort Darling, Fort Drewry), Hanover Court House (aka Slash Church), and Seven Pines (aka Fair Oaks, Fair Oaks Station). The following battles (commonly referred
to as the Seven Days Battles or Seven Days Battles Around Richmond) completed or concluded the Peninsula Campaign: Oak Grove
(aka French’s Field, King’s School House), Beaver Dam Creek (aka Mechanicsville, Ellerson’s Mill), Gaines' Mill (aka First Cold Harbor), Garnetts & Goldings Farm, Savage's Station,
Glendale (aka Nelson’s Farm, Frayser’s Farm, Charles City Crossroads, White
Oak Swamp, New Market Road, Riddell's Shop), and Malvern Hill (aka Poindexter’s Farm).
The
second phase of the Peninsula Campaign, consequently, took a negative turn for the Union when Lee launched fierce counterattacks
just east of Richmond in the Seven Days Battles (June 25 – July 1, 1862). Although they are formally
considered part of the Peninsula Campaign, the final battles of June 25 to July 1, with Lee in command and on the offensive
against McClellan, are popularly known as the Seven Days Battles.
Lee, in his first general order to the army before Richmond, said: The presence of the enemy in front of the
capital, the great interests involved, and the existence of all that is dear to us, appeal in terms too strong to be unheard,
and the general commanding feels assured that every man has resolved to maintain the ancient fame of the army of Northern
Virginia and the reputation of its general [Johnston], and to conquer or die in the approaching contest." In a private letter
he wrote: "I wish his [Johnston's] mantle had fallen upon an abler man, or that I were able to drive our enemies
back to their homes. I have no ambition and no desire but for the attainment of this object." Writing in a humorous vein to
a young friend, General Lee described himself, at this supreme moment of taking high command, in these words:
My coat is of gray, of
the regulation style and pattern, and my pants are dark blue, as is also prescribed, partly hid by my long boots. I have the
same handsome hat which surmounts my gray head, (the latter is not prescribed in the regulations), and shields my ugly face,
which is masked by a white beard as stiff and wiry as the teeth of a card. In fact, an uglier person you have never seen,
and so unattractive is it to our enemies that they shoot at it whenever it is visible to them.
| Seven Days Battles Around Richmond Map |
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| Seven Days Battles Around Richmond |
McClellan was busy during the first half of June in massing four of
his corps on the south of the Chickahominy, near the position where Lee found them when he took command; while with the remainder
of his army he assiduously fortified his chosen position on the north side of that swampy river, drawing his supplies by the
York River railroad from the stores at White House on the Pamunkey. McCall's division, from McDowell's army, reached him on
the 13th, but Lincoln
held the rest of that corps in front of Washington, still fearing an attack from Jackson. By the 20th, McClellan had 115,000 men present for duty, to
which Lee, at first, could oppose but 57,000, but to these he soon added 15,000 from the Carolinas.
On the 8th, while Jackson was ambidextrously engaged with Fremont and Shields, Lee was writing to him: "Should there be nothing
requiring your attention in the valley, so as to prevent your leaving it for a few days, and you can make arrangements to
deceive the enemy and impress him with the idea of your presence, please let me know, that you may unite at the decisive moment
with the army near Richmond." Jackson, in reply, asked for
reinforcements and the privilege of dealing further blows at his Valley opponents. Lee promptly sent him fourteen veteran
regiments, under Lawton and Whiting, sending them off by rail on that day; marching them through Richmond in martial array,
with all the pomp and circumstance of war, and taking good care to have McClellan apprised of their destination. The story
of Jackson's Valley campaign has already been told, as well as the use he made of these reinforcements,
and how he left the Valley on the l7th of June to swell Lee's forces at Richmond,
after having amply provided for the quiet and safety of the large Federal army that his strategy had massed in the lower valley.
Undaunted
courage, coupled with rare caution, characterized the new Confederate general commanding. Desiring to be fully informed in
reference to the rear as well as the front of the great host beleaguering Richmond,
Lee took his bold and ever-alert cavalry leader, J. E. B. Stuart, into his councils, and dispatched him on the 12th with 1,200
veteran cavalry to reconnoiter McClellan's rear. Starting from Richmond he followed the Brook turnpike northward to Ashland,
then turned eastward by way of Hanover Court House, and followed the main road down the south side of the Pamunkey, a few
miles in the rear of McClellan's far-stretching army, crossing the York River railroad at Tunstall's, making captures, destroying
stores, and breaking the enemy's line of communication as he went; then, turning southward, he crossed the swollen Chickahominy,
near Providence forge, and continued to the banks of the James at Charles City, whence he returned by the river road to Richmond,
having in forty-eight hours, with the loss of but a single man, the brave Latané, whom he left in the hands of noble Virginia
women for burial, ridden entirely around the Federal army and gathered information of incalculable value to Lee in maturing
his plans.
Jackson,
by marching and using the trains of the Virginia Central railroad, in a "ride-and-tie" way, reached Frederick shall on the
21st, where he rested on Sunday, the 22d. At midnight, after the Sabbath had passed, Jackson
mounted his horse, and accompanied by a single courier, rode rapidly toward Richmond
for a conference to which Lee had invited him. By impressing a relay of horses, he reached that city after a 50-mile ride,
at 1 p.m., and at 3, Monday, 23d, was in conference with the commanding general in reference to an attack on McClellan's right.
On that same Monday, Jackson's men moved forward and on the evening of the 25th reached Ashland, suffering greatly from the intense summer heat of the lowlands,
the choking dust of the roads, and the scarcity of water.
By
June 24th, McClellan had an inkling of the approach of Jackson,
and asked Stanton, his secretary of war, what he knew of the whereabouts of this hard-to-be-located man. This information
was supplied him on the 25th, locating Jackson anywhere from Gordonsville to Luray, or in the mountains of West Virginia,
while Banks and Fremont, in the lower valley, were intently watching for an attack by him from up the valley. On this same
25th, McClellan telegraphed to Washington: "I am inclined to think that Jackson will attack my right and rear. The rebel force is stated at 200,000, including Jackson
and Beauregard. I shall have to contend against vastly superior odds if these reports be true."
| Peninsula Campaign and Seven Days Battles |
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| Civil War Battlefields of Virginia in 1862 |
| Seven Days Battles Around Richmond Map |
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| (Courtesy pbs.org) |
Lee's
plan of attack, which he communicated to his division commanders in a confidential general order, was for Jackson to move
on the 25th from Ashland, and encamp his 16,000 men west of the Virginia Central railroad; at 3 a.m. on the 26th to march
southeastward by way of Old Polly Hundley's corner and across the Totopotomoy, to Pole Green church, near Hundley's corner,
in the rear of McClellan's position and on the Shady Grove road which leads into the road following down the Pamunkey. As
Jackson
crossed the railway he was to inform Branch, on the Brook turnpike, who was guarding that approach to Richmond with one of A. P. Hill's brigades, who, when thus informed, was to cross the Chickahominy
and move down its northern bank toward Mechanicsville. The order next stated: "As soon as the movements of these rear columns
(Jackson's and Branch's) are discovered, Gen. A. P. Hill, with the rest of his division (11,000 men), will cross the Chickahominy
near Meadow bridge and move direct upon Mechanicsville ;" Hill's movement to be followed by Longstreet, crossing the Mechanicsville
bridge with his 9,000, followed by D. H. Hill with his 10,000, these three to unite in a general movement against McClellan's
right flank down the north bank of the Chickahominy. Stuart, with his cavalry, was to lead Jackson's movement and then extend his left, the object of Lee being to cut off any retreat
of McClellan toward his base of supplies, by having Stuart and Jackson in his rear and ready to push eastward and intercept
a retreat if he should attempt one.
