Battle Summary:Mcclellan's forces advanced to within 15 miles of Richmond. On June 26th, Lee's forces attacked Union forces at Mechanicsville. The Union forces were victorious, but McClellan ordered a withdrawal to Gaines' Mill. There, Confederate forces broke Union lines the next day. McClellan then ordered a general withdrawal. Three more battles were fought, including one at Malvern Hill, in which Confederate troops were slaughtered, in an ill advised attempt to scale it. In the end however, McClellan withdrew all of his troops to Harrison Landing.
This article is copied from a history of the civil war and I posted it to show how much Americans blood was spilled for the Blackman to be free. I have added remarks here and there throughout the body of text.
Lee knew that he had to attack before McClellan could begin a siege of Richmond. On June 26th he attacked at Mechanicsville, the far flank of the Union line. The brunt of the attack was made by the forces of AP Hill. It was a lopsided fight. The Confederates sustained 1500 casualties, while the Union sustained only 400. McClellan however, felt that with overwhelming confederate forces liable to attack he should withdraw the forces to a more defensible position at Gaines Mill. OH my God almost 2,000 dead Americans in one battle? How can this be?
The next day Lee attacked again. The battle went on for the whole day, by the end of the day Confederate forces succeeded in breaking through Union lines at Turkey Hill. When the results of the battle became known McClellan made the decision to give up his base of supply at the White House and move it to Harrison's landing. He gave orders for all his forces to retreat to the James River. McClellan, even though his losses had been lower then the Confederate losses to date, was convinced he had lost.
Lees battle skills was so well respected that even though McClellan had outfought Lee, it was the Union that retreated.
As the Army of the Potomac withdrew across the Peninsular, Lee attempted to destroy it at Savage Station on June 29th and Glendale on June 30. Lee made a final effort at Malvern Hill to destroy the Union army. The Hill was well defended, and 5590 confederates died while trying to scale it. The union lost only a third as many. So the Seven Days campaign came to an end. The confederates who had started out with less men then the union, lost more in the campaign. However, when the battle opened Union forces threatened Richmond. When it ended McClellan's army of the Potomac was bottled up in Harrison Landing. Oh no over 8,000 dead in the final battle of this engagement. Good thing Americans of the day were made of much sterner stuff that the pansies of today.