Battle of Beaver Dam Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Beaver Dam Creek |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
 Fight at Beaver Creek Alfred R. Waud, artist, June 26, 1862 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 Confederate States |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| George B. McClellan Fitz John Porter |
Robert E. Lee | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| Army of the Potomac | Army of Northern Virginia | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 15,631 | 16,356 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 361 total 49 killed 207 wounded 105 missing |
1,484 | ||||||
The Battle of Beaver Dam Creek, also known as the Battle of Mechanicsville, was the first big fight of the Seven Days Battles. This series of battles happened during the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It took place on June 26, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia.
This battle marked the start of a major attack by Confederate General Robert E. Lee. His goal was to push back the Union Army of the Potomac, led by General George B. McClellan. McClellan's army was getting very close to Richmond, the Confederate capital.
Lee planned to attack the Union's right side, north of the Chickahominy River. He hoped General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson would arrive to help. But Jackson was late. Instead, General A.P. Hill launched several attacks. His troops, along with some from General D.H. Hill's group, repeatedly charged the Union lines.
The Union soldiers, led by General Fitz John Porter, were well-defended. They had strong positions behind Beaver Dam Creek. The Confederate attacks failed and they lost many soldiers. Porter's troops then safely moved back to Gaines Mill. However, one small Union group, Company F of the 8th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment, didn't get the retreat order and was captured.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened: Lee's Plan
The Armies Get Ready
After an earlier battle called Battle of Seven Pines in May and June 1862, General McClellan and his Union army waited near Richmond. They stayed there for almost a month. Meanwhile, General Lee, who had just taken command of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, used this time to get his army ready. He planned a counter-attack.
Lee also called for more soldiers. General Stonewall Jackson arrived on June 25. He came from the Shenandoah Valley after a successful series of battles there. Jackson brought four divisions, which are large groups of soldiers.
The Union army was spread out across the Chickahominy River, which was swollen from rain. Most of their army was south of the river. But General Porter's V Corps was north of the river, near Mechanicsville. They were set up in a strong defensive line behind Beaver Dam Creek.
Lee's Risky Strategy
General Lee decided to move most of his army north of the Chickahominy River. He wanted to attack the Union's right side. He left only two divisions to guard Richmond against the main Union force. This meant he had about 65,000 soldiers to attack 30,000 Union troops. Only 25,000 Confederates were left to protect Richmond against 60,000 Union soldiers.
This was a very risky plan! Lee knew he couldn't win by just waiting or by a long siege. He needed a quick, strong attack. Confederate cavalry, led by General J.E.B. Stuart, had scouted the area. They found that Porter's right side was weak. Stuart's scouts even burned some Union supply ships. They reported a lot about McClellan's army's strength and location to General Lee.
McClellan knew Jackson's troops had arrived nearby. But he didn't send more soldiers to help Porter's group north of the river.
How Lee Planned the Attack
Lee's plan was for Jackson to start the attack on Porter's right side early on June 26. General A.P. Hill's division was supposed to move forward when they heard Jackson's guns. They would clear out Union soldiers from Mechanicsville and then move to Beaver Dam Creek.
Other Confederate divisions, led by Generals D.H. Hill and James Longstreet, were to follow. D.H. Hill would support Jackson, and Longstreet would support A.P. Hill. Lee thought Jackson's attack on the side would force Porter to leave his strong position. This way, A.P. Hill and Longstreet wouldn't have to attack the Union's dug-in defenses directly. South of the river, two other Confederate generals, Benjamin Huger and John B. Magruder, were to make fake attacks. This was to trick the Union army into thinking the main attack was there.
The Battle Begins
Lee's detailed plan quickly went wrong. Jackson's soldiers were tired from their long march and arrived at least four hours late. By 3 p.m., General A.P. Hill got impatient. He started his attack without waiting for orders.
Hill's division moved into Mechanicsville and fought with Union soldiers. The Union troops, led by General George McCall, fell back to a strong defensive spot. This spot was on the other side of Beaver Dam Creek. Here, Union soldiers had dug in. They had about 26,000 infantrymen and 32 cannons ready.
Jackson and his troops finally arrived late in the afternoon. But he couldn't find A.P. Hill or D.H. Hill. Even though a big battle was happening nearby, Jackson told his troops to set up camp for the night.
Confederate Attacks Fail
A.P. Hill's 11,000 men, many of whom were new soldiers, launched many attacks over the next few hours. They tried to cross the creek. Union cannons and rifle fire caused huge losses for the Confederates. A.P. Hill had 24 cannons, but he didn't use them all together. Instead, he sent them out one by one, and many were quickly put out of action.
Some of Hill's men managed to cross the creek. They briefly threatened the Union position. But Union reinforcements arrived and pushed the Confederates back. General Robert E. Lee arrived and saw the attacks failing. He quickly called for Longstreet's and D.H. Hill's divisions to join the fight.
Later, another Confederate brigade attacked the Union's left side at Ellerson's Mill. Again, the Union soldiers, who were well-defended and had many cannons, were too strong. The Confederates were forced to retreat. One Confederate brigade, led by General Roswell Ripley, suffered very heavy losses. Over 600 men were killed or wounded, with one regiment losing about 65% of its soldiers. In contrast, Union losses in this area were very small.
Union Retreats
As it got dark, more Confederate divisions arrived. On the Union side, fresh troops came to replace the tired ones. There wasn't enough daylight left for the Confederates to launch a new attack.
Jackson still didn't attack. But his presence near the Union's side worried General McClellan. McClellan ordered Porter to pull his troops back after dark. They moved about five miles east, behind Boatswain's Swamp. McClellan was concerned that the growing Confederate forces on his right side threatened his supply line. This supply line was a railroad north of the Chickahominy.
McClellan decided to move his main supply base to the James River. This was a very important decision. It meant he had to give up his plan to surround Richmond. He also believed that the fake attacks by Huger and Magruder meant he was greatly outnumbered.
What Happened Next
The Battle of Beaver Dam Creek was a Union victory. The Confederates suffered many losses and didn't achieve their goals. Instead of over 60,000 men attacking, only about 15,000 Confederate soldiers actually fought. The Confederates lost 1,484 men, while the Union lost 361.
General Lee was very disappointed with Jackson's performance. But communication problems, unclear orders from Lee, and bad decisions by other Confederate generals also played a part.
Company F of the 8th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment, also known as The Hopewell Rifles, didn't get the order to retreat. They were sent ahead to fight and were captured by the Confederates. They were held as prisoners in places like Belle Isle and Castle Thunder.
Even though the Union won this battle, it was the start of a bigger problem for them. McClellan began to pull his army back and never got control of the situation again. The very next day, the Seven Days Battles continued. Lee attacked Porter again at the Battle of Gaines's Mill.
Images for kids
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Fight at Beaver Creek by Alfred R. Waud
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Seven Days Battles, June 26–27, 1862
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Union defenses at Ellerson's Mill
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Beaver Dam Creek para niños