To repeat, Lee's 50,000 men, if marched according to his order, would be
thus disposed: A. P. Hill moving on McClellan's right flank at Mechanicsville, supported by Longstreet, with Jackson moving upon the rear of the same flank, supported by D. H. Hill. Jackson's order
read: "Bearing well to his left, turning Beaver Dam creek and taking the direction toward Cold Harbor," after that to "press
forward toward the York River railroad, closing upon the enemy's rear and forcing him down the Chickahominy." The orders clearly
indicate that Jackson, when he was ready for action, was to
give the signal for beginning the fight. These were the tactic arrangements on Lee's left. His right wing, south of the Chickahominy,
30,000 strong, held the line of fortifications extending from the front of Mechanicsville to Chaffin's bluff on the north
bank of the James, not far below Drewry's bluff on the south side of that river. Holmes with 5,000 held the intrenched bluffs;
Magruder and Huger, in the fortifications east of and before Richmond, confronted with their
25,000 men the nearly 80,000 of the four Federal corps south of the Chickahominy and between that and White Oak swamp, with
their intrenched advance at Fair Oaks and Seven Pines. It took sublime courage and confidence
in his men for a commander to make such dispositions, and so divide his forces in the face of such great odds; but Lee had
that courage in an eminent degree, and knew that he could trust the veterans of the army of Northern Virginia to resist a
defensive attack against more than double their numbers, or to make an equally bold offensive one when he saw fit to command
it. He also knew the hesitating disposition of McClellan, and was doubtless well informed as to his fears in reference to
a largely superior attacking force. Magruder and Huger were instructed to impose upon the large Federal cavalry force in their
front with constant demonstrations, and if attacked to unflinchingly hold their intrenchments.
The intense heat and the lack of water exhausted Jackson's
men and animals, and the reconstruction of bridges and the removal of obstacles from the roads which Fitz John Porter had
destroyed and placed during his movement on Hanover Court House, delayed Jackson's march, so that his column did not reach
Ashland until the night of the 25th, although his army had made 50 miles from Gordonsville in three days. By 3 a.m. of the
26th his advance, under Whiting, moved from Ashland on the Ash-cake road; by 9 a.m. it was
crossing the Virginia Central railroad, near Peake's, and by 10, Branch was informed of Jackson's
progress, some six hours later than Lee had expected. Part of this delay was caused by the failure of the commissary department
at Richmond to provide rations for Jackson at Ashland, as had been promised him. Jackson,
in person, was pushing forward with all possible dispatch and, as White writes in his "Life of Lee," with "vigor unabated
and his spirit aglow with the ardor of battle." Keeping to the left and pressing toward Cold Harbor,
his right guarded by Stuart's horsemen, at 3 p.m. Hood's Texans in the lead had a hot skirmish at the Totopotomoy. There the
Federals destroyed the bridge, which had to be rebuilt before Jackson
could cross that stream; so he was unable to reach Hundley's corner, in McClellan's rear, until after dark of the 26th. Obeying
orders and bearing to the eastward, he had not passed within sight or sound of the battle that A. P. Hill, contrary to orders,
had brought on at Mechanicsville, forcing Lee to follow up without the aid of Jackson
and contrary to his plan of attack.
After
being notified by Jackson that he had crossed the Virginia Central railroad, Branch moved down
the Chickahominy by the road on its northern side, to uncover the Meadow bridges, that A. P. Hill might cross his other brigades
and be in position to attack when he heard Jackson's signal
guns. Branch met Porter's outposts when crossing the Virginia Central at Atlee's, where he was delayed by a vigorous skirmish.
At 3 p.m., A. P. Hill, although he had no sign from Jackson
that he was in position and ready to co-operate in an attack, took upon himself the responsibility of moving on McClellan's
right, fearing, as he says in his report, that delay might "hazard the failure of the whole plan." His advance was courageous
and impetuous, but exceedingly imprudent.
The
issue being taken, and the Federals driven from Mechanicsville to their intrenchments across Beaver Dam creek, and the Mechanicsville
bridge uncovered, D. H. Hill and Longstreet, of necessity, marched to A. P. Hill's support, and Lee, in person, pressed the
attack in front without the help of Jackson in the rear.
| Seven Days Battles Around Richmond Map |
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| Civil War Seven Days Battles Around Richmond Map |
Beaver Dam creek, or swamp, as it is called locally, is a short stream
running from the north into the Chickahominy; it is crossed by the main road from Mechanicsville down the north side of the
Chickahominy, by way of Gaines' mill, to Old Cold Harbor. For about a mile from its mouth up to this road this swamp-bordered
stream is well-nigh impassable. Above the road a dam is thrown across it, making an extensive pond above it for the use of
Ellison's mill on the north side of the road. This sluggish stream deeply trenches the plateau or high ground north of the
Chickahominy. The position was admirably chosen for defense against a movement from the west. The highest engineering skill
in the Federal army had crowned the open, high ground with earthworks for numerous batteries, and with intrenchments for troops
on the crest and down the slopes looking toward Beaver Dam swamp; while the heavy timber that fringed the stream and covered
its high banks was cut down and so disposed as to make an almost impassable abatis in front of the position. The Federal batteries
were so placed as to sweep all the approaches to their position, and five brigades of riflemen, of McCall's division, filled
the intrenchments and log breastworks provided for the defense.
By
5 in the afternoon of this 26th of June, Branch's skirmishers had driven in those of Porter, and A. P. Hill was ordering the
brigades of Archer, Anderson and Field into action along the road leading from Mechanicsville northwestward to Bethesda church,
to move upon the rear of McClellan's immediate right, while Pender, supported by Ripley, moved along the river road toward
Ellison's mill. The attack was fierce, but the defense was furious, and the Confederates were forced to recoil, shattered
by the infantry and artillery fire that met them from the Federal right. At that very time Jackson was still north of the Totopotomoy, engaged in repairing
the bridge which the retiring Federals had destroyed.
