On March 8–9, 1862, the Union and Confederate navies fought the Battle of Hampton Roads, best known for the clash between the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia. The encounter shaped the early campaign by affecting how safely Union transports and naval support could operate near the Peninsula.
On March 17, 1862, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan began transporting the Army of the Potomac and its supplies by water to Fort Monroe at the tip of the Virginia Peninsula. The plan aimed to reach Richmond by moving between the York and James rivers, turning Confederate defenses rather than attacking directly from northern Virginia.
On April 4–5, 1862, McClellan’s army began moving up the Peninsula but quickly ran into Confederate fortifications near Yorktown along the Warwick Line. Rather than risk a costly assault, McClellan halted to prepare siege operations, slowing the push toward Richmond.
From April 5 to May 4, 1862, the Army of the Potomac conducted a siege of Yorktown while Confederates held their line and then prepared to withdraw. The month-long pause cost time and momentum, giving Richmond’s defenders more opportunity to concentrate forces.
On May 5, 1862, Union forces attacked the Confederate rearguard near Williamsburg as Confederate troops pulled back from Yorktown. The fighting was inconclusive, but it functioned as a delaying action that helped the Confederates continue their withdrawal toward Richmond.
On May 31–June 1, 1862, Confederate forces attacked near Seven Pines (also called Fair Oaks), producing an indecisive battle. Confederate commander Joseph E. Johnston was seriously wounded, and the leadership change soon helped set the stage for a more aggressive Confederate response.
On June 25, 1862, McClellan launched an attack at Oak Grove to improve his position near Richmond and bring siege guns closer. The action was inconclusive, and it was soon overtaken by a larger Confederate counteroffensive that shifted the initiative away from the Union.
On June 26, 1862, Gen. Robert E. Lee began a major offensive against Union positions north of the Chickahominy River at Beaver Dam Creek (Mechanicsville). The Union repulsed the attacks, but the battle marked the start of near-continuous fighting aimed at pushing McClellan away from Richmond.
On June 27, 1862, Lee concentrated forces against the Union V Corps at Gaines’ Mill and won a clear tactical victory. The defeat convinced McClellan to abandon his approach to Richmond and begin a risky “change of base,” moving his supply line toward the James River.
On June 29, 1862, Confederates attacked the Union rearguard near Savage’s Station as the Army of the Potomac retreated toward the James River. The battle was inconclusive, but it pressured the withdrawing army and showed how vulnerable the long Union supply trains were during the move.
On June 30, 1862, heavy fighting at Glendale (Frayser’s Farm) and at White Oak Swamp targeted the Union columns as they funneled toward the James River. The Confederates failed to close the key roads, and the Union army escaped to form a final defensive line at Malvern Hill.
On July 1, 1862, the Union army held strong ground at Malvern Hill and repelled repeated Confederate assaults. Although the Union won the battle, McClellan continued withdrawing afterward, and the opportunity to capture Richmond by this route effectively ended.
On July 2, 1862, McClellan’s army completed its retreat to Harrison’s Landing on the James River, using Union gunboats and the river as protection. This secure position marked the practical outcome of the Peninsula Campaign: Richmond remained in Confederate hands, and the Union offensive shifted away from the Peninsula.
Peninsula Campaign (March–July 1862)