Osprey Campaign 124 : Fair Oaks 1862 : McClellan's Peninsula Campaign

By 1862 most Americans were to realise that the Civil War was failing to be brought to a conclusion. General George B. McClellan aimed to avoid this result by capturing Richmond, the Confederate capital, and end the war in a single campaign. However, despite catching the Confederates off-guard, McClellan threw away his advantage - it took him almost two months to advance towards Richmond. Finally, General Johnston launched a last-ditch attempt to halt their advance. This book details the result, a bloody one-day battle of Fair Oaks (also known as Seven Pines), fought on 31 May 1862. Both sides battled with ferocity, yet failed to take full advantage of the opportunity to change the face of the war. Text by Angus Konstam with illustrations by Steve Noon.

Contents

• Introduction
• Origins of the Campaign
• Chronology
• Opposing Plans
• Opposing Commanders
• Opposing Armies
• The Campaign
• The Battle of Fair Oaks
• Aftermath
• The Battlefield Today
• Further Reading
• Index