Peninsular campaign,
The name of the campaign conducted by
General McClellan in 1862 on the
Virginia peninsula, between the
York River and its tributaries and the
James River, which rivers empty into
Chesapeake Bay or its adjacent waters.
On the extremity of the point of land between them stands
Fort Monroe.
The campaign continued from the landing of
General Heintzelman's corps of the
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Badges of designation of the army of the Potomac (the numbers designate the different army corps). |
Army of the Potomac at
Fort Monroe, March 22, 1862, until the departure of the army from
Harrison's Landing, in August of the same year, including the famous seven days battle before
Richmond.
| Heintzelman's corps embarks for Fortress Monroe | March 17, 1862 |
| Headquarters of the Army of the Potomac transferred to vicinity of Fortress Monroe | April 1, 1862 |
| McDowell's corps detached from the Army | April 4, 1862 |
| Yorktown and its line of defence, about 13 miles in length, occupied by 11,000 Confederates under Magruder, is attacked by the Nationals; repulsed | April 4, 1862 |
| Siege, so-called, of Yorktown | April 4-May 5, 1862 |
| Confederates evacuate Yorktown | May 5, 1862 |
| battle of Williamsburg (q. v.) | May 5, 1862 |
| [General Hooker attacked the Confederates with his division alone until reinforced by Kearny's division about 4 P. M. The Confederates retired towards Richmond during the night.
The National loss in killed, wounded, and missing, 2,228.] |
| General Franklin's division lands at West Point | May 6, 1862 |
| Norfolk evacuated by the Confederates | May 10, 1862 |
| Iron-clad Merrimac blown up by the Confederates | May 11, 1862 |
| Com. John Rodgers, moving up the James to within 8 miles of Richmond with his fleet, retires after an unequal contest with batteries on Drury's Bluff or Fort Darling | May 15, 1862 |
| McClellan's headquarters established at the “White House” (belonging to Mrs. Robt. E. Lee) on the Pamunkey | May 16, 1862 |
| McDowell, with a corps of 40,000 men and 100 pieces of artillery, instructed to co-operate with the Army of the Potomac advancing on Richmond | May 17, 1862 |
| To frustrate this union “Stonewall” Jackson assumes the offensive by threatening Washington.
The National forces in northern Virginia at this time were: Banks, 20,000, Milroy and Schenck, 6,000, Fremont, 10,000, and McDowell's corps at Fredericksburg, 40,000.
Jackson suc- |
| ceeds, and McDowell is retained to defend Washington by an order issued [This order saved the Confederate capital.] | May 24, 1862 |
| Jackson drives Banks out of Winchester (see cross Keys, action at） | May 25, 1862 |
| Hanover Court-house | May 27, 1862 |
| [Fitz-John Porter, with a corps of 12,000 men, is ordered by McClellan to destroy the bridges over the South Anna, as instructed to do from Washington; opposed by the Confederates under Branch at Hanover Court-house, he defeats them.] |
| Porter returns to his former position at Gaines's Mills | May 29, 1862 |
| battle of fair Oaks (q. v.) or seven PINES | May 31-June 1, 1862 |
| Robt. E. Lee assumes command of the Confederates | June 3, 1862 |
| Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, with a small cavalry division, passes around the Army of the Potomac | June 12-13, 1862 |
| battle of Mechanicsville (q. v.) | June 26, 1862 |
| battle of Gaines's Mills (q. v.) | June 27, 1862 |
| First siege of Richmond abandoned; Keyes's corps ordered to the James on the evening of | June 27, 1862 |
| [Lee, failing to comprehend McClellan's plans, loses the whole of June 28 in false movements.] |
| Battle of Savage's Station; Summer repulses Magruder | June 29, 1862 |
| Entire Army of the Potomac safely across “White Oak Swamp” on the morning of | June 30, 1862 |
| battle of Glendale (q. v.) | June 30, 1862 |
| Army of the Potomac, with its immense trains, concentrated on and around Malvern Hill on the morning of | July 1, 1862 |
| battle of Malvern Hill (q. v.) | July 1, 1862 |
| President visits McClellan at Harrison's Landing | July 7, 1862 |
| Hooker reoccupies Malvern Hill | Aug. 4, 1862 |
| McClellan ordered to withdraw to Aquia Creek | Aug. 4, 1862 |
| Harrison's Landing entirely vacated | Aug. 16, 1862 |
| McClellan reaches Aquia Creek | Aug. 24, 1862 |
| Reports at Alexandria | Aug. 26, 1862 |
