Overview
The Battle of Savage’s Station took place on June 29, 1862, during the Peninsula Campaign and was the fourth engagement of the Seven Days Battles. Following the Confederate victory at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill on June 27, Union General George B. McClellan suspended his offensive against Richmond, Virginia, and ordered the Army of the Potomac to withdraw south toward Union gunboats on the James River.
Robert E. Lee tried to destroy McClellan’s army during its withdrawal. He ordered James Longstreet, A.P. Hill, and Theophilus H. Holmes southeast toward the Union left flank. “Stonewall” Jackson was supposed to cross the Chickahominy River and attack from the north, while John B. Magruder advanced along the Richmond and York River Railroad against McClellan’s rearguard.
McClellan left three corps near Savage’s Station to protect the withdrawal but failed to appoint an overall rearguard commander. Magruder encountered Edwin Sumner’s forces at Orchard Station at 9 a.m. on June 29. Although Sumner had roughly 26,000 men compared to Magruder’s 14,000, Magruder expected support from Jackson and Benjamin Huger. Jackson remained north of the Chickahominy River after misunderstanding his orders, while Huger was not positioned where Magruder expected him.
Magruder delayed his attack until 5:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Union command problems reduced Sumner’s strength when Samuel P. Heintzelman moved his troops south without informing Sumner or William Franklin. When Magruder attacked, Sumner committed only ten of his twenty-six regiments.
Fighting continued for several hours until darkness and violent thunderstorms ended the battle around 9:00 p.m. Magruder failed to drive Sumner from his position. McClellan later ordered Sumner to evacuate Savage’s Station, leaving approximately 2,500 wounded soldiers and their doctors behind. By noon the next day, most of the Army of the Potomac had crossed White Oak Swamp and escaped Lee’s attempt to trap it.
Essential Facts
- Date: June 29, 1862.
- Location: Henrico County, Virginia.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: Edwin Sumner.
- CSA Commanders: John Magruder.
- Who Won: The Battle of Savage’s Station was inconclusive.
- Campaign:
- Era: Civil War, January–June, 1862.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 1,038 killed, wounded, captured, or missing.
- Forces Engaged: 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 26,000.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: 473 killed, wounded, captured, or missing.
- Forces Engaged: Army of Northern Virginia.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 14,000.
Significance
The Battle of Savage’s Station is important to American History because it was the fourth engagement of the Seven Days Battles and part of Robert E. Lee’s attempt to destroy the Army of the Potomac as it withdrew from Richmond, Virginia. Confederate command problems prevented John Magruder from receiving the support he expected, while confusion also weakened the Union rearguard. Although Confederate forces inflicted heavy casualties, they failed to stop Edwin Sumner. Most of McClellan’s army escaped across White Oak Swamp, but Union forces abandoned roughly 2,500 wounded soldiers and their doctors at Savage’s Station.
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 invest Richmond rather than to 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.
Battle of Oak Grove
On June 25, at the Battle of Oak Grove, Confederate forces repulsed McClellan’s attempt to advance his siege artillery approximately one and one-half miles closer to the capital so he could “shell the city and take it by assault.”
Battle of Beaver Dam Creek
On the next day, Lee seized the initiative and attacked the right flank of McClellan’s forces, which Brigadier General Fitz John Porter commanded north of the Chickahominy River. Events did not unfold as Lee had planned, however, and the Northerners rebuffed the Confederates at the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek. Despite the federal victory, McClellan ordered Porter to abandon his entrenchments and to fall back during the night.
Battle of Gaines’ Mill
On June 27, Lee renewed his attack on Porter’s corps at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill. The Federal line broke under pressure from the largest single assault of the Civil War, but Porter got much of his command across the Chickahominy River under cover of darkness. The Confederate victory caused McClellan to lose his nerve and to suspend his offensive against Richmond. Although he refused to refer to his subsequent movements as a retreat, McClellan ordered the four corps he had poised at the doors of the Confederate capital to withdraw south toward the safety of Union gunboats on the James River.
Lee’s Plan
Sensing an opportunity to destroy McClellan’s entire army, Lee devised an elaborate plan of pursuit.
- Lee sent the divisions of James Longstreet, A. P. Hill, and Theophilus H. Holmes southeast, positioning themselves to strike McClellan’s left flank.
- Lee ordered Stonewall Jackson, who was commanding his own division, and the divisions of D. H. Hill and Brigadier General William H. C. Whiting, to repair a bridge over the Chickahominy River and then descend upon McClellan’s troops from the north.
