Battle of Gaines Mill, June 27^th, 1862

Map by [HWK]Stone

Summary of Battle

Late in the evening of June 26, following the unsuccessful Confederate attack on Porter’s corps at Beaver Dam Creek, McClellan ordered Porter to withdraw from this position. This decision was prompted by reports of the arrival of Stonewall Jackson’s division to the north, ordered east from the Shenandoah by Lee, but inexplicably absent from the fighting that day. McClellan ordered the nearby Union base at White House on the York River to be held as long as possible, and then transferred south to the James.

The following day, June 27, Lee discovered that Porter had abandoned the Beaver Dam Creek position, and mistakenly assumed he had moved to Powhite Creek. Without reconnoitering to confirm Porter’s position, he ordered Jackson and D.H. Hill to swing around to the northeast of Powhite Creek and attack what he thought would be the unprotected right flank of a north-south trending line.

In fact, Porter had been ordered to fall back along the Chickahominy and occupy a position along the east bank of Boatswain’s Swamp (now called Boatswain’s Creek), a boggy little stream enclosing a strong defensive position on the north side of the river. Beginning near Old Cold Harbor, Boatswains Swamp flows southwest, then curves south and east to the south of Turkey Hill. Porter's troops were not aligned from north to south as Lee had thought, but were in an arc that curved around to face north to

guard the Chickahominy crossings.

Having given Jackson and D.H. Hill their orders, Lee accompanied A.P. Hill’s units as they approached and took the positions along Powhite Creek with little opposition. It was soon learned that the main Federal was located on the eastern rim of the next creek valley - Boatswains Swamp. Without waiting for Longstreet to come up, Lee ordered A.P. Hill to launch an attack against the Union position. At 2:30 pm, just as Longstreet's units began to arrive on his right, Hill sent his men forward.

Porters’ new position was actually stronger than the one he had occupied the previous day, and it had proven to be a formidable one. As Hill’s men attacked they were met by combined fire from 3 successive lines of Union infantry on the western slope of the position and artillery massed at the top. Hill’s attack, as well as a subsequent one by Ewell’s units on Hill’s left, were repulsed with heavy Confederate losses.

Breaking off the attacks on the Union troops facing him on the right, Lee ordered Longstreet to demonstrate on Hill’s right and rode around to the left to locate Jackson and D.H. Hill. Finding that Jackson’s troops were finally coming up, he ordered him into position between Hill on the right and Ewell on the left. Longstreet, having concluded that Porter could only be dislodged by an all out attack, recommended that he launch one. Lee concurred, and prepared to do the same all along the concave 3-mile arc of Southern units now circling Porters corps.

The final attack of the day began near sundown. Led by John Bell Hood’s Texas Brigade, the surging Confederate infantry finally broke through the Union defenses near the point of A.P. Hill’s original attack. In contrast to the headlong flight that characterized First Manassas, the Union troops fell back in good order, buoyed by the arrival of reinforcements from Sumner’s corps coming up from the south. The Confederates had captured 22 guns and taken 2000 prisoners, but the cost was high: 8,500 casualties to 6,800 for the Union. Moreover, Porter’s corps had not been crushed; most of it withdrew across the hickahominy that evening. Although the battle was a tactical victory for the South, it accomplished little of strategic value. McClellan’s right wing was drawn in, uncrushed, and the Confederate forces were still dangerously divided on either side of the Chickahominy.

The Map

The starting conditions show the Confederate forces about to attack the Union defenses along the Eastern side of Boatswain’s Creek.

Victory Conditions

The Confederate forces (red) must attack the Union forces (blue).

For the Union forces to secure victory in this battle, they must prevent the capture of their HQ tent for one hour of game-play. Conversely, the Confederate forces win if they capture and destroy the Union HQ tent before one hour of game-play elapses.