The American Civil War - Chronologically

June 30, 1862 White Oak Swamp (AKA Glendale; also Frayser’s Farm and Frazier's Farm, Nelson's Farm, Charles City Crossroads, New Market Road, Ridell's Shop) Henrico Co., VA Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan: Brig. Gen. George A. McCall; Pennsylvania Reserve (led by future commander Gen. George G. Meade) division and other brigades; divisions of Brig. Gens. Joseph Hooker and Phillip Kearny vs.  Gen. Robert E. Lee: Maj. Gens. James Longstreet and A. P. Hill  * To be clear - those are not all names for the exact same place: there are few things happening on this day-before-the-last day of the Seven Days. Unless you count the day after Malvern Hill as the last day. Either way, these are battles that occurred on one of the Seven Days.  * One of these markers calls this "the Fourth Battle of the Seven Days’ Campaign"; again - that is the 4th Battle, not 4th Day. It is officially a Union retreat at this point, but Lee loses his best last chance when Huger and Jackson...

June 29, 1862 The Seven Days: Savage Station  Henrico County, Virginia McClellan: Edwin V. Sumner's II Corps vs. Lee:  John B. Magruder's guys  * The Union keeps retreating and Magruder pursues along the railroad line, striking the rearguard decisively.  Jackson stalls out again and fails to appear. Nonetheless, despite Magruder bumbling the thing while hopped up on morphine, it's an ugly stalemate but a bad day for the Union as they are forced to abandon lots of wounded soldiers and plenty of supplies. * "3rd" Battle of the "Seven" Days - but who's counting?! * The railroad battery is an interesting, though largely forgotten, mini-boss of the Civil War: "the first armored railroad battery to be used in combat."  No pics. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=3685 Battle of Savage’s Station A Fighting Withdrawal —1862 Peninsula Campaign— On the night of June 27, 1862, following the Battle of Gaines’ Mill , Gen. George McClellan ordered a withdrawal ...

June 27, 1862 The Seven Days: Golding's Farm (AKA Garnetts and Goldings Farm or Gouldin’s Farm ) near Highland Springs, Virginia, in Henrico County McClellan: 2nd division of the Union VI Corps under Brigadier General William Brooks  >  Winfield Scott Hancock’s brigade vs. Lee: Magruder > Major General David R. Jones’ division, Brigadier General Robert Toombs’ brigade, Colonel George T. Anderson’s brigade; later Lafayette McLaw’s men * This unassuming little sign is pretty important! First of all, as with some of the other fighting of The Seven Days, there is a single marker and no others commemorating this action. Confirmed: "The area of the battlefields has been lost to development and the only interpretation is the marker shown below."  Not a huge battle, but it did last two days and have over 500 casualties. Plus it shook-up McClellan as usual - and we need that second day to get to Seven consecutive Days of battles!    * This battle occurs the sa...

June 27, 1862 Gaines Mill Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County McClellan: really General Fitz John Porter’s isolated V Corps; a division from the VI Corps and two brigades from the II Corps arrive too late vs. Lee: Generals A. P. Hill and D. H. Hill; additional brigades from divisions under Generals Richard S. Ewell and James Longstreet; then Jackson   * "The largest battle of the Peninsula Campaign" & "more men in a simultaneous attack than any other episode in Lee's career." Thus sometimes, "the largest Confederate assault of the war"! ABT confirms: "their largest frontal attack of the war." * Lee’s first victory as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia * Porter/McClellan withdraw and the rest of the 7 Days are all downhill, except a saucerful defense at Malvern Hill  * There was an active hot-air-balloon camp at Dr. Gaines' house! I know we talked about the balloons before, but this is "the first instance where ob...