Battle of Savages Station in the Civil War

The Battle of Savages Station was fought June 29, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). The fourth of the Seven Days Battles outside Richmond, VA, Savages Station saw  General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia pursuing Major General George B. McClellans retreating Army of the Potomac. Striking the Union rear guard, centered on Major General Edwin V. Sumners II Corps, Confederate forces proved unable to dislodge the enemy. Fighting continued into the evening until a strong thunderstorm ended the engagement. Union troops continued their retreat that night. Background Having begun the Peninsula Campaign earlier in the spring, Major General George McClellans Army of the Potomac stalled before the gates of Richmond in late May 1862 after a stalemate at the Battle of Seven Pines. This was mostly due to the Union commanders overly-cautious approach and the inaccurate belief that General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia badly outnumbered him. While McClellan remained inactive for much of June, Lee tirelessly worked to improve Richmonds defenses and plan a counterattack. Though outnumbered himself, Lee understood his army could not hope to win an extended siege in the Richmond defenses. On June 25, McClellan finally moved and he ordered the divisions of Brigadier Generals Joseph Hooker and Philip Kearny to push up the Williamsburg Road. The resulting Battle of Oak Grove saw the Union attack halted by Major General Benjamin Hugers division. Lee Attacks This proved fortunate for Lee as he had moved the bulk of his army north of the Chickahominy River with the goal of crushing Brigadier General Fitz John Porters isolated V Corps. Striking on June 26, Lees forces were bloodily repulsed by Porters men at the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek (Mechanicsville). That night, McClellan, concerned about the presence of Major General Thomas Stonewall Jacksons command to the north, directed Porter to retreat and shifted the armys supply line from the Richmond and York River Railroad south to the James River. In doing so, McClellan effectively ended his own campaign as the abandonment of the railroad meant that heavy guns could not be carried to Richmond for the planned siege. Taking a strong position behind Boatswains Swamp, V Corps came under heavy attack on June 27. In the resulting Battle of Gaines Mill, Porters men turned back several enemy assaults through the day until being compelled to retreat near sunset. As Porters men shifted to the south bank of the Chickahominy, a badly shaken McClellan ended the campaign and began moving the army towards the safety of the James River. With McClellan providing little guidance to his men, the Army of the Potomac fought off Confederate forces at Garnetts and Goldings Farms on June 27-28. Remaining away from the fighting, McClellan made the situation worse by failing to name a second in command. This was largely due to his dislike and distrust of his senior corps commander, Major General Edwin V. Sumner. Lees Plan Despite McClellans personal feelings, Sumner effectively led the 26,600-man Union rear guard which had concentrated near Savages Station. This force comprised elements of his own II Corps, Brigadier General Samuel P. Heintzelmans III Corps, and a division of Brigadier General William B. Franklins VI Corps. Pursuing McClellan, Lee sought to engage and defeat the Union forces at Savages Station. To due so, Lee ordered Brigadier General John B. Magruder to push his division down the Williamsburg Road and York River Railroad while Jacksons division was to rebuild the bridges across the Chickahominy and attack south. These forces were to converge and overwhelm the Union defenders. Moving out early on June 29, Magruders men began encountering Union troops around 9:00 AM. Armies Commanders Union Major General George B. McClellanMajor General Edwin V. Sumner26,600 men Confederate General Robert E. LeeBrigadier General John B. Magruder14,000 The Fighting Begins Pressing forward, two regiments from Brigadier General George T. Andersons brigade engaged two Union regiments from Sumners command. Skirmishing through the morning, the Confederates were able to push the enemy back, but Magruder became increasingly concerned about the size of Sumners command. Seeking reinforcements from Lee, he received two brigades from Hugers division on the stipulation that if they were not engaged by 2:00 PM they would be withdrawn. As Magruder contemplated his next move, Jackson received a confusing message from Lee that suggested that his men were to remain north of the Chickahominy. Due to this, he did not cross the river to attack from the north. At Savages Station, Heintzelman decided that his corps was not necessary to the Union defense and began withdrawing without first informing Sumner. The Battle Renewed At 2:00 PM, having not advanced, Magruder returned Hugers men. Waiting another three hours, he finally resumed his advance with the brigades of Brigadier Generals Joseph B. Kershaw and Paul J. Semmes. These troops were aided on the right by part of a brigade led by Colonel William Barksdale. Supporting the attack was a 32-pounder Brooke naval rifle mounted on a rail car and protected by an iron casemate. Dubbed the Land Merrimack, this weapon was slowly pushed down the railroad. Despite being outnumbered, Magruder elected to attack with only part of his command. The Confederate movement was first noticed by Franklin and Brigadier General John Sedgwick who were scouting west of Savages Station. After initially thinking the approaching troops belonged to Heintzelman, they recognized their mistake and informed Sumner. It was at this time that an irate Sumner discovered that III Corps had departed. Advancing, Magruder encountered Brigadier General William W. Burns Philadelphia Brigade just south of the railroad. Mounting a tenacious defense, Burns men soon faced envelopment by the larger Confederate force. To stabilize the line, Sumner randomly began feeding regiments from other brigades into the battle. Coming up on Burns left, the 1st Minnesota Infantry joined the fight followed by two regiments from Brigadier General Israel Richardsons division. As the forces engaged were largely equal in size, a stalemate developed as darkness and foul weather approached. Operating on Burns left and south of the Williamsburg Road, Brigadier General William T.H. Brooks Vermont Brigade sought to protect the Union flank and charged forward. Attacking into a stand of woods, they met intense Confederate fire and were repulsed with heavy losses. The two sides remained engaged, with neither making any progress, until a storm ended the battle around 9:00 PM. Aftermath In the fighting at Savages Station, Sumner suffered 1,083 killed, wounded, and missing while Magruder sustained 473. The bulk of the Union losses were incurred during the Vermont Brigades ill-fated charge. With the end of the fighting, Union troops continued withdrawing across White Oak Swamp but were forced to abandon a field hospital and 2,500 wounded. In the wake of the battle, Lee reprimanded Magruder for not attacking more forcefully stating that the pursuit should be most vigorous. By noon the following day, Union troops had crossed the swamp. Later in the day, Lee resumed his offensive by attacking McClellans army at the Battles of Glendale (Fraysers Farm) and White Oak Swamp.