Overview
The Battle of Oak Grove was fought near Richmond, Virginia, on June 25, 1862, during the Peninsula Campaign and the Seven Days Battles. Union General George B. McClellan had transported the Army of the Potomac to the Virginia Peninsula in March and advanced toward Richmond. After the Battle of Seven Pines (May 31–June 1), Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia. McClellan then spent nearly a month preparing for a siege, giving Lee time to reorganize his army and plan an offensive.
By late June, McClellan learned that “Stonewall” Jackson was moving to reinforce Lee after his Shenandoah Valley Campaign. On June 25, McClellan ordered three brigades under Samuel P. Heintzelman to advance west along the Williamsburg Road. McClellan wanted to capture high ground near Old Tavern on Nine Mile Road so he could move his siege artillery about one and one-half miles closer to Richmond.
The Union brigades advanced through Oak Grove, a thick forest between them and Confederate forces from Benjamin Huger’s Division. John C. Robinson and Cuvier Grover initially made progress, but swampy ground slowed Daniel E. Sickles’s brigade. Huger responded by ordering Ambrose R. Wright’s brigade to counterattack the Union center, stopping the Federal advance.
On the Union right, Sickles’s men encountered Robert Ransom’s brigade, and the fighting caused some Federal troops to retreat. After receiving reports from the front, McClellan ordered a general withdrawal. He later traveled to the battlefield and sent his soldiers forward again. Fighting continued until nightfall. The battle ended inconclusively. The following day, Lee launched the offensive that drove McClellan away from Richmond during the Seven Days Battles.
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: Battle of French’s Field, Battle of King’s School House.
- Date: June 25, 1862.
- Location: Henrico County, Virginia, near Richmond.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: George B. McClellan, Samuel P. Heintzelman.
- CSA Commanders: Robert E. Lee, Benjamin Huger.
- Who Won: The Battle of Oak Grove was inconclusive.
- Campaign:
- Era: Civil War, January–June, 1862.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 626 (68 killed, 503 wounded, 55 missing).
- Forces Engaged: 3 brigades, Army of the Potomac.
- Troop Strength: Undetermined.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: 441 (66 killed, 362 wounded, 13 missing).
- Forces Engaged: Huger’s Division, Army of Northern Virginia.
- Troop Strength: Undetermined.
Significance
The Battle of Oak Grove is important to American History because it was the first engagement of the Seven Days Battles during the Peninsula Campaign. George McClellan attempted to move his Union siege artillery closer to Richmond, Virginia, but Confederate resistance and confusion within the Union command limited the advance to about 600 yards. The battle ended inconclusively and marked the high-water mark of the Peninsula Campaign according to some historians.
History
On March 17, 1862, Union General George B. McClellan launched his Peninsula Campaign. After transporting the Army of the Potomac by ships to the Virginia peninsula between the York and James Rivers, McClellan planned to advance on Richmond and bring the American Civil War to a quick conclusion. By late May, the Federals had fought their way to the outskirts of the Confederate capital.
Battle of Seven Pines
On May 31, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston struck back at the Battle of Seven Pines. Two days of hard fighting rendered a tactical draw and high casualties on both sides. The aftermath of the engagement, however, produced two important strategic developments. First, Robert E. Lee assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia after Johnston suffered a severe wound during the fighting. Second, the high casualty rate convinced McClellan to target Richmond rather than risk costly assaults against the Confederate defenses around the capital.
Reprieve for Lee
For nearly a month, McClellan sat idly, developing plans for a siege. The unexpected reprieve presented Lee with an opportunity to organize his command and to plan an offensive designed to drive the Union army away from Richmond. Toward the end of June, McClellan developed a renewed sense of urgency when he learned that Major General Stonewall Jackson was moving to reinforce Lee after concluding his highly successful Shenandoah Valley Campaign.
