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The Peninsula Campaign (also known as the Peninsular Campaign) of the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
 was a major Union
Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the Federal government of the United States 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 formed the Confederate States of America....
 operation launched in southeastern Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
 from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a 2 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan

George 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....
, was an amphibious turning movement
Turning movement

In military tactics, a turning movement involves an attacker's forces reaching the rear of a defender's forces, separating the defender from their principal defensive positions....
 intended to capture the Confederate
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
 capital of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia

Richmond 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....
 by circumventing the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia

Northern Virginia consistsof several County and independent cities in the U.S. state of Virginia in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C....
.






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Mcclellan+johnston
The Peninsula Campaign (also known as the Peninsular Campaign) of the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
 was a major Union
Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the Federal government of the United States 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 formed the Confederate States of America....
 operation launched in southeastern Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
 from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a 2 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan

George 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....
, was an amphibious turning movement
Turning movement

In military tactics, a turning movement involves an attacker's forces reaching the rear of a defender's forces, separating the defender from their principal defensive positions....
 intended to capture the Confederate
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
 capital of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia

Richmond 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....
 by circumventing the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia

Northern Virginia consistsof several County and independent cities in the U.S. state of Virginia in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C....
. McClellan was initially successful against the equally cautious General Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career United States Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, but the emergence of the aggressive General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
 turned the subsequent Seven Days Battles
Seven Days Battles

The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War....
 into a humiliating Union defeat.

McClellan landed his army at Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe is a Hampton, Virginia, military installation located at Old Point Comfort, which is on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula. Along with Fort Calhoun, later renamed Fort Wool, it guarded approach by sea of the navigational shipping channel between the Chesapeake Bay and the entrance to the harbor of Hampton Roads, which itself is fo...
 and moved northwest, up the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula

The 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....
. Confederate Brig. Gen. John B. Magruder
John B. Magruder

John Bankhead Magruder was a career military officer who served in the armies of three nations. He was a United States Army officer in the Mexican-American War, a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War, and a postbellum general in the Imperial Mexican Army....
's defensive position on the Warwick Line
Warwick Line

Warwick Line was a defensive works across the Virginia Peninsula maintained along the Warwick River by Confederate States of America General John B....
 caught McClellan by surprise. His hopes for a quick advance foiled, McClellan ordered his army to prepare for a siege of Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown (1862)

The Battle of Yorktown or Siege of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
. Just before the siege preparations were completed, the Confederates, now under the direct command of Johnston, began a withdrawal toward Richmond. The first heavy fighting of the campaign occurred in the Battle of Williamsburg
Battle of Williamsburg

The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, Virginia, James City County, Virginia, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
, in which the Union troops managed some tactical victories, but the Confederates continued their withdrawal. An amphibious flanking movement to Eltham's Landing
Battle of Eltham's Landing

}|-||}The Battle of Eltham's Landing, also known as the Battle of Barhamsville, or West Point, took place on May 7, 1862, in New Kent County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
 was ineffective in cutting off the Confederate retreat. In the Battle of Drewry's Bluff
Battle of Drewry's Bluff

The Battle of Drewry?s Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling or Fort Drewry, took place on May 15, 1862, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
, an attempt by the U.S. Navy to reach Richmond by way of the James River was repulsed.

As McClellan's army reached the outskirts of Richmond, a minor battle occurred at Hanover Court House, but it was followed by a surprise attack by Johnston at the Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines

The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
 or Fair Oaks. The battle was inconclusive, with heavy casualties, but it had lasting effects on the campaign. Johnston was wounded and replaced on June 1 by the more aggressive Robert E. Lee, who reorganized his army and prepared for offensive action in the final battles of June 25 to July 1, which are popularly known as the Seven Days Battles
Seven Days Battles

The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War....
.

Background

On August 20, 1861, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan formed the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, with himself as its first commander. During the summer and fall, McClellan brought a high degree of organization to his new army, and greatly improved its morale by his frequent trips to review and encourage his units. It was a remarkable achievement, in which he came to personify the Army of the Potomac and reaped the adulation of his men. He created defenses for Washington that were almost impregnable, consisting of 48 forts and strong points, with 480 guns manned by 7,200 artillerists.

On November 1, 1861, Gen. Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott

Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful List of United States Presidential candidates of the Whig Party in 1852. Known as "Old Fuss and Feathers" and the "Grand Old Man of the Army", he served on active duty as a general longer than any other man in American history and many historians rate him the ablest America...
 retired and McClellan became general in chief of all the Union armies. The president expressed his concern about the "vast labor" involved in the dual role of army commander and general in chief, but McClellan responded, "I can do it all."

On January 12, 1862, McClellan revealed his intentions to transport the Army of the Potomac by ship to Urbanna
Urbanna, Virginia

Urbanna is a town in Middlesex County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 543 at the United States Census, 2000....
, Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
, on the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River

The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia in the United States, approximately 184 mi in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west across the Piedmont to Chesapeake Bay south of the Potomac River....
, outflanking the Confederate forces near Washington, and proceeding overland to capture Richmond. On January 27, Lincoln issued an order that required all of his armies to begin offensive operations by February 22, Washington's birthday. On January 31, he issued a supplementary order for the Army of the Potomac to move overland to attack the Confederates at Manassas Junction
Manassas, Virginia

Manassas is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 35,135 at the United States Census 2000. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Manassas with Prince William County, Virginia for statistical purposes....
 and Centreville
Centreville, Virginia

Centreville is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. Recognized by the United States Census Bureau as a Census Designated Place , the community population was 48,661 as of the 2000 census and is approximately 20 miles from Washington, DC....
. McClellan immediately replied with a 22-page letter objecting in detail to the president's plan and advocating instead his Urbanna plan, which was the first written instance of the plan's details being presented to the president. Although Lincoln believed his plan was superior, he was relieved that McClellan finally agreed to begin moving, and reluctantly approved. On March 8, doubting McClellan's resolve, Lincoln called a council of war
Council of war

A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle....
 at the White House in which McClellan's subordinates were asked about their confidence in the Urbanna plan. They expressed their confidence to varying degrees. After the meeting, Lincoln issued another order, naming specific officers as corps commanders to report to McClellan (who had been reluctant to do so prior to assessing his division commanders' effectiveness in combat, even though this would have meant his direct supervision of twelve divisions in the field).

Before McClellan could implement his plans, the Confederate forces under General Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career United States Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
 withdrew from their positions before Washington, assuming new positions south of the Rappahannock, which completely nullified the Urbanna strategy. McClellan retooled his plan so that his troops would disembark at Fort Monroe, Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
, and advance up the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula

The 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....
 to Richmond. However, McClellan came under extreme criticism from the press and the Congress when it was found that Johnston's forces had not only slipped away unnoticed, but had for months fooled the Union Army through the use of Quaker Gun
Quaker Gun

A Quaker Gun is a Military deception that was commonly used in warfare during the 18th and 19th centuries. Although resembling an actual cannon, the Quaker Gun was but a wooden log, usually painted black, used to deceive an enemy....
s.

