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JUNE 1862:  LEE TAKES COMMAND

As summer approached, the fighting intensified. The Confederacy was still reeling from spring setbacks as prospects in the West were dimming, but the Federal military advances were beginning to slow. Stonewall Jackson’s victories in the Shenandoah Valley brought optimism to the South, and the tide began turning when the Confederate troops defending Richmond were placed under a new commander named Robert E. Lee.

The Battle of Fair Oaks
The battle begun at Fair Oaks (or Seven Pines) on May 31 continued into June 1. With Confederate General Joseph Johnston seriously wounded, command of the army was given to Robert E. Lee, who promptly ordered an attack on Federal General George McClellan’s lines. However the attack was repulsed due to improper coordination. Lee withdrew his troops and McClellan did not pursue.

Very little was gained from this battle. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac was still within five miles of Richmond on the Peninsula between the York and James Rivers. And although McClellan possessed superior numbers, he did not follow up on his advantage. In Richmond, many were concerned about Lee’s ability to lead an army. He had failed in western Virginia in 1861, had no real success in South Carolina, and had been relegated to desk duty as an adviser to President Jefferson Davis. Davis lamented a lost opportunity to push the Federals back while Lee quickly began working on a new offensive to push McClellan off the Peninsula.

The Shenandoah and John Pope
As the month opened, Confederates under General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson continued their southward movement through the Shenandoah Valley with three Federal armies in pursuit under Generals John Fremont, James Shields and Nathaniel Banks.

On June 8, Jackson was attacked by Fremont at Cross Keys. The Confederates stood their ground and the Federals withdrew. The next day, Shields nearly had Jackson beat at Port Republic, but the timely arrival of Confederate reinforcements led to another Federal defeat.

The battles at Cross Keys and Port Republic marked the end of Jackson’s brilliant Shenandoah Valley campaign. From March 22 to June 25, Jackson’s men covered 676 miles and fought five battles, defeating three separate Federal armies. Not only did Jackson prevent reinforcements from reaching McClellan on the Peninsula, but he became a southern legend and greatly boosted Confederate morale.

President Lincoln ordered a halt to pursuing Jackson in the Shenandoah. Shields’s Federals were reassigned to Irvin McDowell’s corps at Fredericksburg, and Banks and Fremont’s men were absorbed by the new Army of Virginia under newly promoted General John Pope. Fremont resigned his commission when he learned he would be reporting to Pope. This ended Fremont’s controversial military career.

Pope had been brought from the Western Theater after capturing New Madrid, Missouri and Island Number Ten. His primary objectives were to consolidate all Federal land forces in northern Virginia and defend Washington.

Slavery Prohibited in the Territories
President Lincoln signed a bill into law that prohibited slavery in all U.S. territories. This ended a long debate regarding whether or not to allow slavery in the western territories acquired from the Mexican War in 1848. Prohibiting slavery in the territories had been a plank of the Republican Party platform in 1860, and had been one of the reasons why the southern states seceded from the Union. The bill easily passed Congress due to lack of southern opposition.

The Atlantic Coast
Federal attempts to capture Charleston Harbor, South Carolina were hindered by a disastrous defeat at Secessionville. Brigadier General H.W. Benham had disobeyed orders by sending Federals from James Island to assault the Confederates under N.G. Evans. The assault was a complete failure, and Benham was eventually relieved of his command.

Western Theater Operations
As the Federals continued their advance into the Deep South, southern planters burned large stockpiles of cotton on the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers to prevent their capture. In addition, a Federal attack on Chattanooga, Tennessee was beaten back, prompting the Confederates to strengthen the city's fortifications.

On June 17, General Braxton Bragg was given command of the Western Department of the Confederate Army, primarily stationed near Tupelo, Mississippi. Bragg replaced the ailing, disgruntled General P.G.T. Beauregard, who had begun the war as the Confederacy’s greatest hero but had since clashed with the Confederate government over military policy. Bragg inherited a desperate situation in the West.

In the Trans-Mississippi West, General Earl Van Dorn was given command of the Confederate Department of Southern Mississippi and East Louisiana. His primary objective was to defend the Mississippi River, which would prove extremely difficult in the face of superior numbers and firepower.

New Orleans, Memphis and Vicksburg
New Orleans was under a Federal occupation commanded by General Benjamin Butler. Already considered a tyrant for his oppressive policies, Butler ordered the hanging of a man for tearing down and destroying a U.S. flag. Even Butler’s supporters criticized this act, and the Confederate government denounced “Beast” Butler.

