Battle of Savage's Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Savage's Station |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Edwin V. Sumner | John B. Magruder | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| II Corps (Army of the Potomac) |
Units from Army of Northern Virginia | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 26,600 | 14,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1,038 | 473 | ||||||
The Battle of Savage's Station was a fight during the American Civil War. It happened on June 29, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia. This battle was the fourth of the Seven Days Battles. These battles were part of the larger Peninsula Campaign.
The main Union army, called the Army of the Potomac, was pulling back. They were moving towards the James River. Confederate General John B. Magruder chased them. He attacked the Union rearguard, the II Corps, near Savage's Station. This corps was led by General Edwin Vose Sumner. Meanwhile, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson's troops were stuck north of the Chickahominy River. The Union forces kept retreating across White Oak Swamp. They left behind supplies and over 2,500 wounded soldiers.
Why the Battle Happened
The Seven Days Battles Begin
The Seven Days Battles started on June 25, 1862. The Union army, led by General George B. McClellan, attacked first. This was a small fight called the Battle of Oak Grove. But the Union army soon lost its advantage. Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia began their own attacks.
These attacks included battles at Beaver Dam Creek on June 26. Then came Gaines' Mill on June 27. There were also smaller fights at Garnett's and Golding's Farm. These happened on June 27 and June 28. The Union army kept retreating towards the James River.
Union Army Retreats to Savage's Station
Most of General McClellan's army gathered at Savage's Station. This spot was on the Richmond and York River Railroad. They were getting ready for a tough journey through White Oak Swamp. McClellan did not give clear orders for this retreat. He had moved south of Malvern Hill after the Gaines' Mill battle. He also did not name a second-in-command.
Union soldiers were told to burn anything they could not carry. Black smoke filled the sky. The soldiers' spirits dropped, especially for the wounded. They realized they would not be moved from Savage's Station.
Confederate Plan to Attack
General Lee made a detailed plan to chase the Union army. He wanted to destroy it. Divisions led by Generals James Longstreet and A. P. Hill went back towards Richmond. Then they moved southeast to a place called Glendale. General Theophilus H. Holmes's division went further south, near Malvern Hill.
General John B. Magruder's division was ordered to move east. They followed the Williamsburg Road and the York River Railroad. Their job was to attack the Union army's rear. General Stonewall Jackson was supposed to rebuild a bridge over the Chickahominy River. Then he would head south to Savage's Station. He was meant to meet Magruder there. Together, they would hit the Union army hard during its retreat.
Union Rear Guard Forces
The Union army's rear guard at Savage's Station was made up of several groups. These included the II Corps, led by General Edwin Vose Sumner. It had two divisions. The III Corps was there too, under General Samuel P. Heintzelman. It also had two divisions. Finally, the VI Corps, with one division, was led by General William B. Franklin. General McClellan thought Sumner was not a good leader. So, he did not choose anyone to command the entire rear guard.
The Battle Unfolds
First Fights and Confusion
The armies first met at 9 a.m. on June 29. This happened on a farm about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Savage's Station. Two Georgia regiments fought two Pennsylvania regiments for about two hours. The Georgians were from General George T. Anderson's group. The Pennsylvanians were from Sumner's corps. The Georgians had 28 casualties, while the Pennsylvanians had 119.
A high-ranking Confederate officer, General Richard Griffith, was badly wounded. He was hit by a Union shell. General Magruder felt confused and worried. He thought a larger force might attack him. He asked General Lee for more soldiers. Lee sent two groups from General Benjamin Huger's division. But they had to return if they were not fighting by 2 p.m.
Jackson's Delay and Heintzelman's Departure
Meanwhile, General Jackson was not moving as Lee had planned. He was taking time to rebuild bridges over the Chickahominy River. He also got a mixed-up order from Lee's staff. This made him think he should stay north of the river. He believed he needed to guard the river crossings.
The Confederate plan was failing, but so was the Union's. General Heintzelman decided his corps was not needed at Savage's Station. He thought Sumner's and Franklin's groups were enough. So, he left to follow the main army. He did not tell his fellow generals about his decision.
Magruder's Attack and the "Land Merrimack"
Magruder had to send back Huger's two groups at 2 p.m. He was left with 14,000 men. He faced Sumner's 26,600 men. He waited until 5 p.m. before attacking. He sent forward only two and a half groups. General Joseph B. Kershaw led the left side. General Paul J. Semmes led the middle. Colonel William Barksdale led the right.
Franklin and General John Sedgwick were scouting west of Savage's Station. They saw Kershaw's group coming. At first, they thought these were Heintzelman's men. But they soon realized their mistake. This was the first time they knew Heintzelman had left. Sumner was very angry about it. He refused to speak to Heintzelman the next day. Union cannons started firing. Small groups of soldiers went forward to meet the attack.
Magruder's attack included a special weapon. It was the first armored railroad battery used in battle. It was a large 32-pounder cannon on a train car. It was protected by metal plates. Soldiers called it the "Land Merrimack." A train pushed it forward at the speed of marching soldiers. This powerful weapon outgunned the Union cannons. But Magruder had sent only a small part of his force against a much larger enemy. The outcome was clear.
Bloody Stalemate and Vermont's Charge
The first Union group to fight was from Sedgwick's division. It was led by General William Wallace Burns. His defense line was not strong enough for the two Confederate groups. Sumner managed the battle in a confusing way. He picked groups for fighting almost randomly. He sent in two of Burns's groups. Then he sent the 1st Minnesota Infantry. Finally, he sent one group from two different divisions. By the time these groups reached the front, the sides were about equal.
Magruder had been careful with his attack. But Sumner was even more so. He had 26 groups in his corps. Only 10 of them fought at Savage's Station. The fighting became a bloody standoff as night came. Strong thunderstorms also began. The "Land Merrimack" fired shells at the Union front. Some shells even reached the field hospital in the back.
The last actions of the evening were by the Vermont Brigade. This group was led by Colonel William T. H. Brooks. They tried to hold the side south of the Williamsburg Road. The Vermonters charged into the woods. They faced heavy fire and suffered many casualties. The brigade lost 439 soldiers. The 5th Vermont regiment lost almost half its men, 209 out of 428.
After the Battle
The battle ended in a draw. Both sides had about 1,500 casualties. The Union army also left behind 2,500 wounded soldiers. These soldiers were captured when their hospital was emptied. General Jackson finally crossed the river around 2:30 a.m. on June 30. But it was too late to trap the Union army.
Most of the Union army crossed White Oak Swamp Creek without trouble by noon on June 30. General Lee was unhappy with Magruder. He sent a message saying, "I regret much that you have made so little progress today in the pursuit of the enemy." He added that the chase should be very strong. Lee felt they could not lose more time, or the enemy would get away. However, the blame for this missed chance was shared. Lee's own staff made mistakes. Also, Jackson did not act as aggressively as expected. The Seven Days Battles continued with the larger Battle of Glendale and the Battle of White Oak Swamp on June 30.
Images for kids
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Plan of the Battle of Savage Station
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Savage Station, Viginia, field hospital after the battle. June 30, 1862
(Gibson, James F., photographer).
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Savage's Station para niños