A further complication for the campaign planning was the emergence of the first ironclad warship
Ironclad warship

An ironclad was a steam engine warship in the latter part of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel iron armour.The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shell ....
, CSS Virginia
CSS Virginia

CSS Virginia was a steam-powered Floating battery design ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War .She was one of the participants in the Battle of Hampton Roads in March, 1862 opposite the USS Monitor....
, which threw Washington into a panic and made naval support operations on the James River
James River (Virginia)

The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a Drainage basin comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people ....
 seem problematic. In the Battle of Hampton Roads
Battle of Hampton Roads

The Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as the Battle of Monitor and Merrimack , was the most noted and arguably the most important naval battle of the American Civil War from the standpoint of the development of navies....
 (March 8–9, 1862), Virginia defeated wooden U.S. Navy ships blockading the harbor of Hampton Roads, Virginia, including the sloop USS Cumberland
USS Cumberland (1842)

The first USS Cumberland was a 50-gun sailing frigate of the United States Navy. She was the first ship sunk by the ironclad CSS Virginia....
, and the frigate USS Congress
USS Congress (1841)

USS Congress ? the fourth U.S. Navy ship to carry that name --was a sailing frigate, like her predecessor, .Congress served with distinction in the Mediterranean, South Atlantic Ocean, and in the Pacific Ocean....
 on March 8, calling into question the viability of any of the wooden ships in the world. The following day, the USS Monitor
USS Monitor

USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship warship commissioned by the United States Navy. She is most famous for her participation in the first-ever naval battle between two ironclad warships, the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862 during the American Civil War, in which Monitor fought the ironclad CSS Virginia of the Confedera...
 ironclad arrived at the scene and engaged with the Virginia, the famous first duel of the ironclads. The battle, although inconclusive, received worldwide publicity. After the battle, it was clear that ironclad ships were the future of naval warfare. Neither ship severely damaged the other; the only net result was keeping Virginia from attacking any more wooden ships.

On March 11, 1862, Lincoln removed McClellan as general-in-chief, leaving him in command of only the Army of the Potomac, ostensibly so that McClellan would be free to devote all his attention to the move on Richmond. Although McClellan was assuaged by supportive comments Lincoln made to him, in time he saw the change of command very differently, describing it as a part of an intrigue "to secure the failure of the approaching campaign."

Opposing forces

Union corps commanders
 
The Army of the Potomac had approximately 50,000 men at Fort Monroe when McClellan arrived, but this number grew to 121,500 before hostilities began. The army was organized into three corps and other units, as follows:
  • II Corps
    II Corps (ACW)

    There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L....
    , Brig. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner commanding: divisions of Brig. Gens. Israel B. Richardson
    Israel B. Richardson

    Israel Bush Richardson was a United States Army officer during the Mexican-American War and American Civil War, where he was a Major general in the Union Army....
     and John Sedgwick
    John Sedgwick

    John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House is often considered a well known tale of irony....
  • III Corps
    III Corps (ACW)

    There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps during the American Civil War.Three were short-lived:*Army of Virginia:...
    , Brig. Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman
    Samuel P. Heintzelman

    Samuel Peter Heintzelman was a United States Army General officer. He served in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, the Cortina Troubles, and the American Civil War, rising to the command of a corps....
     commanding: divisions of Brig. Gens. Fitz John Porter
    Fitz John Porter

    Fitz John Porter was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer during the American Civil War. He is most known for his performance at the Second Battle of Bull Run and his subsequent Court-martial of Fitz John Porter....
    , Joseph Hooker
    Joseph Hooker

    Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
    , and Charles S. Hamilton
    Charles Smith Hamilton

    Charles Smith Hamilton was a career United States Army officer who fought with distinction during the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Union Army General officer during the early part of the American Civil War....
  • IV Corps
    IV Corps (ACW)

    There were two corps of the Union Army called IV Corps during the American Civil War. They were separate units, one serving with the Army of the Potomac and the Department of Virginia in the Eastern Theater, 1862–1863, the other with the Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater, 1863–1865....
    , Brig. Gen. Erasmus D. Keyes
    Erasmus D. Keyes

    Erasmus Darwin Keyes was a businessman, banker, and military general, noted for leading the IV Corps of the Union Army Army of the Potomac during the first half of the American Civil War....
     commanding: divisions of Brig. Gens. Darius N. Couch
    Darius N. Couch

    Darius Nash Couch was a United States Army officer, naturalist, and a Union Army Major general in the American Civil War. Couch rose to command a corps in the Army of the Potomac, and led division in both the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War and Western Theater of the American Civil War....
    , William F. "Baldy" Smith
    William Farrar Smith

    William Farrar Smith , was a civil engineer, a member of the police commission, and Union army General officer in the American Civil War....
    , and Silas Casey
    Silas Casey

    Silas Casey was a career United States Army officer who rose to the rank of Major general during the American Civil War....
  • 1st Division of the I Corps
    I Corps (ACW)

    I Corps was the designation of three different corps-sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The units served in the following armies:...
    , Brig. Gen. William B. Franklin
    William B. Franklin

    William Buel Franklin was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of a corps commander in the Army of the Potomac, fighting in several notable early battles in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
     commanding
  • Reserve infantry commanded by Brig. Gen. George Sykes
    George Sykes

    George Sykes was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer during the American Civil War....
  • Cavalry commanded by Brig. Gen. George Stoneman
    George Stoneman

    George Stoneman, Jr. was a career United States Army officer, a Union army cavalry general in the American Civil War, and the Governor of California between 1883 and 1887....
  • The garrison of Fort Monroe, 12,000 men under Maj. Gen. John E. Wool
    John E. Wool

    John Ellis Wool was an officer in the United States Army during three consecutive U.S. wars: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War and the oldest Union general of the American Civil War....
    ; Wool was quickly transferred to another department for duty in Baltimore after the War Department realized that he technically outranked McClellan.


