Osprey Campaign 133 : Seven Days Battles 1862 : Lee's Defense of Richmond

When General Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy was in crisis. Lee changed all that in a brilliant, week-long campaign. On 26 June the Confederates struck, fighting two hard-fought battles in two days at Mechanicsville and Gaine's Mill. The ferocity of the Confederate assaults convinced McClellan that he was outnumbered. Unable to keep the Confederates at bay, the Union army was recalled to Washington. Despite losing a quarter of his men, Lee had saved Richmond, and inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Army of the Potomac. This book traces the course of this short yet crucial campaign. Text by Angus Konstam with illustrations by Stephen Walsh.

Contents

• Introduction
• Origins of the Campaign
• Chronology
• Opposing Plans
• Opposing Commanders
• Opposing Armies
• The Seven Days Campaign
• Aftermath
• The Battlefield Today
• Further Reading
• Index