June 30, 1862 - The Seven Days: Glendale/Frazier's Farm and White Oak Swamp

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 are kept out of the battle.    

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=14222

Frazier's Farm
or Glendale Battlefield

Here, the Confederate line of Longstreet's Division crossed this, the Long Bridge Road. Southeasterly one-quarter mile occurred the fiercest encounter, in which the Federal forces under McCall were forced to retire at nightfall June 30, 1862.

 

Erected by Battlefield Markers Association. (Marker Number 18.)

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=231611
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=14216

Pvt. Benjamin B. Levy
22 Feb. 1845 - 20 Jul. 1921

Benjamin B. Levy, a young Jewish volunteer, received the Medal of Honor on 1 Mar. 1865, one of the first Jews so recognized. He entered service in the 1st New York Infantry in New York City on 22 Apr. 1861. During the Battle of Glendale (Frayser's Farm) on 30 June 1862, under heavy fire near here, Levy "took the gun of a sick comrade, went into the fight, and when the color bearers were shot down, carried the colors and saved them from capture." He later reenlisted in the 40th New York Infantry and was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864.

 

Erected 2006 by Department of Historic Resources and the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. 

(Marker Number V-51.)

&

Frazier's Farm
or Glendale Battlefield

North and South of this point lay the line of battle in which the Confederate commands of James Longstreet and A.P. Hill engaged indecisively the Federal forces in the Fourth Battle of the Seven Days’ Campaign. This spot marks the furthest Federal advance, June 30, 1862.

 

Erected by Battlefield Markers Association. 

(Marker Number 17.)

*

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=275348

Battle of Glendale
Longstreet's Attack

"A furious attack was made on the left by a heavy column of infantry. This advance was made under cover of a terrific artillery fire, and was gallantly met and driven back with great slaughter"

- Capt. Evan Woodward, 2nd Pennsylvania Reserves, USA

You are standing on a critical part of the Glendale battlefield. Here, on June 30, 1862, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee hoped to launch a concerted strike against the retreating Army of the Potomac led by Gen. George McClellan. The section of Darbytown Road before you did not exist at the time of the battle. The Long Bridge Road runs out of view a half mile in front of you. Confederate Gen. James Longstreet opened the attack on both sides of that road. To his immediate front stood four batteries of Union artillery and several regiments of the Pennsylvania Reserves. The common Confederate soldier staked his life on capturing those guns. Men from Alabama, South Carolina, and Virginia attacked on the far side of the road while more Alabamans advanced on this side of the road. One of Longstreet's brigades under Gen. James Kemper achieved initial success before it was  driven back. Additional brigades under Gen. A.P. Hill soon arrived and entered the fray. Brutal fighting ensued, some of it hand-to-hand—but the tenacious Pennsylvania Reserves hung on. Waves of attacks and counterattacks followed.

Although the Confederates threatened to break their position, Federal troops poured in from different sectors of the Union line. Longstreet slowly lost a battle of reinforcements and could not break through to cut the Glendale Crossroads.

(captions)

Gen. George G. Meade led a brigade of Pennsylvania Reserves and was wounded during the battle. Meade recovered and steadily rose through the ranks to take command of the Army of the Potomac during the Gettysburg Campaign.

Confederates from the 1lth Alabama Infantry of Gen. Cadmus Wilcox's brigade attack a Union battery commanded by Lt. Alanson Randol. Briefly successful, the Alabamans were unable to break the Union line. - Images courtesy Library of Congress

Erected 2025 by American Battlefield Trust

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=275350

Battle of Glendale
Final Action

"About 5 o'clock we were ordered to the left, and were marched into the woods … the enemy was posted in a wood about 100 yards from our position. We took up a position ... and continued firing until we had almost expended our ammunition"

- Maj. H. Boyd McKeen, 81st Pennsylvania Infantry, USA

In front of you were the farms of Richard and Isaac Sykes. There, soldiers from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia under Gen. James Longstreet attacked Union troops under Gen. Philip Kearny. Kearny's division brought Longstreet's attack to a grinding halt before the Federals threatened the Confederate flank. Sensing the danger, Gen. A.P. Hill's division rushed into the fight. To your front, South Carolinians led by Gen. Maxcy Gregg launched an assault but were unable to break through the Union position. Meanwhile, on the Long Bridge Road, four brigades from Hill's division finally captured the Federal line but could advance no farther. Darkness was quickly falling and Union reserves were too strong.