Confederate wing commanders
 
On the Confederate side, Johnston's Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
 (newly named as of March 14) was organized into three wings, each composed of several brigades, as follows:
  • Left Wing, Maj. Gen. D. H. Hill commanding: brigades of Brig. Gen. Robert E. Rodes
    Robert E. Rodes

    Robert Emmett Rodes was a railroad civil engineer and a promising young Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War, killed in battle in the Shenandoah Valley....
    , Winfield S. Featherston
    Winfield S. Featherston

    Winfield Scott Featherston "Old Swet" was an antebellum two-term United States House of Representatives from Mississippi and a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
    , Jubal A. Early, and Gabriel J. Raines
  • Center Wing, Maj. Gen. James Longstreet
    James Longstreet

    James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
     commanding: brigades of Brig. Gens. A.P. Hill, Richard H. Anderson
    Richard H. Anderson

    Richard Heron Anderson was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War....
    , George E. Pickett, Cadmus M. Wilcox
    Cadmus M. Wilcox

    Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican?American War and also was a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War....
    , Raleigh E. Colston
    Raleigh E. Colston

    Raleigh Edward Colston was a France United States professor, soldier, cartographer, and writer. He was a controversial Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
    , and Roger A. Pryor
  • Right Wing, Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder
    John B. Magruder

    John Bankhead Magruder was a career military officer who served in the armies of three nations. He was a United States Army officer in the Mexican-American War, a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War, and a postbellum general in the Imperial Mexican Army....
     commanding: division of Brig. Gen. Lafayette McLaws
    Lafayette McLaws

    Lafayette McLaws was a United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War....
     (brigades of Brig. Gens. Paul J. Semmes
    Paul Jones Semmes

    For other uses, see Semmes.Paul Jones Semmes was a banker, businessman, and a Confederate States Army general in the American Civil War, mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg....
    , Richard Griffith
    Richard Griffith (general)

    Richard Griffith was a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Savage's Station during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign....
    , Joseph B. Kershaw
    Joseph B. Kershaw

    Joseph Brevard Kershaw was a lawyer, judge, and a Confederate States Army general in the American Civil War.Kershaw was born at Camden, South Carolina, admitted to the Bar association in 1843, and was a member of the South Carolina Senate from 1852 to 1856....
    , and Howell Cobb
    Howell Cobb

    Howell Cobb was an United States political figure. A Southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1849 to 1851....
    ) and division of Brig. Gen. David R. Jones
    David R. Jones

    David Rumph Jones was a Confederate States Army general in the American Civil War.BiographyJones was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina....
     (brigades of Brig. Gens. Robert A. Toombs and George T. Anderson
    George T. Anderson

    George Thomas Anderson was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Nicknamed "Tige," Anderson was noted as one of Robert E....
    )
  • Reserve force commanded by Maj. Gen. Gustavus W. Smith
    Gustavus Woodson Smith

    Gustavus Woodson Smith , more commonly known as G.W. Smith, was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Mexican-American War, a civil engineer, and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
  • Cavalry commanded by Brig. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
    J.E.B. Stuart

    James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names....


However, at the time the Army of the Potomac arrived, only Magruder's 13,000 men faced them on the Peninsula. The bulk of Johnston's force (43,000 men) were at Culpeper, 6,000 under Maj. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes
Theophilus H. Holmes

Theophilus Hunter Holmes was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army general in the American Civil War.Holmes was born in Clinton, North Carolina, North Carolina....
 at Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located 50 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 58 miles north of Richmond, Virginia....
, and 9,000 under Maj. Gen. Benjamin Huger
Benjamin Huger

Benjamin Huger was a career United States Army ordnance officer and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War....
 at Norfolk. In Richmond, General Robert E. Lee had returned from work on coastal fortifications in the Carolinas and on March 13 became the chief military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Finis Davis was an United States politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history, 1861 to 1865, during the American Civil War....
.

Forces in the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bound to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River and to the south by the James River ....
 played an indirect role in the campaign. Approximately 50,000 men under Maj. Gens. Nathaniel P. Banks and Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell

Irvin McDowell was a career United States United States Army, famous for his defeat during the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War....
 were engaged chasing a much smaller force under Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and probably the most well-known Confederate commander after General Robert E....
 in the Valley Campaign
Valley Campaign

The Valley Campaign was Confederate States Army Major General Stonewall Jackson brilliant spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the American Civil War....
. Jackson's expert maneuvering and tactical success in small battles kept the Union men from reinforcing McClellan, much to his dismay. He had planned to have 30,000 under McDowell to join him.

Magruder had prepared three defensive lines across the Peninsula. The first, about 12 miles north of Fort Monroe, contained infantry outposts and artillery redoubt
Redoubt

A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks s, though others are constructed of stone or brick....
s, but was insufficiently manned to prevent any Union advance. Its primary purpose was to shield information from the Union about a second line extending from Yorktown
Yorktown, Virginia

Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 203 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, Virginia, one of the 8 original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
 to Mulberry Island. This Warwick Line
Warwick Line

Warwick Line was a defensive works across the Virginia Peninsula maintained along the Warwick River by Confederate States of America General John B....
 consisted of redoubts, rifle pits, and fortifications behind the Warwick River. By enlarging two dams on the river, the river was turned into a significant military obstacle in its own right. The third defensive line was a series of forts at Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 11,998....
, which waited unmanned for use by the army if it had to fall back from Yorktown.

Peninsula Campaign


Movement to the Peninsula and the Siege of Yorktown

McClellan's army began to sail from Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 128,283....
 on March 17. It was an armada that dwarfed all previous American expeditions, transporting 121,500 men, 44 artillery batteries, 1,150 wagons, over 15,000 horses, and tons of equipment and supplies. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant."

With the Virginia still in operation, the U.S. Navy could not assure McClellan that they could protect operations on either the James or the York, so his plan of amphibiously enveloping Yorktown was abandoned, and he ordered an advance up the Peninsula to begin April 4.

. ]] On April 5, the IV Corps
IV Corps (ACW)

There were two corps of the Union Army called IV Corps during the American Civil War. They were separate units, one serving with the Army of the Potomac and the Department of Virginia in the Eastern Theater, 1862–1863, the other with the Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater, 1863–1865....
 of Brig. Gen. Erasmus D. Keyes
Erasmus D. Keyes

Erasmus Darwin Keyes was a businessman, banker, and military general, noted for leading the IV Corps of the Union Army Army of the Potomac during the first half of the American Civil War....
 made initial contact with Confederate defensive works at Lee's Mill, an area McClellan expected to move through without resistance. Magruder's ostentatious movement of troops back and forth convinced the Federals that his works were strongly held. As the two armies fought an artillery duel, reconnaissance indicated to Keyes the strength and breadth of the Confederate fortifications, and he advised McClellan against assaulting them. McClellan ordered the construction of siege fortifications and brought his heavy siege guns to the front. In the meantime, Gen. Johnston brought reinforcements for Magruder.

McClellan chose not to attack without more reconnaissance and ordered his army to entrench in works parallel to Magruder's and besiege Yorktown. McClellan reacted to Keyes's report, as well as to reports of enemy strength near the town of Yorktown, but he also received word that the I Corps
I Corps (ACW)

I Corps was the designation of three different corps-sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The units served in the following armies:...
, under Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell

Irvin McDowell was a career United States United States Army, famous for his defeat during the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War....
, would be withheld for the defense of Washington
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
, instead of joining him on the Peninsula as McClellan had planned. In addition to the pressure of Jackson's Valley Campaign, President Lincoln believed that McClellan had left insufficient force to guard Washington and that the general had been deceptive in his reporting of unit strengths, counting troops as ready to defend Washington when they were actually deployed elsewhere. McClellan protested that he was being forced to lead a major campaign without his promised resources, but he moved ahead anyway. For the next 10 days, McClellan's men dug while Magruder steadily received reinforcements. By mid April, Magruder commanded 35,000 men, barely enough to defend his line.

Although McClellan doubted his numeric superiority over the enemy, he had no doubts about the superiority of his artillery. The siege preparations at Yorktown consisted of 15 batteries with more than 70 heavy guns. When fired in unison, these batteries would deliver over 7,000 pounds of ordnance onto the enemy positions with each volley.

On April 16, Union forces probed a point in the Confederate line at Dam No. 1, on the Warwick River near Lee's Mill. Magruder realized the weakness of his position and ordered it strengthened. Three regiments under Brig. Gen. Howell Cobb
Howell Cobb

Howell Cobb was an United States political figure. A Southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1849 to 1851....
, with six other regiments nearby, were improving their position on the west bank of the river overlooking the dam. McClellan became concerned that this strengthening might impede his installation of siege batteries. He ordered Brig. Gen. William F. "Baldy" Smith
William Farrar Smith

William Farrar Smith , was a civil engineer, a member of the police commission, and Union army General officer in the American Civil War....
, a division commander in the IV Corps, to "hamper the enemy" in completing their defensive works.

At 3 p.m., four companies of the 3rd Vermont Infantry
3rd Vermont Infantry

The 3rd Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three-years infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the VI Corps , Army of the Potomac, from July 1861 to July 1865....
 crossed the dam and routed the remaining defenders. Behind the lines, Cobb organized a defense with his brother, Colonel Thomas Cobb
Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb

Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb was an United States lawyer, author, politician, and Confederate States Army officer, killed in the Battle of Fredericksburg during the American Civil War....
 of the Georgia Legion
Cobb's Legion

Cobb's Legion was an American Civil War unit that was raised on the Confederate States Army side from the Georgia by Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb during the summer of 1861....
, and attacked the Vermonters, who had occupied the Confederate rifle pits. Unable to obtain reinforcements, the Vermont companies withdrew across the dam, suffering casualties as they retreated. At about 5 p.m., Baldy Smith ordered the 6th Vermont to attack Confederate positions downstream from the dam while the 4th Vermont demonstrated at the dam itself. This maneuver failed as the 6th Vermont came under heavy Confederate fire and were forced to withdraw. Some of the wounded men were drowned as they fell into the shallow pond behind the dam.

For the remainder of April, the Confederates, now at 57,000 and under the direct command of Johnston, improved their defenses while McClellan undertook the laborious process of transporting and placing massive siege artillery batteries, which he planned to deploy on May 5. Johnston knew that the impending bombardment would be difficult to withstand, so began sending his supply wagons in the direction of Richmond on May 3. Escaped slaves reported that fact to McClellan, who refused to believe them. He was convinced that an army whose strength he estimated as high as 120,000 would stay and fight. On the evening of May 3, the Confederates launched a brief bombardment of their own and then fell silent. Early the next morning, Heintzelman ascended in an observation balloon and found that the Confederate earthworks were empty.

McClellan was stunned by the news. He sent cavalry under Brig. Gen. George Stoneman
George Stoneman

George Stoneman, Jr. was a career United States Army officer, a Union army cavalry general in the American Civil War, and the Governor of California between 1883 and 1887....
 in pursuit and ordered Brig. Gen. William B. Franklin
William B. Franklin

William Buel Franklin was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of a corps commander in the Army of the Potomac, fighting in several notable early battles in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
's division to reboard Navy transports, sail up the York River, and cut off Johnson's retreat.

Williamsburg

By May 5, Johnston's army was making slow progress on muddy roads and Stoneman's cavalry was skirmishing with Brig. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart

James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names....
's cavalry, Johnston's rearguard. To give time for the bulk of his army to get free, Johnston detached part of his force to make a stand at a large earthen fortification, Fort Magruder
Fort Magruder

Fort Magruder was an high earthen fortification straddling the road between Yorktown, Virginia and Williamsburg, Virginia, just outside the latter city during the American Civil War....
, straddling the Williamsburg Road (from Yorktown), constructed earlier by Magruder. The Battle of Williamsburg was the first pitched battle of the Peninsula Campaign, in which nearly 41,000 Union and 32,000 Confederates were engaged.

Brig. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
's 2nd Division of the III Corps
III Corps (ACW)

There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps during the American Civil War.Three were short-lived:*Army of Virginia:...
 was the lead infantry in the Union Army advance. They assaulted Fort Magruder and a line of rifle pits and smaller fortifications that extended in an arc south-west from the fort, but were repulsed. Confederate counterattacks, directed by Maj. Gen. James Longstreet
James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
, threatened to overwhelm Hooker's division, which had contested the ground alone since the early morning while waiting for the main body of the army to arrive. Hooker had expected Baldy Smith's division of the IV Corps
IV Corps (ACW)

There were two corps of the Union Army called IV Corps during the American Civil War. They were separate units, one serving with the Army of the Potomac and the Department of Virginia in the Eastern Theater, 1862–1863, the other with the Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater, 1863–1865....
, marching north on the Yorktown Road, to hear the sound of battle and come in on Hooker's right in support. However, Smith had been halted by Sumner more than a mile away from Hooker's position. He had been concerned that the Confederates would leave their fortifications and attack him on the Yorktown Road.

Longstreet's men did leave their fortifications, but they attacked Hooker, not Smith or Sumner. The brigade of Brig. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox
Cadmus M. Wilcox

Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican?American War and also was a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War....
 applied strong pressure to Hooker's line. Hooker's retreating men were aided by the arrival of Brig. Gen. Philip Kearny
Philip Kearny

Philip Kearny, Jr., was a United States Army officer, notably in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly....
's 3rd Division of the III Corps at about 2:30 p.m. Kearny ostentatiously rode his horse out in front of his picket lines to reconnoiter and urged his men forward by flashing his saber with his only arm. The Confederates were pushed off the Lee's Mill Road and back into the woods and the abatis
Abatis

Abatis, abattis, or abbattis is a term in field fortification for an obstacle formed of the branches of trees laid in a row, with the sharpened tops directed outwards, towards the enemy....
 of their defensive positions. There, sharp firefights occurred until late in the afternoon.