On
the morning of the 27th, Jackson was advancing Ewell from
Hundley's corner, where he had spent the night, eastward along the Shady Grove road, in obedience to Lee's general instructions.
McClellan, advised of Jackson's presence on the field of action, and also, doubtless, of his being in force on his rear, fell
back from his position on Beaver Dam creek to the central one held by Porter's corps, a short distance down the river road
to Cold Harbor, where a second and still stronger position had been selected and strongly fortified. This retrograde movement,
which had been brought about by Jackson without the firing of a gun, placed McClellan's troops, on opposite sides of the Chickahominy,
in a line extending nearly north and south and facing westward. His right was again behind a swampy stream, running from the
north into the Chickahominy, crossed by the road leading from Mechanicsville to Cold Harbor,
with a pond and Gaines' mill above and beside it. The topographic conditions and the Federal preparations were much the same
as those at Ellison's mill.
Jackson,
rightly expecting to be supplied with maps of a locality so near to Richmond where the engineers had had ample time to survey
and map the country, had sent his own topographical engineer and his assistants back to the Valley to continue the work of
preparing an accurate map of that important military field; but no maps were furnished him except some that were imperfect
and unreliable, and the guides sent to lead him were not well informed as to the field of action. The same was true in reference
to other portions of Lee's command and of General Lee himself; consequently there was a clash in the ordered movements of
troops based on unreliable maps, and it was very difficult to secure concert of action where so much of the country was covered
with forests and cut up by deeply trenched watercourses.
Lee
promptly ordered an attack on the new Federal position. A. P. Hill was sent along the main road from Mechanicsville to Cold Harbor, by way of Gaines' mill, while Longstreet was moved along a private road between the main
road and the Chickahominy, nearly parallel to those leading to the Gaines house, which was west of the swamp behind Gaines'
mill, and the New bridge over the Chickahominy. Jackson's guide conducted Ewell, by a road leading to Walnut Grove church
on the main river road, west instead of east of the right flank and rear of McClellan's new position. This brought Ewell face
to face with A. P. Hill, instead of some distance to his left, thus paralyzing the movements of each of these division commanders.
D. H. Hill, who had been ordered to report to Jackson, pushed forward, from Mechanicsville,
on the road leading to Bethesda church and Porter's right
rear. By 2 p.m. Jackson had D. H. Hill's division in front
of Old Cold Harbor, pressing forward upon Porter's right flank and rear, through fallen timber and tangled brushwood, which
the enemy had provided as a defense to the rear of his right flank. This forward movement was opposed by sharpshooters. Lee,
at Walnut Grove church, in front of which his line of battle, under A. P. Hill and Longstreet, was advancing toward the enemy's
position beyond Powhite swamp, had ordered Jackson to continue his eastward course, strike Porter's rear and threaten his
communications with York river, expecting this closing down upon his front, flank and rear would drive him down the Chickahominy.
Having, by strenuous
efforts, got his troops in position north of Old Cold Harbor, Jackson ordered forward Bondurant's battery to draw the fire
of the Federal guns and thus reveal their position, which was screened by intervening forests. The furious fire that this
action drew, furnished Jackson the information he wanted, at about: 2:30 p.m., just as Hill was moving his division to assault
the Federals at New Cold Harbor, having already driven Porter's skirmishers from Gaines' mill and the immediate line of Powhite
swamp. Knowing that Longstreet was on his right, Hill, with his usual impetuous ardor, dashed across Powhite swamp and the
obstructions that had been placed behind it and rushed against the strong batteries and intrenched lines of the Federal center,
and in fierce contention strove, for two hours, to carry the strong Federal position. He forced Porter to call for help, and
at 3:30 Slocum added his 5,000 men to the defense. Hill had endured this fierce contest without assistance. Of course he could
not with his single attacking line, against formidable obstacles, drive from their intrenched and barricaded position three
lines of infantry, one above the other, on a steep slope, protected by fallen timber, and having the ridge behind them occupied
by heavy guns that poured upon him shot and shell over the heads of the Federal infantry. At 4, Lee ordered Longstreet to
make a demonstration against Porter's left, toward the Chickahominy, on Turkey
hill. The crest of this hill, crowned with numerous Federal batteries, was 60 feet higher than the plateau opposite, on which
Longstreet formed his line of battle. Numerous and elaborate defenses protected the slope of Turkey hill at this point, just
as above; at the same time, McClellan's heavy siege guns, from his position south of the Chickahominy, had an enfilade fire
on Longstreet's right as he advanced. These conditions led Longstreet to concentrate his entire division to strike the blow
he had been ordered to give, and it was 7 o'clock before he was ready to move.
| Seven Days Battles |
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| Seven Days Battles |
| (L) Union Gen. McClellan; (R) Confederate Gen. Lee |
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| Seven Days Battles Around Richmond |
(The Seven Days Battles Around
Richmond) (L) McClellan; (R) Lee. The Seven Days Battles, which concluded the Peninsula
Campaign, was the bloody sequence of battles around Richmond, Virginia, that began on June 25, 1862, and lasted
for a week. Determined to hurl the Union forces back from the Confederate capital, Richmond, Lee attacked McClellan again
and again - at Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, Savage's Station, Frayser's Farm, and Malvern Hill. McClellan won four out of
the five battles, but proved as fearful in victory as he was in defeat, backing and retreating steadily away until he
reached Harrison's Landing on the James. The Peninsula Campaign, begun with such bright hope, had ended in defeat.
In the meantime, Jackson
had not been idle. No leader of fighting men better understood the necessity of joining in a fight, when a fight was on, than
he did; and when he found himself in front of Old Cold Harbor and heard the sound of firing on his right, he knew that the
thing for him to do was to help defeat the enemy and drive him from his position, rather than be a looker-on and continue
moving to the eastward, as he might have done under the general instructions of his orders. His divisions stretched across
several miles of country, eastward and westward, through forests and across swampy creeks with steep and difficult banks,
but he had so arranged them that they could be promptly moved when the emergency came for so doing. His chief of staff, Major
Dabney, was quite unwell, having been overcome by the intense heat and the exertions of the past few days in the discharge
of his arduous duties. The rest of the staff were scattered, under orders, and Jackson began giving instructions to Major
Dabney to ride rapidly to the right and send forward each division, as he reached its commander, instructing each to bear
to the left in moving forward, thus bringing his line of battle into successive action in echelon. Just as he was concluding
his instructions, another staff officer, whose duty really was not on the field of battle, came up. Jackson at once directed Major Dabney to remain with him, while he sent this officer to deliver
his orders. The major protested, knowing that it was dangerous to intrust such important orders to one not accustomed to such
duty, but Jackson, aware of Dabney's exhausted physical condition,
persisted. The result was, that this officer instructed the several division commanders, not to move, but to be ready to move,
and so an hour or more of precious time was lost, during which Jackson
was impatiently waiting to hear the sound of his guns attacking the enemy's flank and rear and bringing relief to Hill. Major
Dabney, sent to the near rear for another purpose, was also impatiently listening for this attack, and, not hearing it, he,
without orders, rode at full speed to the nearest division, and finding what orders had been given it, promptly ordered it
into action, and so, in succession, gave the order to each division, when the whole line promptly swept into action; D. H.
