Richmond National Battlefield Park Commemorates The Seven Days that Saved Richmond

Date: June 22, 2008
Contact: Mike Andrus, 804 226-1981 x. 30

Richmond National Battlefield Park will present a series of talks, tours and living history programs to commemorate the 146th anniversary of the Seven Days Battles around Richmond. The week-long series will begin on June 26 at the Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works, and will end with a tour on July 1 of the Malvern Hill battlefield. Each program will begin at 7 p.m.; all battlefield tours are expected to last one and a half hours.

In the spring of 1862 George McClellan led the Union army to the gates of Richmond. Confederate General Joseph Johnston lay convalescing in the city, suffering from wounds received at the battle of Seven Pines on May 31. President Davis turned to his military advisor, Robert E. Lee, to take command of the forces defending the beleaguered capital. On the anniversary date of these momentous events, please join us as we walk the same fields the soldiers fought on.

• June 26—The Coming of the Seven Days Battles. Park ranger Mike Gorman will explore leaders and events leading up to the 1862 battles for Richmond. Program begins at 7 p.m. at the Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works.
• June 27—Lee’s First Victory: The Battle of Gaines’ Mill Anniversary Walking Tour. Park historian Bob Krick will guide a tour of the battle that changed the course of the Seven Days. Program begins at 7 p.m. at the Gaines’ Mill battlefield in Hanover County.
• June 28 and 29—Gaines’ Mill Living History Weekend. Join park staff and living history volunteers at the encampment with rifle-firing demonstrations, drills, and walking tours throughout the weekend. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gaines’ Mill battlefield in Hanover County.
• June 30—“We Fought Them Hand to Hand”: The Battle of Glendale/Frayser’s Farm Anniversary Walking Tour. Join Supervisory Park Ranger Mike Andrus on a battlefield walking tour featuring a visit to lands recently protected by the Civil War Preservation Trust. Program begins at 7 p.m. at the Glendale National Cemetery in Henrico County.
• July 1—“A Splendid Field of Battle”: The Battle of Malvern Hill Anniversary Walking Tour. Park ranger Randy Cleaver will guide a walking tour over the last battle of the Seven Days. Program begins at 7 p.m. at the Malvern Hill battlefield in Henrico County.

All events are free. Visitors wishing to attend the evening walks should wear comfortable walking shoes (no flip-flops, please). Insect repellent is also recommended. Call 226-1981 for directions to the battlefield sites or go to the address page on the park web site for a list of street addresses.