Gaines' Mill

Anxious to renew his assaults from the day before, Gen. Robert E. Lee sent the bulk of his army forward late on June 27, 1862, with the intention of driving the Union V Corps into the Chickahominy River. Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter’s Federals beat back successive waves of disjointed attacks from their position above Boatswain’s Creek, inflicting severe casualties. By dusk, the Confederates were more organized. With daylight fading, the reinforced Southerners assaulted Porter’s entire line and sent the Northerners fleeing toward the river. Only darkness saved the Federals from complete disaster. During the night, Porter’s men limped south across the Chickahominy and burned the bridges behind them. The battle at Gaines' Mill began a series of rearguard actions as Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan moved his army to the James River.