Hill on the left, followed on the right by Ewell, Jackson's old division, then Whiting. As the sound of the guns of these
advances rang out, a wild yell swept through the lines of A. P. Hill and Longstreet, "Jackson's
come." Pressing forward, though somewhat in disorder from the character of the country passed over, Jackson's men soon enveloped
Porter's right and center, relieved A. P. Hill's exhausted men, and, with fixed bayonets, swept over all obstructions, whether
of nature or of man. Lee, intently listening for the sound of battle, hearing Jackson's
opening, promptly ordered his whole line to press forward.
Magruder
performed his part well in holding the Federal troops south of the Chickahominy, marching and countermarching his infantry
in deceptive movements and keeping his artillery in constant action. Porter soon saw that, unaided, he could not long resist
the tide of battle that was now rolling full along his front and closing in on his flanks. He called for reinforcements, which
McClellan ordered from Franklin and Sumner, across the river. Franklin replied that for him to send was "not prudent," and
Sumner, more threatened by the brave Magruder, replied, "hazardous;" but 5,000 men, the brigades of French and Meagher, were
sent to Porter's rear, as the day was closing, and reached Turkey hill just in time to receive the routed living remnant of
Porter's corps. The forests and the condition of the country occupied by Lee's lines, prevented the use of much artillery
in this battle of Gaines' Mill, but braver, daring and more heroic endeavor was never made by patriotic soldiers than on that
day, all along the lines, especially by Hill's North Carolinians and Virginians, Lawton's Georgians, and memorably by Hood's
Texans, who stormed the heights of Turkey and McGehee's hills, sweeping across fences and ditches, through fallen timber and
abatis, and over intrenchments which blazed with sheeted fire from infantry and artillery, from the entire Federal front,
leaving well-nigh half of their comrades dead or wounded on the way, and rolling back, in a sullen tide of defeat, both the
regulars and the volunteers of Porter's corps, and becoming masters of the heights they had so bravely stormed. As it ever
did, Jackson's "Stonewall brigade" pushed into the thickest
of the fight, across the path of Ewell, and bore its full share in winning this glorious victory.
Porter's men were brave fighters and could not well
have been asked to do more than they did to hold their position. Especially was this true of the Federal center and left,
which held on stubbornly after Jackson had crushed their right.
To the disposing of these Jackson then addressed himself,
sending Whiting with the 4,000 of Hood and Law, to move with trailed arms, at double-quick, down the slope to the swamp and
then rush up the steep ascent to the Federal fortress. Hood's Texans on the right, with Law's Mississippians and Alabamians
on the left, swept silently forward, losing a thousand men as they advanced; then, with wild yell, leaped over obstruction
after obstruction, cleared the breastworks, and followed in hot pursuit the retreating Federals that fled before their fierce
courage and withering fire. All caught the notes of coming victory, and to its wild music rushed forward and helped to make
that victory complete.
The
reinforcements that McClellan had brought across the Chickahominy were just in time to oppose the onward rush of the Confederates,
and to form a line of defense behind which the routed Federals could rally, enabling Porter to form a new line with 35,000
men, just in front of the Chickahominy, on the very verge of Turkey
hill. This Porter managed with soldierly skill and obstinately held on until darkness enabled him to cross that stream, destroy
the bridges behind him, and join McClellan's main body on the south side of that river. The loss of 7,000 men and 22 guns
and the capture of two almost impregnable fortress-like hills, crowned by embattled hosts, attested the daring courage of
Lee's men and the vigorous defense of Porter's. Only the closing in of night prevented the capture of the whole Federal force
north of the Chickahominy. Lee had now successfully carried out the first part of his plan, having driven McClellan from
his menacing position north of the Chickahominy and become master of his line of communication with his base on the York. He now proposed to follow up his victory and capture the Federal
army, but McClellan gave him but a partial opportunity for accomplishing this result. Astute enough to forecast what might
happen when Lee, reinforced by Jackson, should fall upon his right, which he had fondly hoped would have been doubled in strength
by the arrival of McDowell, he had provided for a change of base by having supplies for his army sent up the James, to Westover,
accompanied by a fleet of gunboats to convoy and safeguard them, and at the same time furnish a defense in case his army should
have to fall back to that river.
Disheartened
by the severe punishment he had received, at the hands of Lee, at Gaines' mill and Cold Harbor, McClellan at midnight of the
27th, after the remnant of Porter's corps was safely across the Chickahominy and had destroyed the bridges behind it, ordered
five of his corps to begin the retreat across White Oak swamp to the banks of the James. This was the only way of escape now
left him from the toils of Lee. It is true that on the morning of the 28th he had 105,000 men, more than two-thirds of whom
had not been engaged the day before, and that between him and Richmond was a force, under Magruder and Huger, only about one-fourth
as large as his own, while two-thirds of Lee's army were still north of the unbridged and unfordable Chickahominy and farther
from Richmond than his own. Here was an opportunity for a great captain, who "took no counsel of his fears," to capture the
Confederate capital by a prompt and vigorous assault, and accomplish the object of his grand campaign. But McClellan was not
such a leader and Lee knew it, and had no apprehension that such an attack would be made, although he expected and prepared
for a renewal of the combat before McClellan would give up the formidable position that he still held between the Chickahominy
and the White Oak swamp. But McClellan had made up his mind to escape from his sturdy antagonist, and there is no evidence
that any of his subordinates opposed this conclusion.
On
the morning of the 28th of June, Porter's corps, with a great array of heavy guns, stood on the south side of the Chickahominy,
facing Lee and defiantly ready to oppose his advance. Four corps faced Richmond,
extending from a fortified work on the Gelding farm, on the border of the Chickahominy swamp, southward to the natural defense
of the great White Oak swamp, a closed, living gate of well-armed and well-supplied men, in battle array, with well-protected
flanks. Thus guarded in flanks and rear, McClellan started his 5,000 wagons and great herd of beef cattle, preceded by Keyes'
corps, to open the way along the single road that led southward across the White Oak swamp toward his chosen retreat on the
James. The dense forests completely concealed this movement from observation. Before noonday, Keyes had crossed the White
Oak bridge and was four miles beyond it, near Charles City cross roads, guarding the approaches from Richmond by the two great
highways south of the swamp. All day the impedimenta of the Federal army were forced, with Northern energy, to the rear along
the hidden, muddy roads that led through the forest wilderness. This unexpected movement was so well-concealed that it was
on for four-and-twenty hours before Lee was informed of it, or could divine McClellan's intentions. The morning after the
battle he had hastened Stuart, followed by Ewell, who was farthest on his left, down the Chickahominy river road to Dispatch
Station. Stuart spared no time in seizing the railway, damaging its track and attacking the Federal guard, which he scattered
from Dispatch Station. They saved him the trouble of destroying the bridge across the Chickahominy as they retreated toward
McClellan's army. Stuart hastened after these trains loaded with ammunition and supplies, which plunged into the Chickahominy,
while his dashing troopers followed the railway to the White House, with fire and sword, and captured or destroyed the enormous
supplies and the scattered encampments which had been gathered along that line of communication to McClellan's base of supplies.