Lee had lost a great opportunity. Because Gens. Benjamin Huger, Theophilus Holmes[,] and Thomas J. "Stonewall"  Jackson failed to attack, Union forces were free to shift reserves to threatened points and fend off Confederate assaults. Furthermore, Lee moved his reserve division to the River Road, keeping 12,000 men out of the fight.

Historian Douglas Southall Freeman said Glendale "was the bitterest disappointment Lee ever sustained ... he had only that one day ... and the army was not ready for it." The fighting resumed the next day at Malvern Hill, where Lee attempted to destroy Gen. George McClellan's army one last time. The Confederates would fail and suffer even greater losses.

...

(captions)

Union Gen. Philip Kearny's infantry repulse Confederate attacks late in the battle. Courtesy Library of Congress

 

Erected 2025 by American Battlefield Trust.

*

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=259242

Seven Days Battles
Glendale (Frayser's Farm)

Here stood the center of Longstreet's line of battle in the afternoon of June 30, 1862. The Confederates, coming from the west, attacked the Union line just beyond. The battle lasted all afternoon, with varying fortunes and much hand-to-hand fighting. Near nightfall Longstreet sent in A. P. Hill to relieve his exhausted men.

 

Erected 1932 by Conservation & Development Commission. 

(Marker Number PA-163.)

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=15058

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=259237

Glendale (Frayser’s Farm)

 In this vicinity, the Union Army of the Potomac made a stand on 30 June 1862, during its retreat from the Chickahominy River toward the James River. Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan posted several Union divisions facing east and north to protect this intersection, known locally as Riddell’s Shop. In the ensuing battle, Confederate divisions commanded by Major Generals James Longstreet and A. P. Hill attacked the Union divisions of Brig. Gen. George A. McCall and Maj. Gen. Philip Kearney. The action became hand-to-hand, the two sides fighting with bayonets while they struggled for possession of the Union artillery stationed nearby. Late in the battle, McCall was captured near here by soldiers of the 47th Virginia Infantry. The Union line held, enabling McClellan to continue his retreat.

 

Erected 1994 by Department of Historic Resources. 

(Marker Number PA-159.)

&

Riddell's Shop

West and Southwest, distant one-half mile lies the Battlefield of Glendale or Frazier's Farm, where the Confederate divisions of Longstreet and A.P. Hill on June 30, 1862, attacked and forced the withdrawal of Federal troops covering McClellan's march toward James River.

 

Erected by Battlefield Markers Association. 

(Marker Number 15.)

*

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=275357

Battle of Glendale
Lee's Plan

"It was a critical day … General Lee … was to see his splendid prize slip through his hands" - Gen. D.H. Hill, CSA

On June 30, 1862, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee had one of his greatest opportunities. Gen. George McClellan's massive Union Army of the Potomac was in retreat towards the James River, and if Lee's army could execute a concerted strike, he could seriously damage the Federals. Lee planned for Gen. Benjamin Huger to lead his 9,000-man division down the Charles City Road, directly in front of you, from left to right and strike at Glendale. With the support of Gens. James Longstreet's and A.P. Hill's 19,000 men on the Long Bridge Road, they could cut off the Federal retreat. Gens. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's and D.H. Hill's 25,000 men would advance across White Oak Swamp (two miles to the northeast), and the Confederates could crush the Federals caught between them. Lee also directed Gen. Theophilus Holmes to move down the New Market Road (modern Route 5) with 6,500 men to harass enemy troops that made it past the intersection and possibly even seize Malvern Hill. Gen. John B. Magruder's 12,000-man  division would be held in reserve. The stage was set.

McClellan was not on the field, having gone to the James River to search for a good site for his army's new base. He left no one in overall command. His units were scattered. Divisions of the various corps were not contiguous with each other. It was a recipe for Union disaster.

(captions)

Gen. Robert E. Lee assumed command of Confederate forces defending Richmond in early June 1862. Rather than endure a siege, Lee initiated a series of engagements known as the Seven Days' Battles at the end of the month and steadily drove Union troops back to the James River. 

- Courtesy Library of Congress

Exhausted from recent fighting, Federal troops assumed a position around the Glendale Crossroads to await the Confederate onslaught. Lee hoped to maneuver from different directions in a coordinated effort to attack the Union infantry.

 

Erected 2025 by American Battlefield Trust.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=275356

Battle of Glendale
Preservation Corridor

"By preserving these battlefields, the Trust and its partners have ensured that this land will be protected and appreciated by future generations" 

- David Duncan, President, American Battlefield Trust

You stand at the edge of a four-mile corridor of preservation. In the 1990s just one acre of the Glendale battlefield and 130 acres of the vast Malvern Hill battlefield had been preserved. Thanks to the efforts of the American Battlefield Trust, an organization formed in 1987 and devoted to saving the hallowed battlegrounds of America's first 100 years, its partners, and preservation-minded landowners, almost all of both battlefields—more than 2,100 acres—are now protected.

A critical part of the Battle of Glendale raged in the field and woods to your right. Historic Frayser Farm stood on both sides of the road near the Glendale Intersection. A short distance down the road is the Glendale National Cemetery with the Malvern Hill battlefield beyond.

The Trust, the Richmond Battlefields Association, and others, remain active in the Richmond area, preserving hallowed ground at Cold Harbor, Gaines' Mill, New  Market Heights, First and Second Deep Bottom, Fort Harrison, and North Anna. Thanks to these efforts, thousands of acres of land have been permanently preserved as places of quiet contemplation and remembrance—where ordinary Americans performed extraordinary deeds.

...

(captions) This map depicts battlefields in the area you may visit. Interpretation is coming at the First and Second Deep Bottom battlefields.

 

Erected 2025 by American Battlefield Trust.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=275355

Battle of Glendale
Inaction on the Charles City Road

"The loss of the brigade in this engagement was serious considering that it was confined exclusively to the artillery"

- Gen. William Mahone, CSA

Confederate Gen. Benjamin Huger's division was to spearhead the Confederate assault by advancing down the road in front of you toward the Glendale Crossroads, one half mile to your right. Some Federals called the intersection Charles City Crossroads.

As Huger advanced, Union Gen. Henry Slocum's division cut down trees to block the Confederate advance. It worked. Instead of advancing troops to stop the Federals, Huger's men tried to clear the road while Huger brought up his guns and settled into an artillery duel. Thus, Lee's lead division was out of the fight, and 9,000 men were lost to the planned assault.

Meanwhile, Confederate Gens. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and D.H. Hill failed to cross White Oak Swamp. Aside from exchanging artillery fire, their men remained idle. A few miles to the south on the River Road, Gen. Theophilus Holmes bogged down, and Lee ordered his reserve division under Gen. John Magruder to march to his aid. Nothing was gained, except  for the loss of Magruder's men to support an attack on the Glendale Crossroads. Lee was not aware at the time, but his planned 72,000-man attack was reduced to just 19,000 men under Gens. James Longstreet and A.P. Hill. Furthermore, Federal troops facing the idle Huger and Jackson were free to reinforce those facing A.P. Hill and Longstreet.

Benjamin Huger was a native of South Carolina and a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Due to his lackluster performance during the campaign, he was removed from command less than two weeks after Glendale. 

- Courtesy Library of Congress

Supported by the 16th New York Infantry, Gen. Henry Slocum's artillery helped bring Huger's advance to a halt. 

- Courtesy Library of Congress

Erected 2025 by American Battlefield Trust.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=3723

Seven Days Battles
White Oak Swamp

Here Franklin, aided by Richardson, held the passage of White Oak Swamp against Jackson while the Battle of Glendale raged near by, June 30, 1862. A fierce duel went on all afternoon between the Union batteries here and Jackson’s guns on the north side of the swamp.

 

Erected 1932 by Conservation & Development Commission. 

(Marker Number PA-155.)

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=14221

White Oak Swamp

Here on June 30, 1862, “Stonewall” Jackson’s command, pursuing McClellan’s army was halted by fire from troops of Franklin’s corps posted across the stream. Failing to effect a crossing, Jackson could not participate in the converging attacks Lee planned to deliver that day near Glendale.

 

Erected by Battlefield Markers Association. 

(Marker Number 14.)

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=196014

White Oak Swamp
Controversy for Stonewall Jackson
—1862 Peninsula Campaign—

In April 1862, Union forces under Gen. George B. McClellan began a maior campaign to capture Richmond, marching east from Fort Monroe up the Peninsula between the York and James Rivers toward the Confederate capital. Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's army, half their number, opposed them. Slowly but inevitably, the Federal juggernaut overcame three Southern defensive lines and was soon camped in Richmond's eastern suburbs. New commander Robert E. Lee, however, led a Confederate offensive that drove the Union army away during the Seven Days' Battles at the end of June.

After the twilight battle at Savage's Station on June 29, 1862, the Union Army of the Potomac abandoned the remnants of its line in front of Richmond and retreated south through the darkness toward the James River. Once across White Oak Swamp, it deployed to challenge the Confederate pursuit.

Gen. William F. Smith's and Gen. Israel Richardson's divisions occupied the heights in front of you. Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's 25,000 men arrived here, on the north bank of the swamp, at noon on June 30 and found the bridge destroyed. The noise of the heavy fighting three miles southwest at Glendale "made me eager to press forward," Jackson later wrote, but he did not advance, instead settling for an artillery duel. Vague orders, the burned bridge, and the strong Federal position held Jackson back for the remaining eight hours of daylight. The failure to advance robbed Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee of his offensive punch, allowed a successful Union defense of the roads to the James River, and opened Jackson to criticism.

Union batteries duel with Jackson's artillery on the other side of White Oak Swamp. The road across the swamp is visible in distance above the second gun from the right. 

— Courtesy Library of Congress

Gen. Thomas J. Jackson - Courtesy Library of Congress

Military bridge across Chickahominy River, June 1862, similar to the White Oak Swamp bridge - Courtesy Library of Congress

 

Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.

* I'm sorry: which direction did the Union march out of Fort Monroe? 

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=195963

Seven Days Battles
White Oak Swamp

On the hill just to the west Stonewall Jackson placed his artillery about midday on June 30, 1862. An artillery duel then began with Franklin, guarding the south side of White Oak Swamp, that lasted until dark.

 

Erected 1932 by Conservation & Development Commission. 

(Marker Number PA-148.)

UNEXPLAINED BONUS MATERIAL:

*

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=15921

Darbytown Road

During the Seven Days' Campaign, Maj. Gen. James Longstreet's and Maj. Gen. A. P. Hill's Confederate divisions moved east along Darbytown Road toward its junction with the Long Bridge Road. This junction is about three miles southwest of Riddell's Shop. Late on the afternoon of 30 June 1862, Longstreet's and Hill's divisions moved up the Long Bridge Road and attacked Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's retreating Union army at Riddell's Shop (Glendale or Frayser's Farm) on Darbytown Road.

 

Erected 1994 by Department of Historic Resources. 

(Marker Number W-1.)

See Also:

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/glendale

War Hawk makes excellent animated battle maps, and I like the way he calls this 1.) The Battle of White Oak Swamp and then 2.) The Battle of Glendale/Frazier's Farm. That's fine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oot5Um1t3as