Farther north, the fall of Corinth to the Federals broke the vital Memphis & Charleston Railroad. It also rendered Mississippi River forts in the northern Confederacy useless and isolated Memphis, Tennessee. The Confederates cut off at Fort Pillow were forced to retreat, and a Federal naval flotilla proceeded down the Mississippi to attack Memphis.

At Memphis, inferior Confederate ships opposed the Federal attack on June 6. Only one Confederate gunboat escaped and the battle was over by 7:30 a.m. Crowds watching on the bluffs went home, many of them in tears. The mayor surrendered Memphis at 11:00 a.m. This gave the Federals a new base of supplies that could be used to drive further into the heart of the South. Now Vicksburg was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi.

On June 18, Captain David Farragut began assembling a Federal flotilla at Baton Rouge, Louisiana to move past the batteries at Vicksburg. Eight days later, Federal mortar boats bombarded the town, enabling Farragut’s fleet to move past. This proved that a naval fleet could pass powerful land batteries without excessive damage. The action began a grueling campaign to capture Vicksburg that would last over a year.

The Fateful Seven Days
Following the Battle of Fair Oaks, General McClellan spent most of June conducting reconnaissance missions on the Virginia Peninsula to determine the size and position of Lee’s Confederates. He also continued exasperating President Lincoln by calling for more reinforcements. While Lincoln continued urging McClellan to attack, Lee had time to strengthen his lines and prepare an attack of his own.

After renaming his force the Army of Northern Virginia, Lee dispatched Brigadier General James Ewell Brown (Jeb) Stuart and his cavalry to identify McClellan’s strength. This turned into a famous four-day ride around the entire Army of the Potomac. Stuart triumphantly returned to Lee on June 15 to report on McClellan’s disposition, and the daring ride helped boost southern morale.

Stuart’s reconnaissance informed Lee that Richmond could not withstand a siege by McClellan’s forces. Therefore Lee called for Jackson’s men in the Shenandoah to join him in an all-out attack to drive McClellan off the Peninsula. A series of clashes ensued in the last week of June that became known as the Seven Days’ Battles.

The fighting began on June 25 when McClellan’s advance at Oak Grove was checked by Confederate defenders. The next day, Lee attacked McClellan at Mechanicsville, pushing the Federals back to a fortified position at Beaver Dam Creek. Jackson’s men had yet to arrive and Lee’s attack stalled. Meanwhile McClellan moved his supply base from White House to Harrison’s Landing.

On June 27, Lee attacked again, this time at Gaines’ Mill. The attack was poorly coordinated, and Jackson was delayed in reinforcing the Confederates. The Federal line was briefly broken but the Confederates could not exploit the break. The Federals withdrew across the Chickahominy River while the Confederates suffered heavy casualties. McClellan planned a "strategic withdrawal" to the James River, which was criticized in the North as "the great skedaddle." In Richmond, it appeared that the Federal pressure was finally being relieved.

McClellan continued his withdrawal on June 28 while Lee launched ineffective attacks at various points. The Federal Navy moved up the James to link with the Army at Harrison’s Landing. McClellan sent a bitter message to Lincoln that was so disrespectful that War Department clerks deleted the first two lines before sending it to the White House: "If I save this army now, I tell you plainly that I owe no thanks to you or to any other persons in Washington. You have done your best to sacrifice this army."

On June 29, the Confederates crossed the Chickahominy and launched more attacks on McClellan’s retreating Federals. Jackson was late again, and the attacks were ineffective once more. After a sharp fight at Savage’s Station, the Federals were forced to leave their wounded behind.

A major battle erupted on the last day of June, as the Confederates attacked at White Oak Swamp, Frayser’s Farm and Glendale. The Federals halted the attack, which was improperly coordinated once more. By nightfall, McClellan had withdrawn to Malvern Hill just north of the James River. Lee had failed to divide McClellan’s forces in two and prevent his retreat to the James. However it was now clear that the Confederates were victorious and Richmond had been saved. Although most of the fighting had resulted in tactical victories for the Federals, McClellan continued withdrawing his troops as if he was defeated.

McClellan’s timid conduct during the Seven Days’ Battles convinced many in the Lincoln administration that the general should no longer command the U.S. Army. However as June ended, Lincoln made no move to relieve McClellan as the fighting continued on the Peninsula.