Clash at Oak Grove — McClellan Orders Union Advance
On June 25, McClellan ordered three Union brigades, under the overall command of Major General Samuel P. Heintzelman, to advance west along the Williamsburg Road toward Richmond. Two of the brigades, led by Brigadier-General Daniel E. Sickles and Brigadier-General Cuvier Grover, were part of Major General Joseph Hooker’s division. The other brigade, led by Brigadier-General John C. Robinson, was from Brigadier-General Philip Kearny’s division.
Confederate Opposition
McClellan’s objective was to advance his siege artillery approximately one and one-half miles closer to the Southern capital by taking the high ground on Nine Mile Road around Old Tavern. His new plan was to “shell the city and take it by assault.” Directly in the Federals’ path was a dense forest of oak trees known locally as Oak Grove. Benjamin Huger’s Division of South Carolinians awaited the Northerners on the other side of the trees.
Federals Attack and Confederates Counterattack
Initially, Robinson and Grover made good progress on the left and in the center. Swampy ground, however, slowed Sickles’s men. As the Union advance slowed, Huger ordered a counterattack by Brigadier-General Ambrose R. Wright’s brigade against the Federal center, bringing the Union advance to a halt.
Federal Confusion
Meanwhile, Sickle’s men encountered Brigadier-General Robert Ransom’s brigade on the Union right. The ensuing skirmish sent the Federals fleeing, prompting Hooker to request more men. Heintzelman provided reinforcements, but he also forwarded Hooker’s request to McClellan, who was trying to manage the battle from a position three miles in the rear. After reading Hooker’s dispatches, McClellan ordered a general retreat, just as Sickle’s reinforced brigade began to rally. McClellan then headed off to the front, as his men sat idle for two and one-half hours awaiting orders.
Upon arriving at the front, McClellan ordered his men back into battle, over the same ground that they had conceded earlier. The fighting continued until nightfall, but the Northerners accomplished little.
Outcome
By the end of the day, the Federals had advanced only 600 yards at an estimated cost of 626 casualties (68 dead, 503 wounded, and 55 missing and captured). The Confederacy lost roughly 441 soldiers (66 killed, 362 wounded, and 13 missing and captured).
Insignificant as the Federal gains were, some historians consider the Battle of Oak Grove to be the high-water mark of the Peninsula Campaign. On the next day, Lee launched a major offensive that sent McClellan away from Richmond’s gates and nearly back to the James River by July 1.
By August, Northern authorities recalled the Army of the Potomac to the Washington, DC, area to deal with Lee’s Northern Virginia Campaign.
Timeline
- 1861, July 21 — Confederate forces won the First Battle of Bull Run.
- 1862, March 8–9 — Union and Confederate ironclads fought the inconclusive Battle of Hampton Roads.
- 1862, March 17 — General George B. McClellan launched the Peninsula Campaign with an amphibious landing near Fort Monroe.
- 1862, April 2 — McClellan arrived at Fort Monroe.
- 1862, April 5–May 4 — Union forces won the Siege of Yorktown.
- 1862, May 5 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Williamsburg.
- 1862, May 15 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff.
- 1862, May 31–June 1 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Seven Pines.
- 1862, June 25
- McClellan ordered three Union brigades to advance toward Richmond, leading to the Battle of Oak Grove.
- Confederate forces counterattacked the Union advance, and the battle ended after Union forces gained about 600 yards.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Oak Grove (1862) — The Battle of Oak Grove was fought near Richmond, Virginia, on June 25, 1862, during the Peninsula Campaign. George B. McClellan ordered three Union brigades to advance toward Richmond, Virginia, but swampy ground slowed part of the attack. Confederate forces counterattacked the Union center, while fighting on the Federal right caused confusion in the ranks. McClellan temporarily ordered a withdrawal before sending his troops forward again. The Union advanced only about 600 yards, and the battle ended inconclusively.
Alignment
The Battle of Oak Grove is part of the following AP US History sections:
