Richmond National Battlefield Park consists of the eleven units
and the visitor center. A complete tour of the park involves an
80-mile drive as outlined on the map.
On the map the park units have been color-coded according to
the campaign in which each figured most prominently. Park units
associated with McClellan's 1862 campaign are indicated in red,
those associated with Grant's 1864 campaign in blue.
1862
Chickahominy Bluff. A part of the outer Confederate line
defending Richmond, this bluff offers a fine view of
Mechanicsville and the Chickahominy River Valley. Within sight
of the earthworks here, Gen. Robert E. Lee watched the beginning
of the Seven Days' Battles.
Beaver Dam Creek. Part of the3-mile Union front which the
Confederates unsuccessfully attacked on June 26 lies here in the
valley of Beaver Dam Creek at Ellerson's mill. Few Confederates
crossed the stream as Union artillery and infantry fire stopped
Lee's attack all along the line.
Gaines Mill (Watt House). On June 27 Confederate infantry
repeatedly assaulted the fortified Union line along Boatswain's
Creek, about one mile from the mill. By nightfall the opposing
armies had suffered more than 15,000 casualties, victims of the
heaviest fighting of the Seven Days' Battles. Near the Watt
House, a restored landmark built about 1835, Union Gen.
Fitz-John Porter had established his headquarters at a critical
point in the fighting. By walking the short trail beginning near
the house, you can visit the site where Texas and Georgia troops
broke through the line and hastened the Union withdrawal.
Glendale (Frayser's Farm). On June 30 Union troops protected the
vital crossroads near the old Frayser farm, "Glendale," while
McClellan's retreating army snaked south toward Malvern Hill.
Throughout the afternoon Confederate forces repeatedly assaulted
the position but failed to carry it. Lee's frustration at this
lost opportunity left him bitterly disappointed. The next day,
when a Confederate general commented that it appeared McClellan
would got away, Lee re
responded: "Yes, he will get away because I cannot have my
orders carried out."
Malvern Hill. Fought July 1, this was the last of the Seven
Days' Battles, after which McClellan withdrew to his base at
Harrison's Landing. The Federals, on the defensive, dug no
trenches. instead they stood at bay In parade-ground,
line-of-battle formation across the gently sloping fields, their
massed artillery and infantry fire shattering the ranks of the
attacking Confederates. The steep slopes of Malvern Hill on the
Union left and the swampy bottoms on the right forced the
southern-em to advance across open ground. According to one
Confederate officer, "it was not war-it was murder."Follow the
short walking trail to view the steep slopes that protected the
Federal left flank.
Drewry's Bluff. Union soldiers called this Confederate guardian
of the James River Fort Darling. On May, 15 five Federal
vessels, including the famous ironclad Monitor; attacked the
fort but were driven off. The unsuccessful attack prevented
Richmond from being shelled early in the war, and the presence
of the fort was a deterrent to other Union naval forays up the
James. The fort and surrounding area served as the Confederate
Naval Academy and Marine Corps Camp of Instruction during much
of the war. Exhibits along a self-guiding trail give details of
the fort's history.
Other battlefields not part of the park but important to an
understanding of McClellan's 1862 campaign are Seven Pines/Fair
Oaks (May 31-June 1), Oak Grove (June 25), Savage Station (June
29), and White Oak Swamp (June 30). State historical markers and
monuments explain the fighting at these places.
1864
Cold Harbor. Midway between two shabby crossroad taverns-Old and
New Cold Harbor-the Confederates dug In on June 1-2 to await
Grant's attack. It came on June 3, a frontal assault on a narrow
section of the line, and it cost the Federals 7,000 casualties
In 30 minutes. The well-preserved trenches along the 1.5 mile
tour road are fine examples of Civil War field fortifications.
The actions at Cold Harbor changed the course of the war in the
East from a war of maneuver to one of siege. Cold Harbor also
influenced the strategy and tactics of future wars by
demonstrating that well-selected, well-manned entrenchments,
supported by artillery, were
practically impregnable against frontal assaults. A one-mile
walking trail begins at the visitor center.
Garthright House. This restored house served as a Union field
hospital during the Battle of Cold Harbor.Afterwards, it became
a Confederate hospital. The house is an exterior exhibit only
and is not open to the public. Portions of the house date to the
early 1700s.
Fort Harrison and Vicinity. After Cold Harbor, Grant crossed the
James River and directed his main effort against Petersburg. In
a surprise attack designed to prevent Lee from shifting troops
to another sector of
operations, Union soldiers captured Fort Harrison on September
29. The gallantry of several regiments of black Union troops
that day was recognized by the awarding of Medals of Honor to 14
black soldiers. The fort was occupied and enlarged by the
Federals, thus forcing a realignment of Richmond's southern
defenses. Forts Gilmer, Gregg , Johnson and Hoke were all
Confederate defense works connected by miles of breastworks.
Union Fort Brady, constructed after September 29, was designed
to neutralize Fort Darling across the river on Drewry's Bluff
and to anchor the Federal line from Fort Harrison. Exhibits and
signs along a self-guiding trail through Fort Harrison provide
details of the battle and the fort. An overlook at Fort Brady
affords a splendid view of the James River.
Parker's Battery.This small Confederate artillery work helped
to immobilize Union Gen. Benjamin F. Butler's Army of the James
during its attack on Richmond in May. Fighting which continued
into June successfully "bottled up" Butler at Bermuda Hundred.
The battery then became part of the Howlett Line helping to
defend Richmond until the capital was abandoned in April 1865.
This site has no visitor facilities.
