Battle of Glendale
Henrico County, near Richmond, Virginia, USA
What happened
Robert E. Lee's Confederate army attacked George B. McClellan's retreating Union army; James Longstreet and A.P. Hill led the attack. Lee planned several attacks at once to cut the Union column in two at Glendale. Benjamin Huger was slowed by fallen trees and Jackson's troops were held up at White Oak Swamp, so Longstreet and Hill attacked alone. They briefly broke the Union line, but Union counterattacks closed the gap.
Why it matters
It was Lee's best chance to cut McClellan's army off from the James River, and it failed. The battle was a draw, but the Union army got through to safety.
What came next
That night the Union army took up a strong position on Malvern Hill, where the last battle of the Seven Days was fought on 1 July.
Did you know?
Huger's men spent hours cutting a new road through the woods instead of clearing the fallen trees, which became known as the 'Battle of the Axes'.
Timeline
- 29 Jun 1862Battle of Savage's Station.
- 30 Jun 1862Battle of Glendale.
- 1 Jul 1862Battle of Malvern Hill.