Brig. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock's 1st Brigade of Baldy Smith's division, which had marched a few miles to the Federal right and crossed Cub's Creek at the point where it was dammed to form the Jones' Mill pond, began bombarding Longstreet's left flank around noon. Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill, commanding Longstreet's reserve force, had previously detached a brigade under Brig. Gen. Jubal A. Early and posted them on the grounds of the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary

The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public university research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, Virginia, United States....
. Splitting his command, Early led two of his four regiments through the woods without performing adequate reconnaissance and found that they emerged not on the enemy's flank, but directly in front of Hancock's guns, which occupied two abandoned redoubts. He personally led the 24th Virginia on a futile assault and was wounded by a bullet through the shoulder.

Hancock had been ordered repeatedly by Sumner to withdraw his command back to Cub Creek, but he used the Confederate attack as an excuse to hold his ground. As the 24th Virginia charged, D.H. Hill emerged from the woods leading one of Early's other regiments, the 5th North Carolina. He ordered an attack before realizing the difficulty of his situation—Hancock's 3,400 infantrymen and eight artillery pieces significantly outnumbered the two attacking Confederate regiments, fewer than 1,200 men with no artillery support. He called off the assault after it had begun, but Hancock ordered a counterattack. After the battle, the counterattack received significant publicity as a major, gallant bayonet charge and McClellan's description of Hancock's "superb" performance gave him the nickname, "Hancock the Superb."

Confederate casualties at Williamsburg were 1,682, Union 2,283. McClellan mis-categorized his first significant battle as a "brilliant victory" over superior forces. However, the defense of Williamsburg was seen by the South as a means of delaying the Federals, which allowed the bulk of the Confederate army to continue its withdrawal toward Richmond.

Eltham's Landing (or West Point)

After McClellan ordered Franklin's division to turn Johnston's army with an amphibious operation the York River, it took two days just to board the men and equipment onto the ships, so Franklin was of no assistance to the Williamsburg action. But McClellan had high hopes for his turning movement, planning to send other divisions (those of Brig. Gens. Fitz John Porter
Fitz John Porter

Fitz John Porter was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer during the American Civil War. He is most known for his performance at the Second Battle of Bull Run and his subsequent Court-martial of Fitz John Porter....
, John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick

John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House is often considered a well known tale of irony....
, and Israel B. Richardson
Israel B. Richardson

Israel Bush Richardson was a United States Army officer during the Mexican-American War and American Civil War, where he was a Major general in the Union Army....
) by river after Franklin's. Their destination was Eltham's Landing on the south bank of the Pamunkey River
Pamunkey River

The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River , about 90 mi long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York River it is part of the drainage basin of Chesapeake Bay....
 across from West Point
West Point, Virginia

West Point is an incorporated town in King William County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,867 at the 2000 census....
, a port on the York River, which was the terminus of the Richmond and York River Railroad
Richmond and York River Railroad

Richmond and York River Railroad was completed between Richmond, Virginia and West Point, Virginia in 1861. The western terminus was adjacent to Richmond's Tobacco Row....
. The landing was close to a key intersection on the road to New Kent Court House that was being used by Johnston's army on the afternoon of May 6.

Franklin's men came ashore in light pontoon boats and built a floating wharf to unload artillery and supplies. The work was continued by torchlight through the night and the only enemy resistance was a few random shots fired by Confederate pickets on the bluff above the landing, ending at about 10 p.m.

Johnston ordered Maj. Gen. G. W. Smith
Gustavus Woodson Smith

Gustavus Woodson Smith , more commonly known as G.W. Smith, was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Mexican-American War, a civil engineer, and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
 to protect the road to Barhamsville and Smith assigned the division of Brig. Gen. William H. C. Whiting
William H. C. Whiting

William Henry Chase Whiting was an United States Army Officer who resigned after 16 years of service in the Army Corps of Engineers to serve in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
 and Hampton's Legion
Hampton's Legion

Hampton's Legion was an American Civil War military unit of the Confederate States of America, organized and partially financed by wealthy South Carolina plantation owner Wade Hampton III....
, under Col. Wade Hampton
Wade Hampton III

Wade Hampton III was a Confederate States of America cavalry leader during the American Civil War and afterwards a politician from South Carolina, serving as its governor and as a U.S....
, to the task. On May 7, Franklin posted Brig. Gen. John Newton
John Newton

John Henry Newton was an Englishman, Anglican clergyman and former slave-ship captain. He was the author of many hymns, including Amazing Grace....
's brigade in the woods on either side of the landing road, supported in the rear by portions of two more brigades (Brig. Gens. Henry W. Slocum and Philip Kearny
Philip Kearny

Philip Kearny, Jr., was a United States Army officer, notably in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly....
). Newton's skirmish line was pushed back as Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness....
's Texas Brigade
Texas Brigade

The Texas Brigade, also often referred to as Hood's Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Confederate States Army that distinguished itself for its fierce tenacity and fighting capability during the American Civil War....
 advanced, with Hampton to his right.

As a second brigade followed Hood on his left, the Union troops retreated from the woods to the plain before the landing, seeking cover from the fire of Federal gunboats. Whiting employed artillery fire against the gunboats, but his guns had insufficient range, so he disengaged around 2 p.m. Union troops moved back into the woods after the Confederates left, but made no further attempt to advance. Although the action was tactically inconclusive, Franklin missed an opportunity to intercept the Confederate retreat from Williamsburg, allowing it to pass unmolested.

Norfolk and Drewry's Bluff

President Lincoln witnessed part of the campaign, having arrived at Fort Monroe on May 6 in the company of Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War

File:Swearing in of Secretary Dwight Davis.jpgThe Secretary of War was a member of the United States President of the United States United States Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration....
 Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin M. Stanton

Edwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer, politician, United States Attorney General in 1860-61 and United States Secretary of War through most of the American Civil War and Reconstruction era of the United States era....
 and Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury

The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and, until 2003, some issues of national security and defense....
 Salmon P. Chase
Salmon P. Chase

Salmon Portland Chase was an United States politician and jurist in the American Civil War era who served as United States Senator from Ohio and List of Governors of Ohio of Ohio; as United States Secretary of the Treasury under President of the United States Abraham Lincoln; and as Chief Justice of the United States....
 on the Treasury Department's revenue cutter Miami. Lincoln believed that the city of Norfolk was vulnerable and that control of the James was possible, but McClellan was too busy at the front to meet with the president. Exercising his direct powers as commander in chief, Lincoln ordering naval bombardments of Confederate batteries in the area on May 8 and set off in a small boat with his two Cabinet secretaries to conduct a personal reconnaissance on shore. Troops under the command of Maj. Gen. John E. Wool
John E. Wool

John Ellis Wool was an officer in the United States Army during three consecutive U.S. wars: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War and the oldest Union general of the American Civil War....
, the elderly commander of Fort Monroe, occupied Norfolk on May 10, encountering little resistance.

