Map of the events of the campaign. The Peninsula Campaign (also known as the Peninsular Campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union offensive operation launched in southern Virginia in March through July of 1862. The operation, commanded by General George McClellan, was a roundabout amphibious attempt to capture Richmond by circumventing the Confederate Army in northern Virginia. The operation began with the conveyance of Union Army troops down the Potomac River and south through Chesapeake Bay to land at Fort Monroe on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula. After landing the forces were to advance along the narrow strip of land between the James and York rivers.
The first part of the plan was successful. After landing, the Union forces advanced to Yorktown (site of the 1781 surrender of Lord Cornwallis to George Washington) and defeated the Confederates in a skirmish at the Battle of Yorktown. Although the progress was slow, the Union forces did advance to within several miles of Richmond. During the campaign, the Union Army also seized Hampton Roads and occupied Norfolk.
As the Union Army drew towards the outer defenses of Richmond, the Union Army became divided by the Chickahominy River, weakening the ability to move troops back and forth along the front. The Battle of Seven Pines took place on June 1, 1862, with both sides claiming victory. Only a small portion of the Union Army participated, and General McClellan chose to lay seige and await reinforcements he had requested of President Abraham Lincoln. Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston was wounded during the Battle of Fair Oaks, and he was replaced by Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
Lee used the pause in McClellan's advances to fortify the defenses of Richmond and extend them south to the James River at Chafin's Bluff. On the south side of the James River, defensive lines were built south to a point below Petersburg. The total length of the new defensive line was about 30 miles.
To buy time to complete the new defensive line and prepare for an offensive, Lee had the same relatively small number of troops move continously and make appearances at various portions of the line to fool McClellan into thinking that the forces defending Richmond were much larger than they really were. Mcclellan was also reportedly unnerved by Confederate J.E.B. Stuart's daring and famous calvary ride completely around the Union's large siege force.
Confederate General Robert E. Lee launched decisive counterattacks just east of Richmond in the Seven Days' Battles (June 25 - July 1, 1862). The strength of Lee's defenses forced McClellan to pull back his forces to a base on the James River. Lincoln later ordered the army to return to the Washington, D.C. area to support General John Pope's army in the Second Bull Run campaign.
External links
- Photographs of the Peninsular Campaign (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?pp/fsaall,app,brum,detr,swann,look,gottscho,pan,horyd,genthe,var,cai,cd,hh,yan,bbcards,lomax,ils,prok,brhc,nclc,matpc,:@FIELD(SUBJ+@band(++Peninsular+Campaign,+1862++)))
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