The steadily coming
messages from Stuart soon satisfied Lee that McClellan must be seeking another base, but the question as to what one, he could
not, as yet, decide. Two ways were open. He could reach the peninsula by the lower fords of the Chickahominy, as Grant did
two years later. If he did this, it was necessary for Lee to remain north of the Chickahominy and pursue him toward Williamsburg. McClellan's alternative was to seek the James, which he
was already doing, but unknown to Lee. The bold front presented by Porter was a serious obstacle in the way of pursuing McClellan's
rear, so Ewell was ordered to hold Bottom's bridge, across the Chickahominy on the Williamsburg
road, while Stuart watched the roads farther down leading to the peninsula. It did not take the hot June sun long to dry up
the common roads by which McClellan was retreating, and the clouds of dust from these roads, late in the day of the 28th,
told the observant Stuart what was going on, and he quickly apprised Lee that McClellan was in full retreat toward the James.
On the morning of
the 29th, at the dawn of day, Lee took up the pursuit of his retreating foe. Longstreet and A. P. Hill crossed the Chickahominy
at the New bridge, opposite to which they had bivouacked, and marched southward with orders to take the Darbytown road to
the Long bridge until they should strike the right flank of McClellan's line of retreat. Magruder preceded these down the
Williamsburg road, through the Seven Pines battlefield, and
between the Chickahominy and the White Oak swamps. Huger was sent along the Charles
City road on the south side of White Oak swamp, while Holmes led his
6,000 down the River road to strike the line of retreat to Malvern hill. Jackson
was left to rebuild Grapevine bridge, to which a road led from Old Cold Harbor, with orders to cross and follow McClellan's
rear.
Lee did his
best to strike McClellan's retreat with some of these marching columns, in the afternoon of Sunday, June 29th. The Federal
army was stretched along the road from Savage Station to Malvern hill. Keyes, followed by the remnants of Porter's corps,
led the advance and guarded the approaches to the Quaker road, along which the trains were moving to and across Malvern hill.
The fragments of McCall's and Slocum's divisions had crossed the White Oak swamp and encamped near Willis' church, near the
knot of cross roads in the vicinity of Glendale. Heintzelman
had crossed White Oak swamp and was going into bivouac just south of that, at 10 p.m. At about 4 p.m. Sumner's corps and part
of Franklin's were holding the rear against an onslaught by
Magruder at Savage Station. At about half past six, Heintzelman was crossing White Oak swamp at Brackett's ford, 1 miles above
the swamp bridge, and by 10 p.m. he was bivouacking south of the swamp in front of Charles City cross roads, covering the
Charles City road from Richmond. Charles City cross roads, on the watershed between White Oak swamp and Turkey Island creek,
was notable for the fact that at or near that point the roads leading north to Bottom's bridge, northeast to the Long bridges,
south to Malvern hill, southwest to New Market, and northwest to Richmond, all leading highways as well as numerous farm roads,
met in intersection; it was also about halfway between the James and the Chickahominy, and in consequence of the coming together
of so many roads, it was the most vulnerable point in McClellan's line of retreat. Knowing this, Lee bent all his energies
to there strike a blow on McClellan's right flank.
| Seven Days Battles Map |
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| Seven Days Battles Map |
McClellan also knew, from a personal inspection, the danger that
threatened him at that place, and he had provided against it by sending Heintzelman across White Oak swamp at Brackett's ford,
a mile and a half above the swamp bridge, so that his line of southward march would place him in position across the New Market
and the Charles City, roads leading toward Richmond. To strike this point, Lee, all day, urged forward Huger by the Charles
City road, Longstreet and A. P. Hill by the Darbytown road and the Long
bridges road, and Holmes by the River road, to either support Hill and Longstreet, or to strike the head of the Federal retreat
where the River road and the Quaker road met on Malvern hill. Success for Lee depended entirely .upon the vigor and speed
of these movements, but Huger was held back by the obstructions the Federals had thrown across the Charles City road, while
Longstreet, after making but 12 miles, went into camp near Darbytown, only about six miles from the fatal point at the Charles
City cross roads.
The
29th was consumed by Jackson
in working hard to bridge the Chickahominy so he could join in the pursuit. Magruder put but part of his men into the battle
at Savage station, and so failed to drive away McClellan's rear guard, that there stubbornly held the road; while Holmes failed
to reach and head off McClellan at Malvern hill. So the day passed without decisive results to Lee, and McClellan's retreat
was continued with but little molestation.
The
morning of June 30th found McClellan's entire army and heavy trains, including his hundred heavy siege guns and numerous batteries
of field artillery, safely across the White Oak swamp, and by 10 a.m. Richardson's
division, his rear guard on the main road, was destroying the swamp bridge. He now had 60,000 men in a naturally strong position,
facing northward and westward, covering the roads leading to and from Charles City cross roads, with his flanks protected
by swamps, and with the same sort of well-nigh impenetrable defenses covering nearly his entire front. The approaching roadways
were all guarded by artillery, and his men had not been slow to everywhere add fallen timber and abatis to the defenses offered
by the creeks and swamps. At the southern end of the swamp bridge was Frayser's farm, clear to the north and with forests
to the south. There was placed Franklin with 20,000 men and
a park of artillery, facing north and constituting the right wing of McClellan's army, ready to contest the passage of White
Oak swamp. To the left, covering the roads from Richmond and the important junction of roads
at Charles City
cross roads, sweeping in an arc westward and southward, were 40,000 men under Sumner and Heintzelman. The position was, naturally,
an exceedingly strong defensive one, and the disposition of the Federal troops could not well have been better made. They
were now ready for the opening of the contest which is known in history by the names of White Oak Swamp, Frayser's Farm, Charles
City Cross-roads, Glendale or Willis' Church; Glendale being the name of a plantation just south of Charles City cross roads,
and Willis' church a point a mile in the same, direction from the same point on the Quaker road.