- Finally, Lee ordered Brigadier General John B. Magruder to advance his division along the Richmond and York River Railroad and to attack McClellan’s rearguard.
McClellan’s Rearguard
As the Army of the Potomac retraced its steps, McClellan left behind a rearguard comprising three corps (Brigadier General Edwin V. Sumner’s 2nd Corps, Brigadier General Samuel P. Heintzelman’s 3rd Corps, and Brigadier General William B. Franklin’s 6th Corps) near Savage’s Station. Oddly, though, McClellan did not appoint an overall commander for his rearguard operations.
Savage’s Station
Savage’s Station was a stop on the Richmond and York River Railroad that served as a depot on McClellan’s supply lines. It was also the site of a Union field hospital, where doctors were caring for roughly 2,500 soldiers wounded during the Battle of Gaines’ Mill. As Magruder’s division moved east along the tracks, the Federals were busy preparing to evacuate by destroying any items that might be of use to the Confederates.
Action at Orchard Station
Magruder first engaged Sumner at Orchard Station, two miles west of Savage’s Station, at 9 a.m., on June 29. Sumner’s men outnumbered the Confederates 26,000 to 14,000, but Magruder expected support from Jackson on his left and Benjamin Huger’s division on his right. Jackson, however, had misinterpreted his orders and remained north of the Chickahominy River, and Huger was not on Magruder’s right, where the latter expected him to be.
Fearing that the Federals might attack his undermanned force, Magruder requested reinforcements. General Lee responded by loaning him two brigades from Huger’s division, with the provision that Magruder would return the men if the Federals did not attack by 2 p.m. When the appointed hour came and passed, Magruder had to return the reinforcements. Faced with the undesirable predicament of advancing against a much larger force, Magruder held off attacking until 5 p.m.
Tentative Confederate Attack
By the time Magruder attacked, he may have been under the influence of morphine administered to treat a bout of acute indigestion. Possibly suffering from clouded judgment, Magruder issued ambiguous and tentative orders. As a result, less than one-half of his force took part in the ensuing battle.
Confusion on the Union Side
Luckily for Magruder, there was plenty of confusion to go around on the Union side. With no overall commander in charge of the federal rear guard, Heintzelman decided that two divisions were enough to hold off Magruder and unilaterally marched his men south to join the main army, without informing Sumner or Franklin. After learning of Heintzelman’s departure, Sumner’s directives proved even more cautious than Magruder’s. When Magruder finally attacked, Sumner deployed only ten of his twenty-six regiments during the engagement.
Inconclusive Results
After several hours of combat, darkness and the onset of violent thunderstorms brought an end to the action at approximately 9 p.m. Although the fighting was vicious at times, the results were inconclusive. The Confederates suffered roughly 450 casualties compared to nearly 900 for the Federals, but Magruder could not dislodge Sumner.
Outcome
Magruder’s dalliance displeased Lee. A dispatch from Lee to Magruder that evening stated, “GENERAL, I regret much that you have made so little progress to-day in pursuit of the enemy. In order to reap the fruits of our victory the pursuit should be most vigorous. I must urge you, then, again to press on his rear rapidly and steadily. We must lose no time, or he will escape us entirely.”
Despite Lee’s prodding, escape is exactly what Sumner did. With Jackson’s arrival still expected during the night, McClellan ordered Sumner to evacuate Savage’s Station, leaving behind the 2,500 soldiers and doctors in the Union field hospital. By noon the next day, most of McClellan’s army had crossed the White Oak Swamp and escaped Lee’s clutches.
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 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Oak Grove.
- 1862, June 26 — Union forces won the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek.
- 1862, June 27 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Gaines’ Mill.
- 1862, June 29
- John Magruder encountered Edwin Sumner’s forces at Orchard Station at 9:00 a.m.
- Magruder attacked the Union rearguard at about 5:00 p.m.
- Darkness and violent thunderstorms ended the fighting at approximately 9:00.
- 1862, June 30 — Most of McClellan’s army crossed White Oak Swamp after evacuating Savage’s Station.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Savage’s Station (1862) — The Battle of Savage’s Station was fought on June 29, 1862, during the Peninsula Campaign and Seven Days Battles. John Magruder attacked Edwin Sumner’s Union rearguard as the Army of the Potomac withdrew from Richmond. Confederate reinforcements failed to arrive as expected, while confusion also disrupted Union operations. After several hours of fighting, darkness and thunderstorms ended the battle. Magruder failed to stop Sumner, allowing most of McClellan’s army to escape.
Alignment
The Battle of Savage’s Station is part of the following AP US History sections:
