1. Advance on
Richmond, Virginia
March 1862-
September 1862

2. The Union began the
Peninsular Campaign
 Union General George B McClellan planned to
attack the Confederate capital of Richmond from
the east, across the Virginia Peninsula

3. President Lincoln wanted an
offensive that would attack from
Washington DC
 Union General McClellan thought that they had an
advantage going in from the coast, that resistance
would be weak

4. McClellan started to assemble an
army at Ft Monroe, a Union-held
fort on the peninsula

5. Confederate General Magruder
was crafty
 He quickly built up
defensive lines
 He succeeded in
fooling the Union
army into thinking he
had many more men
then the 13,000 he
actually commanded

6. Siege at Yorktown
 McClellan delayed
marching toward
Richmond
 Lincoln urged him on
through telegram
 The confederate army
was increasing
reinforcements under
Johnston

7. Battle at Fair Oaks
May 1862
 Mclellan decided to split
his army
 Confederate General
Johnston attacked with
75,000 troops
 They battled for days with
no winner
 Confederates chose a new
General: Robert E Lee

8. Robert E. Lee
 Most respected of all
Confederate generals
 On June 1 he took
command of the Army
of Northern Virginia
 Union forces were 10
miles from Richmond

9. The Seven Days’ Campaign
 Lee strengthened the city and planned to attack
 He ordered Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson bring his army
up from the south
 The two armies clashed in a small town called
Mechanicsville in the first of five battles
 Each battle saw the Union army retreat a little more

10. Union forces were pushed back
 The Union had to abandon the plan of taking Richmond,
the priority was to save the army
 Lee pursued the enemy but was unable to deliver a
decisive blow because of poor weather and exhausted
troops

11. Lee’s army saves Richmond
 In only one week he had lost a quarter of his army
 McClellan had missed his chance to take Richmond
 The Union army wouldn’t get that close again to the
capital again for another two years

12. Second Battle of Bull Run
(Manassas)
 Union forces attacked Confederate soldiers on August 29th
 Robert E Lee’s army held their ground and continued their
success
 It was a complete victory for the south

13. Lee starts his invasion of the north
 Lee felt he could take the initiative: he would
invade the north and win another decisive victory
there
 For the first time in the Civil War the south would
be the aggressive force