The Peninsula Campaign: Animated Battle Map

[Music] the second spring of the civil war approaches each passing week the southern states strengthen their positions after eight months of inaction General George McClellan is prepared to lead the Army of the Potomac in the Virginia and possibly all the way to the Confederate capital at Richmond General Joseph Johnston s Confederate Army at Manassas stands in McClellan's way to the west an army under Stonewall Jackson occupies the Shenandoah Valley protecting the breadbasket of the state to break the deadlock McClellan uses more than 300 vessels to transfer his army to Fort Monroe a Union Citadel at the tip of Virginia's Peninsula the peninsula is formed by the York River to the north and the James River to the south both are navigable for long distances ocean-going ships can steam as far upriver as Richmond with more than 120 thousand men just 70 miles from Richmond McClellan is well-positioned to wreak havoc on Virginia in response Johnston transfers his army to the peninsula it assumes a blocking position around Yorktown famous is the site of British surrender in the Revolutionary War the Confederates enjoy advantages at the outset heavy batteries at Gloucester point opposite Yorktown closed the York River to the US Navy the CSS Virginia is a wall of iron guarding the James to undermine these obstacles McClellan lays siege to Yorktown and brings up his heavy guns the Confederate Navy is forced to scuttle the Virginia to protect his smaller force Johnston retreats up the peninsula McClellan gives chase but a heavy fight at Williamsburg on a tip slows the pursuit allowing Johnston to fall back to protect the city from the Union Navy a fort springs up on draw Rees Bluff seven miles below Richmond it is 90 feet above the water the defenders place obstructions to block the channel US Navy secretary Gideon Welles sends a five ship strike force toward Richmond it includes the world-famous USS Monitor John Rogers is in command and his orders from wells are to reach Richmond and blast the city into submission on May 15th Rogers reaches jewelry's bluff in a 4-hour battle the defenders stand firm the next effort against Richmond will come by land [Music] by mid-may some of McClellan's army has reached the city's outskirts at Seven Pines the swampy Chickahominy River divides the army southerners fear another siege General Johnston acts first striking the vulnerable federal fourth Corps at Seven Pines on May 31st heavy rains have swollen the river hampering the divided Union Army D H Hill and James long streets Confederate divisions fight their way to the field but General Edwin summoner's 2nd Corps Wade's the treacherous River and marches to the rescue the Confederate attack stalls an army commander Johnston is badly wounded after two days and 11,000 casualties the status quo prevails Johnston's wounding paves the way for a new commander General Robert Ely he opens his headquarters at the DAB's house east of Richmond and within days he formulates a plan to regain the initiative and save the city [Music] the massive Federal Army is supplied by the Richmond and York River Railroad which stretches east to White House landing on the Pamunkey River McClellan supply line becomes Lee's opportunity Lee plans to bring Jackson's army from the West to Richmond he will use maneuvers to threaten that railroad in hopes of pre-empting the pending siege On June 26th Lee strikes Jackson sweeps above the left flank of Fitz John Porter spit corps at Mechanicsville but he is later than expected AP Hill's Confederate division forces its way across the Chickahominy at Meadow bridges George McCall's Pennsylvania reserves wheel into powerful defenses behind Beaver Dam Creek with no sign of Jackson Hills brigades attacked eastward from Mechanicsville but her smashed along the banks of Beaver Dam Creek despite the victory McClelland sees no way to save his railroad that night he decides to retreat to the James River the surprised men of the fifth Corps retreat that night but her ordered to stay north of the river one more day McClellan wants time to concentrate his army abandoned White House Landing and begin his change River movement Lee unleashes his army in full pursuit he hopes to cut the railroad and fight a decisive battle Jackson makes an end-around march hoping to get behind the Federals but the fifth Corps moves into position near Gaines's mill with its back to the Chickahominy River 60,000 Confederates face 27,000 Federals with six hours of daylight remaining Lee attacks across a two-mile front McClellan counters by sending Slocum 6th Corps division to the 5th corps Zaid it is not enough after some of the most savage fighting of the war the Confederates finally smashed through the line near sunset and win for Lee his first battlefield victory only darkness saves the 5th corps that evening McClellan convenes his corps commanders and announces that the army will retreat to the James the supply depot at savages station is to be destroyed the army begins its march [Music] Lee is slow to realize that his SPO is on the run he pursues spreading his army on to four different roads a sharp but indecisive battle erupts at savages station between general Magruder's Confederate divisions and a strong Union rear guard the Confederates deploy an innovative weapon a railroad gun McClellan is forced to abandon his second wounded at savages station [Music] the Clemens army faces two obstacles on the way to the James white oak swamp in the crossroads at Glendale Stonewall Jackson catches up with two federal divisions at the swamp but fails to get across the water eugie is blocked at the Charles City Road Holmes stalls on the River Road [Music] Longstreet n ap he'll have better success 12 Confederate brigades mass for the attack on either side of the long bridge road a permanent breakthrough bear will slice the Army of the Potomac into the fighting is high drama and a hand and often for the possession of roar and cannon Union General George Meade is wounded his division commander general McCall is captured the Confederate C's 16 cannon the Union line sags and briefly breaks but it holds until dark the battle is called Glendale in the north and Frazier's farm in the South by the next morning most of McClellan's Army is on Malvern Hill close to the James River Navy warships offer protection and the terrain is perfect for defense the Union troops invite an attack Lee obliges the Confederate Army is shredded at Malvern Hill on July 1st bots staff work leads to piecemeal attacks Union artillery is king of the field Lee's army suffers more than 5,000 casualties and is soundly defeated in a battle that never should have thought the Army of the Potomac marches away in the darkness ending what would be known as the seven days battles a Cleland find safety at Harrison's landing on the James River he evacuates his wounded rests his men receives reinforcements and prepares to restart his campaign President Lincoln visits the army and instead decides to remove it from the landing in August the five month-long Peninsula Campaign is the largest military operation in American history up to that time the Confederates saved Richmond and take the initiative within weeks the war will move again to Manassas and then across the Potomac River and on into the north where new chapters of American history will be written [Music] you

Channel: American Battlefield Trust

Views: 218,950

Rating: 4.9102311 out of 5

Keywords: Peninsula Campaign, historic preservation, Confederate Army, General McClellan, Richmond, animated map, Robert E. Lee, Union Army, american battlefield trust

Id: WeBm05r3Zlc

Length: 12min 7sec (727 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 12 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/Spaghettix]

This is great. Thanks for sharing!