By 11 o'clock in the morning, the head of Jackson's column appeared at the northern end of the destroyed White
Oak swamp bridge. Franklin at once opened on this with his
heavy batteries. Colonel Crutchfield, Jackson's chief of artillery, brought twenty-eight guns promptly into position and soon
drove back Franklin's artillery, when Jackson attempted to force the passage of the swamp; but Franklin successfully resisted
this with his more numerous muskets aiding his artillery and with two brigades that were sent to his assistance from Sedgwick's
division, giving him 25,000 men to meet Jackson's 21,000. Jackson, seeing that the odds were too great and that he could not
get at his enemy at a single point, desisted from making a further attack; but he continued to keep Franklin's position warm with his artillery.
It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon before Huger opened his artillery on Slocum,
on the Charles City
road, only to find his antagonist thoroughly guarded behind broad belts of fallen trees across swampy ground, so he desisted
from attack. Lee, in person, directed Longstreet into battle about 4 p.m., with less than 20,000 men, along the New Market
road toward Charles City Court House, or the Glendale farm,
against double his numbers holding McClellan's left. Longstreet had charge of the contest. His advance was through fallen
timber, tangled underbrush, and hummocky ground on his left, while on his right the head swamp of the western branch of Turkey run was between him and the Federal left. Eager for
the fray, Longstreet's men rushed forward, overcame all obstacles, and fell upon McCall's left with such a blow that his men
fled, in panic, backward through Hooker's line of battle in their rear. The rush against Kearny's
left was not successful, for he not only had Slocum's aid but two brigades from Franklin's
left, while Hooker assailed Longstreet's victorious flank. A. P. Hill moved rapidly to Longstreet's assistance, but the Confederates
were only able to hold the ground they had won from McCall, having captured that leader and fourteen of his field guns.
While this Frayser's Farm-Glendale battle was raging,
Holmes, with his 6,000 men and a six-gun battery on the River road, crossed the western branch of Turkey Island creek and
was crossing Malvern ridge toward Turkey Island bridge, when Warren, with 30 guns and 1,500 men, assisted by the gunboats
in the James, which had an enfiladed fire on Holmes' line, drove him back. At Holmes' call, Magruder was turned from near
Longstreet's battlefield to Malvern hill, to take part in the conflict there pending; but that was over before he arrived.
The Federals had held
their line of retreat for another day, though with considerable loss, and when darkness came the corps commanders, without
waiting for orders from the commanding general, took up their line of retreat toward the position that McClellan, in person,
had selected on the James, passing through the strong force of infantry and the line of powerful artillery that had already
been placed across the Malvern ridge to guard the way to the longed-for refuge. McClellan's night dispatch of the 30th, to
Secretary of War Stanton, reads: "Another day of desperate fighting. I fear I shall be forced to abandon my material to save
my men under cover of the gunboats. You must send us very large reinforcements."
July 1st, the last day of the Seven Days' battles around Richmond, found
the Federal army in probably the strongest position it had yet held, on Malvern ridge, a tongue of high land projecting southeastward,
almost to the James, between the two principal branches of Turkey Island creek, which meet, near the southwestern end of this
ridge, about a mile from the mouth of this creek in the James. This ridge was not only commanding in elevation, but the larger
portion of it, where occupied by the Federal army, was cleared and open land, which could be swept by artillery, while its
slopes extended to swampy grounds along the bordering creeks.
McClellan
placed his main line at right angles to this ridge and to the Quaker road that ran along its crest just south of the junction
with the road leading to Charles City cross-roads by Willis' church, along which Jackson would advance, and the one leading
to Richmond by way of Darbytown, along which would be the advance of Longstreet and those under him. The flanks of this Federal
front extended to the edge of the bluffs above the swampy branches of Turkey
run. A cloud of sharpshooters covered the front. Couch's corps was behind these, on the right of the road, with Heintzelman's
and Sumner's corps in his rear, but farther extended to the east. Morrell was on the left of the Quaker road, with Sykes in
his rear, covering a cross road leading to Holmes' position on the River road. The whole front was faced with protected batteries,
while others occupied commanding positions in the rear near his flanks. This made the approach from the Confederate side very
difficult, as these numerous Federal batteries swept the entire front. This part of the Federal line was less than a mile
long, and nearly the whole of McClellan's great army was placed within this mile of frontage and a half mile back of it.
Just in the rear of this formidable battle array, the
road to Harrison s landing, the point on the James to which McClellan was retreating, diverged
to the southeastward from the Quaker road and from the Malvern ridge. At right angles to his main line and extending southward
from his left for nearly a mile to the eastward of the Quaker road, McClellan had covered the bluffs, looking to the westward,
with his splendid train of heavy siege guns which he had carefully saved for such an occasion. These swept the whole country
in his rear and also the approaches from Richmond by the River
road. At the southern end of this projecting ridge and at right angles to its line of heavy batteries, was a still more formidable
massing of guns, commanding the River road under the brow of the ridge and leading to the position at Harrison's
landing, which he had already covered with formidable earthworks. Warren's
division was also placed across this River road at the point of the ridge. But McClellan had another strong arm of defense
which was a hitherto unknown element in his fighting. A large number of Federal gunboats had come up James river and were
anchored in Turkey Island bend, so that their guns not only enfiladed the whole western front of McClellan's position, but
had a range, for their huge shells, to beyond the northern front of his line of battle, and raked the right of the position
the oncoming Confederate lines of attack would be compelled to occupy. This co-operation of the sea power of the Federals
more than doubled the strength of its local land power, great as that was, and effectually prevented any attack upon the left
flank or the rear of the Malvern ridge.
Continuing
his pursuit of McClellan on the 1st of July, Lee reached the front of the Federal position about noonday, and disposed a portion
of the forces of Huger and Jackson, which had approached by the converging roads before referred to; the former on the right
and the latter on the left. Magruder had been ordered to the same point, by the Quaker road, but it so happened that there
were two roads in that region having the same name; he had taken the wrong one, and finding out his mistake had countermarched,
but did not reach the field of battle until late in the day. A. P. Hill and Longstreet were held in reserve, and it was useless
for Holmes to attack the intrenched bluff before him bristling with heavy guns and well guarded by numerous nearby gunboats.
There were but few
available positions for Lee's artillery, but these Jackson
availed himself of; on the left with the batteries of Balthis, Poague and Carpenter, while on the right those of Grimes and
Moorman, first put in, were soon driven back and their places taken by Davidson and Pegram. None of these could long withstand
the fury of the concentrated fire of the seventy guns that swept the slope in front of the Federal position. Forming his men
in the edge of the forest and on the borders of the swamp, Lee ordered his front line, under Huger, Magruder, D. H. Hill and
Whiting, to move against the enemy. Armistead's brigade, on the right, was to take the initiative, with a yell and a rush.
The assault was not simultaneous. D. H. Hill alone advanced, with his own yell, but Armistead did not. Later, Magruder fiercely
contended to reach the Federal left, but Huger failed to support him vigorously, and although he shook Porter's line so that
that brave fighter called for reinforcements, Magruder was compelled to retire under the storm of canister and musketry that
swept the open slope up which he was leading his brave men. D. H. Hill's assault upon the Federal center was bold and brave,
and caused Couch's line to stagger; but Whiting, not hearing Hill's signal, failed to move to his assistance, while the near-at-hand
Federal reserves swarmed to the aid of Couch and drove Hill back with great slaughter. Lee hurried forward reinforcements,
but to no purpose, for night put an end to the battle before they could join in the issue, leaving him holding only his first
position and to mourn the loss of 5,000 killed and wounded of his brave and fearless soldiery. Some of his division commanders
had failed to comprehend his orders, and so were late in reaching the field of action; others had failed to advance at the
appointed time, and so the attack was irregular, and therefore not forceful. The tangled forests and swamps through which
he had to advance, greatly hindered the tactical disposition of his troops, so that he only succeeded in bringing fourteen
brigades into action, and these but by twos or threes at a time, making their repulse certain from the massed Federal infantry
and the tiers of batteries in front of them.
Notwithstanding
the results of the day's combats and the almost impregnable nature of his position, McClellan was unwilling to try another
issue, and as soon as dark fell, he ordered Porter to lead a retreat toward Harrison's landing,
on the James, where he had ready for his army an intrenched camp covered by an extended line of gunboats. His thought may
be imagined from two lines in his retreat order to Porter: "In case you should find it impossible to move your heavy artillery,
you are to spike the guns and destroy the carriages;" and, "Stimulate your men by informing them that reinforcements, etc.,
have arrived at our new base." The appearance of the road passed over in the retreat, looked, the next morning, like one followed
by a routed army. Abandoned wagons were all along the way, and thousands of muskets were scattered along its sides. Hooker,
a Federal corps commander, writes: "It was like the retreat of a whipped army. We retreated like a parcel of sheep; everybody
on the road at the same time, and a few shots from the rebels would have stricken the whole command in panic."
On the 2d of July, which turned out to be a very rainy
day, Lee ordered Longstreet in pursuit on the direct road to Harrison's landing, but that
slow-moving general only made two miles of progress, and went into bivouac when he reached the River road. The army was countermarched,
on the 3d, to Willis' church, to there take the road toward Charles City Court House and leading to the right flank of McClellan's
new base and position on the James. But the guides again misled, in that country of tangled roads involved in worse tangled
forests and swamps, and his advance, under Longstreet, was again retarded, so that he did not appear in the vicinity of Westover,
on the right flank and front of McClellan's fortified camp, until noon of July 4th, to find that the skill of the Federal
engineers, and the energy and zeal of its Northern soldiery, had encircled the entire front of the Federal camp with formidable
breastworks, well supplied with artillery, the approaches to which were within the range of the gunboats, stationed in the
James all along the rear of the Federal camp.
But
three short months had passed since the superbly organized and every way equipped army of the Potomac had begun its "on to
Richmond," but its every movement had been a failure. Jackson,
with a small force in hand, had with strategic power routed or demoralized and then left stranded in the Valley 60,000 of
its best men, during a month and a half of this quarter of a year. First Magruder, and then J. E. Johnston, had delayed and
badly damaged the march of the main body, under the leadership of McClellan in person, on the Peninsula, keeping him back
with fierce blows at Williamsburg, Yorktown and Eltham's landing, and by a bold front at Seven
Pines and Fair Oaks, held him hesitating in sight of Richmond.
Lee, taking immediate command after the wounding of Johnston, had gathered from all directions his scattered forces, hurled
them fiercely upon McClellan's lines and intrenchments, and after seven days of fierce contention at Ellison's mill, Gaines'
mill, Charles City cross-roads and Malvern hill, had driven him back, followed by dire disaster, and left him stranded on
the banks of the James with a loss of 16,000 men. The heroic struggles had cost Lee 20,000 of his brave Confederates, but
had relieved his capital.
| Seven Days Battles Map |
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| Civil War Virginia Seven Days Battles Map |
Calmly reviewing these stirring events, Lee deliberately and honestly
wrote: "Under ordinary circumstances, the Federal army should have been destroyed." Seeking reasons why that result had not
been accomplished, he found them in the" want of correct and timely information." This, attributable chiefly to the character
of the country, but largely chargeable to the lack of trained staff organization, "enabled General McClellan to skillfully
conceal his retreat, and to add much to the obstructions with which Nature had beset the way of our pursuing columns; but
regret that more was not accomplished gives way to gratitude to the Sovereign Ruler of the universe for the results achieved."
The cheers of the army of Northern Virginia, as the victorious chieftain
rode along their columns returning to resting and recruiting camps in the vicinity of Richmond, were their reciprocating general order. In leading
them to conquer their foes, he had conquered their lasting admiration and devotion, and henceforward, whether in victory or
defeat, their confidence in Lee continued unchanged, as it will continue among their descendants and their people "to the
last syllable of recorded time."
Lee recalled these results to his army in a general order of July 7th,
in which he said:
The immediate fruits of our success
are the relief of Richmond from a state of siege; the rout
of the great army that so long menaced its safety; many thousand prisoners, including officers of high rank; the capture or
destruction of stores to the value of millions; the acquisition of thousands of arms and forty pieces of artillery. The service
rendered to the country in this short but eventful period can scarcely be estimated, and the general commanding cannot adequately
express his admiration of the courage, endurance and soldierly conduct of the officers and men engaged. These brilliant results
have cost us the loss of many brave men, but while we mourn the loss of our gallant dead, let us not forget that they died
nobly in defense of their country's freedom, and have linked their memory with an event that will live forever in the hearts
of a grateful people. Soldiers, your country will thank you for the heroic conduct you have displayed, conduct worthy of men
engaged in a cause so just and sacred, and deserving a nation's gratitude and praise.
(Related reading below.)
Recommended
Reading: Seven Days Before Richmond:
McClellan's Peninsula Campaign Of 1862 And Its Aftermath (2009) (Hardcover) (728 pages). Description: This exhaustive volume, Seven Days Before
Richmond, combines meticulous research with a unique perspective and examines the 1862 Peninsula Campaign of Union General
George McClellan and the profound effects it had on the lives of McClellan and Confederate General Robert E. Lee, as well
as its lasting impact on the war itself. Continued below…
Rudolph Schroeder’s
twenty-five year military career and combat experience bring added depth to his analysis of the Peninsula Campaign, offering
new insight and revelation to the subject of Civil War battle history. Schroeder analyzes this crucial campaign from its genesis
to its lasting consequences on both sides. Featuring a detailed bibliography and a glossary of terms, this work contains the
most complete Order of Battle of the Peninsula Campaign ever compiled, and it also includes the identification of commanders
down to the regiment level. In addition, this groundbreaking volume includes several highly-detailed maps that trace the Peninsula
Campaign and recreate this pivotal moment in the Civil War. Impeccably detailed and masterfully told, Seven Days Before Richmond
is an essential addition to Civil War scholarship. Schroeder artfully enables us to glimpse the innermost thoughts and motivations
of the combatants and makes history truly come alive.
Advance to:
Recommended
Reading: Extraordinary Circumstances: The Seven Days Battles. Description: The Seven Days Battles were fought southeast of the
Confederate capital of Richmond
in the summer of 1862, and it was the first campaign in the Civil War in which Robert E. Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia.
Lee and his fellow officers, including "Stonewall" Jackson, James Longstreet, A. P. Hill, and D. H. Hill, pushed George B.
McClellan's Army of the Potomac from the gates of Richmond to
the James River, where the Union forces reached safety. Along
the way, Lee lost several opportunities to harm McClellan. The Seven Days have been the subject of numerous historical treatments,
but none more detailed and engaging than Brian K. Burton's retelling of the campaign that lifted Southern spirits, began Lee's
ascent to fame, and almost prompted European recognition of the Confederacy. Continued below…
Reviews:
"A full and
measured account marked by a clear narrative and an interesting strategy of alternating the testimony of generals with their
grand plans and the foot soldiers who had to move, shoot, and communicate in the smoky underbrush." -- The Virginia Magazine
"A thoroughly
researched and well-written volume that will surely be the starting point for those interested in this particular campaign."
-- Journal of American History
"A welcome
addition to scholarship that should be the standard work on its subject for some time to come." -- Journal of Military History
"A well-written,
thoroughly researched study of the Seven Days.... Provides thorough and reasonable analyses of the commanders on both sides."
-- Georgia
Historical Quarterly
Recommended
Reading: The Peninsula Campaign of 1862: A Military Analysis (Hardcover). Description: The largest offensive of the Civil War,
involving army, navy, and marine forces, the Peninsula Campaign has inspired many history books. No previous work, however,
analyzes Union general George B. McClellan's massive assault toward Richmond in the context of current and enduring military doctrine.
The Peninsula Campaign of 1862: A Military Analysis is an effort to fill this void. Background history is provided for continuity,
but the heart of this book is in military analysis and the astonishing extent to which the personality traits of generals
will often overwhelm even the best efforts of their armies. Continued below…
The Peninsula
Campaign lends itself to such a study. In the book, lessons for those studying the art of war are many. On the waters, the
first ironclads forever changed naval warfare (Monitor v. Merrimack).
At the strategic level, McClellan's inability to grasp Lincoln's grand objective becomes evident. At the operational level,
Robert E. Lee's difficulty in synchronizing his attacks deepens the mystique of how he achieved so much with so little. At
the tactical level, the Confederate use of terrain to trade space for time allows for a classic study in tactics. Moreover,
the campaign is full of lessons about the personal dimension of war. McClellan's overcaution, Lee's audacity, and Jackson's
personal exhaustion all provide valuable insights for today’s commanders and for Civil War enthusiasts still debating
this tremendous struggle. Historic photos and detailed battle maps make this study an invaluable resource for those touring
all the many battlegrounds from Young's Mill and Yorktown through Fair Oaks
to the final throes of the Seven Days Battles.
Recommended
Reading: The Richmond Campaign of 1862: The Peninsula and the Seven Days (Military Campaigns of the Civil War), by Gary W. Gallagher. Description: The Richmond campaign of April-July
1862 ranks as one of the most important military operations of the first years of the American Civil War. Key political, diplomatic,
social, and military issues were at stake as Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan faced off on the peninsula between the
York and James Rivers. The climactic clash came on June 26-July 1 in what became known as the Seven Days battles, when Lee,
newly appointed as commander of the Confederate forces, aggressively attacked the Union army. Casualties for the entire campaign
exceeded 50,000, more than 35,000 of whom fell during the Seven Days. Continued below…
This book offers
nine essays in which well-known Civil War historians explore questions regarding high command, strategy and tactics, the effects
of the fighting upon politics and society both North and South, and the ways in which emancipation figured in the campaign.
The authors have consulted previously untapped manuscript sources and reinterpreted more familiar evidence, sometimes focusing
closely on the fighting around Richmond
and sometimes looking more broadly at the background and consequences of the campaign. About the Author: Gary W. Gallagher
is John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia.
He has published widely on the Civil War, including six previous titles in the Military Campaigns of the Civil War series,
and he is also a contributing Civil War historian for the History Channel.
Recommended
Reading: To The Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign, by Stephen Sears. Description: To the Gates of Richmond charts the Peninsula Campaign of 1862, General George McClellan"s
grand scheme to march up the Virginia
Peninsula and take
the Confederate capital. For three months McClellan battled his way toward Richmond, but then Robert E. Lee took command
of the Confederate forces. In seven days, Lee drove the cautious McClellan out, thereby changing the course of the war. Intelligent
and well researched, To the Gates of Richmond vividly recounts one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Continued below...
Publishers
Weekly: Sears complements his 1988 biography of George McClellan with this definitive analysis of the general's principal
campaign. McClellan's grand plan was to land an army at Yorktown, move up the Virginia peninsula toward
Richmond,
and fight a decisive battle somewhere near the Confederate capital, thereby ending the Civil War while it was still a rebellion
instead of a revolution. The strategy failed in part because of McClellan's persistent exaggerations of Confederate strength,
but also because under his command the Federals fought piecemeal. The Confederates were only marginally more successful at
concentrating their forces, but Sears credits their leaders, especially Lee, as better able to learn from experience. Confederate
victory on the Peninsula meant the Civil War would continue.
The campaign's heavy casualties indicated the kind of war it would be.
Recommended
Reading: Richmond Burning: The Last Days of the Confederate Capital. Review: When conquering Union soldiers entered Richmond, Virginia,
in the first days of April, 1865, they found a city afire, reduced to desperation, but still defiant. Virginia historian Nelson
Lankford reconstructs the final hours of the Confederacy's heart in this vivid narrative, which draws on contemporary letters,
diaries, and official reports that share both immediacy and a sense of awe at the terrible destruction. Continued below…
Just why the
capital burned has long been a subject of speculation; by Lankford's account, much of the damage was due to the defenders'
last-minute efforts to destroy war materiel, setting fires that soon spread. Lankford attends to other legends as well, including
a reported call on Confederate general George Pickett's home by none other than Abraham Lincoln, while offering verifiable
vignettes of such moments as Robert E. Lee's return to the capital and the celebrations of newly liberated slaves and Union
prisoners. Lankford's narrative offers a view much different from what he calls "the warm sepia glow cast over our great national
trauma by popular books and documentary films." It is a fine effort, and one that students of the Civil War should welcome.
Recommended Reading: City
Under Siege: Richmond in the Civil War.
Description: This book presents the people of Richmond, Virginia--not
all of whom approved of secession--from a personal perspective, offering captivating and fascinating stories of their collective
strength and heart-wrenching accounts of their day-to-day survival.
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