Also Known As
- Battle of Fort Magruder
Date and Location
- May 5, 1862
- York County, near Williamsburg, Virginia
Campaign
Principal Union Commanders
- Major General George B. McClellan
- Brigadier General George Stoneman
- Brigadier General Edwin V. “Bull” Sumner
- Brigadier General Joseph Hooker
- Brigadier General William F. “Baldy” Smith
- Brigadier General Philip Kearny
- Brigadier General Winfield Scott Hancock
Principal Confederate Commanders
- General Joseph Johnston
- Major General James Longstreet
- Major General D.H. Hill
- Brigadier General Jubal Early
- Brigadier General J.E.B. Stuart
Union Forces Engaged
- Army of the Potomac
Confederate Forces Engaged
- Army of Northern Virginia
Number of Union Soldiers Engaged
- Roughly 41,000
Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged
- Roughly 32,000
Estimated Union Casualties
- 2,239 (456 killed, 1,410 wounded, 373 captured/missing)
Estimated Confederate Casualties
- 1,703 (1570 killed and wounded, 133 missing)
Result
- Inconclusive
Significance
- The Battle of Williamsburg was the first major engagement of the Peninsula Campaign.
- Major General George B. McClellan called the Battle of Williamsburg “an accident caused by too rapid a pursuit.”
Timeline of the Peninsula Campaign
These are the main battles and events of the Peninsula Campaign in order. The battles that occurred from June 25 to July 1, 1862, are collectively known as the Seven Days Battles.
- March 8–9, 1862 — Battle of Hampton Roads
- April 5–May 4, 1862 — Siege of Yorktown
- May 5, 1862 — Battle of Williamsburg
- May 15, 1862 — Battle of Drewry’s Bluff
- May 31–June 1, 1862 — Battle of Seven Pines
- June 25, 1862 — Battle of Oak Grove
- June 26, 1862 — Battle of Beaver Dam Creek
- June 27, 1862 — Battle of Gaines’ Mill
- June 29, 1862 — Battle of Savage’s Station
- June 30, 1862 — Battle of Glendale
- July 1, 1862 — Battle of Malvern Hill