After the Confederate garrison at Norfolk was evacuated, Flag Officer
Flag Officer

A flag officer is a Officer who is senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to represent where he exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in a nation's navy, specifically those who hold the rank of Commodore or any of the admiral ranks....
 Josiah Tattnall
Josiah Tattnall

Commodore Josiah Tattnall, Jr. was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812, the Second Barbary War, and the Mexican-American War....
 knew that CSS Virginia had no home port and he could not navigate her deep draft through the shallow stretches of the James River toward Richmond, so she was scuttled on May 11 off Craney Island
Craney Island (Virginia)

Craney Island is a point of land in the independent city of Portsmouth, Virginia in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia in the United States....
 to prevent her capture. This opened the James River at Hampton Roads to Federal gunboats.

The only obstacle that protected Richmond from a river approach was Fort Darling
Fort Darling

Fort Darling was a Confederate States of America military installation during the American Civil War located at Drewry?s Bluff, a high point overlooking a bend in the James River south of Richmond, Virginia in Chesterfield County, Virginia....
 on Drewry's Bluff, overlooking a sharp bend on the river 7 miles down river from the city. The Confederate defenders, including marines, sailors, and soldiers, were supervised by Navy Cmdr. Ebenezer Farrand and by Army Captain Augustus H. Drewry (the owner of the property that bore his name) of the Southside Heavy Artillery. The eight cannons in the fort, including field artillery pieces and five naval guns, some salvaged from the Virginia, commanded the river for miles in both directions. Guns from the CSS Patrick Henry, including an 8-inch smoothbore, were just upriver and sharpshooters gathered on the river banks. An underwater obstruction of sunken steamers, pilings, debris, and other vessels connected by chains was placed just below the bluff, making it difficult for vessels to maneuver in the narrow river.

On May 15, a detachment of the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, under the command Cmdr.
Commander

Commander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement....
 John Rodgers
John Rodgers (naval officer, Civil War)

John Rodgers was an admiral in the United States Navy....
 steamed up the James River from Fort Monroe to test the Richmond defenses. At 7:45 a.m., the USS Galena
USS Galena (1862)

USS Galena, an ironclad screw propellor steamship, was one of the first three ironclads, each of a different design, built by the Union Navy during the American Civil War....
 closed to within 600 yards of the fort and anchored, but before Rodgers could open fire, two Confederate rounds pierced the lightly armored vessel. The battle lasted over three hours and during that time, Galena remained almost stationary and took 45 hits. Her crew reported casualties of 14 dead or mortally wounded and 10 injured. Monitor was a frequent target, but her heavier armor withstood the blows. Unfortunately for her crew, her guns could not elevate high enough to fire on the Confederate batteries, 110 feet above the river. The USS Naugatuck
USS Naugatuck

USS Naugatuck is a name used more than once by the U.S. Navy:* USS Naugatuck , a Stevens Battery monitor experimented with in 1862.* USS Naugatuck , a medium harbor tugboat, was taken over from the U.S. Army in 1963....
 withdrew when her 100-pounder Parrott rifle
Parrott rifle

The Parrott rifle was a type of Muzzleloader Rifling artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War....
 exploded. The two wooden gunboats remained safely out of range of the big guns, but the captain of the USS Port Royal
USS Port Royal (1862)

USS Port Royal was a double-ended steamboat acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. The steamboat was converted into an armed gunboat by the Navy, and assigned to patrol the rivers and other waterways of the Confederate States of America and to enforce the Union blockade on the South....
 was wounded by a sharpshooter. Around 11 a.m., the Union ships withdrew to City Point
City Point, Virginia

City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia in the state of Virginia. Now extinct, the town became part of the independent city of Hopewell, Virginia in 1923....
.

The massive fort on Drewry's Bluff had blunted the Union advance just 7 miles short of the Confederate capital. Rodgers reported to McClellan that it was feasible for the Navy to land troops as close as 10 miles from Richmond, but the Union Army never took advantage of this observation.

The armies converge on Richmond

Johnston withdrew his 60,000 men into the Richmond defenses. Their defensive line began at the James River at Drewry's Bluff and extended counterclockwise so that his center and left were behind the Chickahominy River
Chickahominy River

Chickahominy also known as "the Chick" is a river in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. The river rises about northwest of Richmond, Virginia and flows southeast and south to the James River ....
, a natural barrier in the spring when it turned the broad plains to the east of Richmond into swamps. Johnston's men burned most of the bridges over the Chickahominy and settled into strong defensive positions north and east of the city. McClellan positioned his 105,000-man army to focus on the northeast sector, for two reasons. First, the Pamunkey River
Pamunkey River

The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River , about 90 mi long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York River it is part of the drainage basin of Chesapeake Bay....
, which ran roughly parallel to the Chickahominy, offered a line of communication that could enable McClellan to get around Johnston's left flank. Second, McClellan anticipated the arrival of McDowell's I Corps, scheduled to march south from Fredericksburg to reinforce his army, and thus needed to protect their avenue of approach.

The Army of the Potomac pushed slowly up the Pamunkey, establishing supply bases at Eltham's Landing, Cumberland Landing, and White House Landing. White House, the plantation of W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee

William Henry Fitzhugh Lee , known as Rooney Lee or W.H.F. Lee, was the second son of Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. He was a planter, a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, and later a member of the U.S....
, son of General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
, became McClellan's base of operations. Using the Richmond and York River Railroad
Richmond and York River Railroad

Richmond and York River Railroad was completed between Richmond, Virginia and West Point, Virginia in 1861. The western terminus was adjacent to Richmond's Tobacco Row....
, McClellan could bring his heavy siege artillery to the outskirts of Richmond. He moved slowly and deliberately, reacting to faulty intelligence that led him to believe the Confederates outnumbered him significantly. By the end of May, the army had built bridges across the Chickahominy and was facing Richmond, straddling the river, with one third of the Army south of the river, two thirds north. (This disposition, which made it difficult for one part of the army to reinforce the other quickly, would prove to be a significant problem in the upcoming Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines

The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
).
New Union corps commanders
 
On May 18, McClellan reorganized the Army of the Potomac in the field and promoted two major generals to corps command: Fitz John Porter to the new V Corps
V Corps (ACW)

The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War....
 and William B. Franklin to the VI Corps
VI Corps (ACW)

The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War....
. The army had 105,000 men in position northeast of the city, outnumbering Johnston's 60,000, but faulty intelligence from the detective Allan Pinkerton
Allan Pinkerton

Allan Pinkerton was a Scotland detective and espionage, best known for creating the Pinkerton Agency, the first detective agency of the United States....
 on McClellan's staff caused the general to believe that he was outnumbered two to one. Numerous skirmishes between the lines of the armies occurred from May 23 to May 26. Tensions were high in the city, particularly following the earlier sounds of the naval gun battle at Drewry's Bluff.

Hanover Court House

While skirmishing occurred all along the line between the armies, McClellan heard a rumor that a Confederate force of 17,000 was moving to Hanover Court House, north of Mechanicsville
Mechanicsville, Virginia

Mechanicsville is the name of four places in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States of America:*Mechanicsville, Hanover County, Virginia...
. If this were true, it would threaten the army's right flank and complicate the arrival of McDowell's reinforcements. A Union cavalry reconnaissance adjusted the estimate of the enemy strength to be 6,000, but it was still cause for concern. McClellan ordered Porter and his V Corps to deal with the threat.

Porter departed on his mission at 4 a.m. on May 27 with his 1st Division, under Brig. Gen. George W. Morell
George W. Morell

George Webb Morell was a civil engineer, lawyer, farmer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War....
, the 3rd Brigade of Brig. Gen. George Sykes
George Sykes

George Sykes was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer during the American Civil War....
's 2nd Division, under Col. Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur K. Warren

Gouverneur Kemble Warren was a civil engineer and prominent General officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is best remembered for arranging the last-minute defense of Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg and is often referred to as the "Hero of Little Round Top." His subsequent service as a corps commander an...
, and a composite brigade of cavalry and artillery led by Brig. Gen. William H. Emory
William H. Emory

William Hemsley Emory was an United States Army officer and Surveyor of Texas....
, altogether about 12,000 men. The Confederate force, which actually numbered about 4,000 men, was led by Col. Lawrence O'Bryan Branch
Lawrence O'Bryan Branch

Lawrence O'Bryan Branch was a North Carolina representative in the Congress of the United States and a Confederate brigadier general in the American Civil War, killed at the Battle of Antietam....
. They had departed from Gordonsville
Gordonsville, Virginia

Gordonsville is a town in Louisa County, Virginia and Orange County, Virginia counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 1,498 at the United States Census, 2000....
 to guard the Virginia Central Railroad
Virginia Central Railroad

Virginia Central Railroad was chartered as the Louisa Railroad in 1836 by the Virginia Board of Public Works and had its name changed to Virginia Central Railroad in 1850....
, taking up position at Peake's Crossing, 4 miles southwest of the courthouse, near Slash Church. Another Confederate brigade was stationed 10 miles north at Hanover Junction.

Battle of Hanover Court House Map
Porter's men approached Peake's Crossing in a driving rain. At about noon on May 27, his lead element skirmished briskly with the Confederates until Porter's main body arrived, driving the outnumbered Confederates up the road in the direction of the courthouse. Porter set out in pursuit with most of his force, leaving three regiments to guard the New Bridge and Hanover Court House Roads intersection. This movement exposed the rear of Porter's command to attack by the bulk of Branch's force, which Porter had mistakenly assumed was at Hanover Court House.

Branch also made a poor assumption—that Porter's force was significantly smaller than it turned out to be—and attacked. The initial assault was repulsed, but Martindale's force was eventually almost destroyed by the heavy fire. Porter quickly dispatched the two regiments back to the Kinney Farm. The Confederate line broke under the weight of thousands of new troops and they retreated back through Peake's Crossing to Ashland
Ashland, Virginia

Ashland is a town located just north of Richmond, Virginia in Hanover County, Virginia, Virginia., United States. The population was 6,619 at the 2000 census....
.

The estimates of Union casualties at Hanover Court House vary, from 355 (62 killed, 233 wounded, 70 captured) to 397. The Confederates left 200 dead on the field and 730 were captured by Porter's cavalry. McClellan claimed that Hanover Court House was yet another "glorious victory over superior numbers" and judged that it was "one of the handsomest things of the war." However, the reality of the outcome was that superior (Union) numbers won the day in a disorganized fight, characterized by misjudgments on both sides. The right flank of the Union army remained secure, although technically the Confederates at Peake's Crossing had not intended to threaten it. And McDowell's Corps did not need its roads kept clear because it never arrived—the defeat of Union forces at the First Battle of Winchester
First Battle of Winchester

The First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, in and around Frederick County, Virginia, and Winchester, Virginia, was a major victory in Confederate Army Major General Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War....
 by Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and probably the most well-known Confederate commander after General Robert E....
 in the Shenandoah Valley caused the Lincoln administration to recall McDowell to Fredericksburg.

A greater impact than the actual casualties, according to Stephen W. Sears
Stephen W. Sears

Stephen Ward Sears is an American historian specializing in the American Civil War.A graduate of Lakewood High School and Oberlin College, Sears attended a journalism seminar at...
, was the effect on McClellan's preparedness for the next major battle, at Seven Pines and Fair Oaks four days later. During the absence of Porter, McClellan was reluctant to move more of his troops south of the Chickahominy, making his left flank a more attractive target for Johnston. He was also confined to bed, ill with a flare-up of his chronic malaria
Malaria

Malaria is a Vector -borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. It is widespread in Tropics and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa....
.

Seven Pines (or Fair Oaks)

Seven Pines
Johnston knew that he could not survive a massive siege of Richmond and decided to attack McClellan. His original plan was to attack the Union right flank, north of the Chickahominy River, before McDowell's corps, marching south from Fredericksburg, could arrive. However, on May 27, Johnston learned that McDowell's corps had been diverted to the Shenandoah Valley and would not be reinforcing the Army of the Potomac. He decided against attacking across his own natural defense line, the Chickahominy, and planned to capitalize on the Union army's straddle of the river by attacking the two corps south of the river, leaving them isolated from the other three corps north of the river.

If executed correctly, Johnston would engage two thirds of his army (22 of its 29 infantry brigades, about 51,000 men) against the 33,000 men in the III and IV Corps. The Confederate attack plan was complex, calling for the divisions of A.P. Hill and Magruder to engage lightly and distract the Union forces north of the river, while Longstreet, commanding the main attack south of the river, was to converge on Keyes from three directions. The plan had an excellent potential for initial success because the division of the IV Corps farthest forward, manning the earthworks a mile west of Seven Pines, was that of Brig. Gen. Silas Casey
Silas Casey

Silas Casey was a career United States Army officer who rose to the rank of Major general during the American Civil War....
, 6,000 men who were the least experienced in Keyes's corps. If Keyes could be defeated, the III Corps, to the east, could the be pinned against the Chickahominy and overwhelmed.

The complex plan was mismanaged from the start. Johnston issued orders that were vague and contradictory and failed to inform all of his subordinates about the chain of command. On Longstreet's part, he either misunderstood his orders or chose to modify them without informing Johnston, changing his route of march to collide with Hill's, which not only delayed the advance, but limited the attack to a narrow front with only a fraction of its total force. Exacerbating the problems on both sides was a severe thunderstorm on the night of May 30, which flooded the river, destroyed most of the Union bridges, and turned the roads into morasses of mud.

The attack got off to a bad start on May 31 when Longstreet marched down the Charles City Road and turned onto the Williamsburg Road instead of the Nine Mile Road. Huger's orders had not specified a time that the attack was scheduled to start and he was not awakened until he heard a division marching nearby. Johnston and his second-in-command, Smith, unaware of Longstreet's location or Huger's delay, waited at their headquarters for word of the start of the battle. Five hours after the scheduled start, at 1 p.m., D.H. Hill became impatient and sent his brigades forward against Casey's division.

Casey's line buckled with some men retreating, but fought fiercely for possession of their earthworks, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. The Confederates only engaged four brigades of the thirteen on their right flank that day, so they did not hit with the power that they could have concentrated on this weak point in the Union line. Casey sent for reinforcements but Keyes was slow in responding. Eventually the mass of Confederates broke through, seized a Union redoubt, and Casey's men retreated to the second line of defensive works at Seven Pines.

Hill, now strengthened by reinforcements from Longstreet, hit the secondary Union line near Seven Pines around 4:40 p.m. Hill organized a flanking maneuver to attack Keyes's right flank, which collapsed the Federal line back to the Williamsburg Road. Johnston went forward on the Nine Mile Road with three brigades of Whiting's division and encountered stiff resistance near Fair Oaks Station, the right flank of Keyes's line. Soon heavy Union reinforcements arrived. Brig. Gen. Edwin C. Sumner, II Corps commander, heard the sounds of battle from his position north of the river. On his own initiative, he dispatched a division under Brig. Gen. John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick

John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House is often considered a well known tale of irony....
 over the sole remaining bridge. The treacherous "Grapevine Bridge" was near collapse on the swollen river, but the weight of the crossing troops helped to hold it steady against the rushing water. After the last man had crossed safely, the bridge collapsed and was swept away. Sedgwick's men provided the key to resisting Whiting's attack.

At dusk, Johnston was wounded and evacuated to Richmond. G.W. Smith assumed temporary command of the army. Smith, plagued with ill health, was indecisive about the next steps for the battle and made a bad impression on President Davis and General Lee, Davis's military adviser. After the end of fighting the following day, Davis replaced Smith with Lee as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia.

On June 1, the Confederates under Smith renewed their assaults against the Federals, who had brought up more reinforcements and fought from strong positions, but made little headway. The fighting ended about 11:30 a.m. when the Confederates withdrew. McClellan arrived on the battlefield from his sick bed at about this time, but the Union Army did not counterattack.

Both sides claimed victory with roughly equal casualties—Union casualties were 5,031 (790 killed, 3,594 wounded, 647 captured or missing), Confederate 6,134 (980 killed, 4,749 wounded, 405 captured or missing). McClellan's advance on Richmond was halted and the Army of Northern Virginia fell back into the Richmond defensive works. The battle was frequently remembered by the Union soldiers as the Battle of Fair Oaks Station because that is where they did their best fighting, whereas the Confederates, for the same reason, called it Seven Pines.

Aftermath and the Seven Days

Despite claiming victory at Seven Pines, McClellan was shaken by the experience. He redeployed all of his army except for the V Corps south of the river, and although he continued to plan for a siege and the capture of Richmond, he lost the strategic initiative and never regained it.

Lee used the month-long pause in McClellan's advance to fortify the defenses of Richmond and extend them south to the James River at Chaffin's Bluff
Chaffin's Bluff

Chaffin's Bluff is located in Henrico County, Virginia, United States, along the James River . Chaffin's Bluff on the north side of the river opposite Drewry's Bluff, long-considered a major defense point of the river below Richmond, Virginia....
. On the south side of the James River, defensive lines were built south to a point below Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and 23 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. The population was 33,740 as of the United States Census 2000....
. The total length of the new defensive line was about 30 miles (50 km). To buy time to complete the new defensive line and prepare for an offensive, Lee repeated the tactic of making a small number of troops seem larger than they really were. McClellan was also unnerved by Jeb Stuart's audacious (but otherwise militarily pointless) cavalry ride completely around the Union army (June 13–15).

The second phase of the Peninsula Campaign took a negative turn for the Union when Lee launched fierce counterattacks just east of Richmond in the Seven Days Battles
Seven Days Battles

The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War....
 (June 25 July 1, 1862). Although none of these battles were significant Confederate tactical victories (and the Battle of Malvern Hill
Battle of Malvern Hill

The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, took place on July 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, was the sixth and last of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War....
 on the last day was a significant Confederate defeat), the tenacity of Lee's attacks and the sudden appearance of Stonewall Jackson's "foot cavalry
Foot cavalry

Foot cavalry was an oxymoron coined to describe the rapid movements of infantry troops serving under Confederate States of America General Stonewall Jackson during the American Civil War ....
" on his western flank unnerved McClellan, who pulled his forces back to a base on the James River. Lincoln later ordered the army to return to the Washington, D.C., area to support Maj. Gen. John Pope
John Pope (military officer)

John Pope was a career United States Army officer and Union Army general in the American Civil War. He had a brief but successful career in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
's army in the Northern Virginia Campaign
Northern Virginia Campaign

}|-||}The Northern Virginia Campaign, also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
 and the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run

The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederate States of America, the Battle of Second Manassas, was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War....
. The Virginia Peninsula was relatively quiet until May 1864, when Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)

Benjamin Franklin Butler was an Law of the United States and Politics of the United States who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as governor of Massachusetts....
 again invaded as part of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign
Bermuda Hundred Campaign

The Bermuda Hundred Campaign was a series of battles fought at the town of Bermuda Hundred , outside Richmond, Virginia, during May 1864 in the American Civil War....
.

See also

  • Richmond National Battlefield Park
    Richmond National Battlefield Park

    Richmond National Battlefield Park commemorates more than 30 American Civil War sites around Richmond, Virginia. The park's preserved battlefields include Battle of Beaver Dam Creek, Battle of Gaines' Mill, Battle of Glendale, and Battle of Malvern Hill, all sites of battles during the 1862 Seven Days Battles, as well as the 1864 battles of B...
  • Union Army Balloon Corps
    Union Army Balloon Corps

    The Union Army Balloon Corps was a branch of the Union Army during the American Civil War, established by presidential appointee Thaddeus S. C. Lowe....


Further reading

  • Martin, David G., The Peninsula Campaign March–July 1862, Combined Books, 1992, ISBN 978-0938289098.
  • Gallagher, Gary W., ed., The Richmond Campaign of 1862: The Peninsula & the Seven Days, University of North Carolina Press, 2000, ISBN 0-8078-2552-2.
  • Wheeler, Richard, Sword Over Richmond: An Eyewitness History of McClellan's Peninsula Campaign, Harper & Row Publishers, 1986, ISBN 0-0601-5529-9.


External links