June 26th, 1862 - The Battle of Mechanicsville

Conflict: American Civil War

Combatants: Confederates vs. Federals

Location: Virginia (USA)

Outcome: Federal victory

In the first major action of the Battle of Seven Days', General Ambrose Hill's Confederates assaulted the Federal positions of General Fitz-John Porter west of Mechanicsville. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson moved too slowly to join the battle before the Confederates were thrown back and Porter withdrew to Gaine's Mill.

Rebels leaving Mechanicsville Union batteries shelling the Village by Alfred R. Waud

Points of Interest:

• Ambrose Hill would be killed during the assault on Petersburg (April 2, 1865) just one week before Lee surrendered at Appomattox.

• Fitz-John Porter was later court-marshalled for insubordination and forced out of the army (January 21, 1863).

Major General Fitz-John Porter by an unknown artist

Ambrose Powell Hill, General by an unknown artist

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Sources:

Bowman, John S. (Ed.) (1983). The Civil War Almanac. New York: World Almanac.

Catton, Bruce (1955). This Hallowed Ground. Kingsport, Tennessee: Kingsport Press, Inc.

Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).

Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.

Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

Hogue, James M. & McPherson, James M. (2009). Ordeal By Fire. New York: MaGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Long, E.B & Long, Barbara (1971). The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac 1861-1865. New York: De Capo Press, Inc.