46:
165:
154:
123:
142:
106:
446:
519:
583:
The Battle at Eltham's
Landing was little more than a heavy skirmish. There were 194 Union casualties and 48 Confederate. Franklin told McClellan, "I congratulate myself that we have maintained our position." Although the action was tactically inconclusive, Franklin missed an opportunity to intercept
570:
in the thick woods, so he ordered his men to advance with unloaded rifles. Encountering a Union picket line 15 paces away, Hood wrote, "A corporal of the enemy drew down his musket upon me as I stood in front of my line." Fortunately for Hood, Private John Deal of the 4th Texas
Infantry had disobeyed
574:
As a second brigade followed Hood on his left, the Union troops retreated from the woods to the plain before the landing, seeking cover from the fire of
Federal gunboats. Whiting employed artillery fire against the gunboats, but his guns had insufficient range, so he disengaged around 2 p.m. Union
509:
Franklin's men came ashore in light pontoon boats and a 400-foot (120 m) long floating wharf was then built from pontoons, canal boats, and lumber, so that artillery and supplies could be unloaded. The work was continued by torchlight through the night and the only enemy resistance was a few
587:
Johnston was pleased with the outcome. Considering the success his men enjoyed in executing the order "to feel the enemy gently and fall back," he humorously asked
General Hood, "What would your Texans have done, sir, if I had ordered them to charge and drive back the enemy?" Hood replied, "I
473:
in an attempt to land and cut off
Johnston's retreat. It took two days just to board the men and equipment onto the ships, so Franklin was of no assistance to the Williamsburg action. But McClellan had high hopes for his turning movement, planning to send other divisions (those of Brig. Gens.
687:
Salmon, p. 85; Webb, p. 82, argues that
Franklin's instructions "were to wait at Eltham until further orders. No mention was made about cutting off the enemy. To make the attempt alone would have been hazardous, and the remaining divisions could not concentrate for several
861:
817:
224:
866:
871:
487:
376:
301:
217:
809:
603:
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523:
210:
550:'s brigade in the woods on either side of the landing road, supported in the rear by portions of two more brigades (Brig. Gens.
747:
728:
506:, where a key intersection on the road to New Kent Court House was being used by Johnston's army on the afternoon of May 6.
422:
was taken by surprise and was unprepared to mount an immediate pursuit. On May 4, he ordered cavalry commander Brig. Gen.
876:
798:
779:
762:
711:
391:'s trains on the Barhamsville Road. Franklin's movement occurred while the Confederate army was withdrawing from the
362:
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45:
588:
suppose, General, they would have driven them into the river, and tried to swim out and capture the gunboats."
416:
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164:
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127:
122:
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his orders and carried a loaded rifle; he managed to shoot the Union corporal before the latter could fire.
856:
264:
291:
114:
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troops moved back into the woods after the
Confederates left, but made no further attempt to advance.
886:
412:
350:
311:
296:
78:
891:
249:
510:
random shots fired by
Confederate pickets on the bluff above the landing, ending at about 10 p.m.
469:
McClellan also ordered Brig. Gen. William B. Franklin's division to board transport ships on the
388:
244:
547:
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503:
435:
392:
384:
321:
254:
158:
535:
470:
450:
445:
274:
169:
720:
Advance and
Retreat: Personal Experiences in the United States and Confederate States Armies
495:
483:
20:
518:
8:
539:
427:
419:
372:
365:
286:
146:
439:
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on May 5, after which the
Confederates continued to move northwest in the direction of
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37:
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to protect the road to Barhamsville and Smith assigned the division of Brig. Gen.
502:. From the landing, it was about 5 miles (8.0 km) south to the small town of
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advanced, with Hampton to his right. Hood was concerned about casualties from
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567:
563:
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479:
141:
110:
105:
19:
This article is about the battle in Virginia. For the battle in Georgia, see
804:
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the Confederate retreat from Williamsburg, allowing it to pass unmolested.
408:
740:
John Bell Hood: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of a Confederate General
369:
202:
395:
line, but he was unable to interfere with the Confederate movement.
426:
to pursue Johnston's rearguard and sent approximately half of his
380:
522:
Map of Eltham's Landing Battlefield core and study areas by the
731:. First published 1880 for the Hood Orphan Memorial Fund by
50:
Battle of Brickhouse Point or Eltham's Landing, May 7, 1862
498:, a port on the York River, which was the terminus of the
862:
Battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
558:). Newton's skirmish line was pushed back as Brig. Gen.
430:
along behind Stoneman, under the command of Brig. Gen.
704:
The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War
546:, to the task. On May 7, Franklin posted Brig. Gen.
486:) by river after Franklin's. Their destination was
755:The Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield Guide
848:
772:To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign
723:. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1996.
867:Inconclusive battles of the American Civil War
872:Battles of the American Civil War in Virginia
218:
757:. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2001.
639:Eicher, p. 270; Sears, p. 85; Salmon, p. 83.
449:Peninsula Campaign, map of events up to the
790:The Peninsula: McClellan's Campaign of 1862
742:. El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie, 2013.
617:
615:
613:
611:
434:. These troops fought in the inconclusive
407:unexpectedly withdrew his forces from the
387:'s command, reacting to the threat to the
225:
211:
44:
674:
672:
706:. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.
517:
444:
608:
524:American Battlefield Protection Program
849:
669:
232:
206:
805:National Park Service battle summary
793:. Secaucus, NJ: Castle Books, 2002.
597:
13:
14:
903:
500:Richmond and York River Railroad
349:, took place on May 7, 1862, in
163:
152:
140:
128:Confederate States (Confederacy)
121:
104:
16:Battle of the American Civil War
882:1862 in the American Civil War
681:
660:
651:
642:
633:
624:
302:Garnett's & Golding's Farm
1:
694:
398:
774:. Ticknor and Fields, 1992.
666:Salmon, p. 85; Sears, p. 86.
648:Sears, p. 85; Salmon, p. 85.
578:
7:
530:Johnston ordered Maj. Gen.
10:
908:
415:the night of May 3, Union
339:Battle of Eltham's Landing
31:Battle of Eltham's Landing
18:
877:New Kent County, Virginia
513:
490:on the south bank of the
403:When Confederate General
351:New Kent County, Virginia
240:
188:
175:
133:
97:
79:New Kent County, Virginia
54:
43:
35:
30:
591:
379:and was attacked by two
801:. First published 1885.
527:
466:
436:Battle of Williamsburg
343:Battle of Barhamsville
134:Commanders and leaders
536:William H. C. Whiting
521:
451:Battle of Seven Pines
448:
189:Casualties and losses
170:William H. C. Whiting
62:May 7, 1862
484:Israel B. Richardson
341:, also known as the
21:Battle of West Point
833:37.5002°N 76.8423°W
829: /
810:CWSAC Report Update
604:CWSAC Report Update
428:Army of the Potomac
420:George B. McClellan
366:William B. Franklin
270:Hanover Court House
147:William B. Franklin
857:Peninsula campaign
786:Webb, Alexander S.
630:Salmon, pp. 80-83.
528:
467:
413:Battle of Yorktown
405:Joseph E. Johnston
359:American Civil War
355:Peninsula Campaign
281:Seven Days Battles
234:Peninsula Campaign
38:American Civil War
838:37.5002; -76.8423
769:Sears, Stephen W.
748:978-1-61121-140-5
738:Hood, Stephen M.
729:978-0-8032-7285-9
717:Hood, John Bell.
458: Confederate
353:, as part of the
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201:
200:
93:
92:
899:
887:1862 in Virginia
844:
843:
841:
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827:
826:
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753:Salmon, John S.
733:G. T. Beauregard
701:Eicher, David J.
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542:, under Colonel
540:Hampton's Legion
488:Eltham's Landing
476:Fitz John Porter
463:
457:
389:Confederate army
377:Eltham's Landing
307:Savage's Station
292:Beaver Dam Creek
260:Eltham's Landing
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892:May 1862 events
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552:Henry W. Slocum
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465:
461:
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432:Edwin V. Sumner
424:George Stoneman
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312:White Oak Swamp
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621:Salmon, p. 85.
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560:John Bell Hood
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492:Pamunkey River
460:
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383:of Brig. Gen.
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265:Drewry's Bluff
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799:0-7858-1575-9
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780:0-89919-790-6
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712:0-684-84944-5
709:
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678:Sears, p. 86.
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569:
568:friendly fire
565:
564:Texas Brigade
561:
557:
556:Philip Kearny
553:
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545:
541:
537:
533:
525:
520:
511:
507:
505:
501:
497:
493:
489:
485:
481:
480:John Sedgwick
477:
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245:Hampton Roads
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111:United States
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814:
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657:Webb, p. 82.
653:
644:
635:
626:
599:
586:
582:
573:
544:Wade Hampton
529:
508:
504:Barhamsville
494:across from
468:
409:Warwick Line
402:
393:Williamsburg
346:
342:
338:
336:
322:Malvern Hill
297:Gaines' Mill
279:
259:
255:Williamsburg
98:Belligerents
89:Inconclusive
36:Part of the
836: /
548:John Newton
532:G. W. Smith
464: Union
385:G. W. Smith
275:Seven Pines
159:G. W. Smith
851:Categories
824:76°50′32″W
821:37°30′01″N
695:References
496:West Point
471:York River
399:Background
375:landed at
363:Brig. Gen.
347:West Point
66:1862-05-07
579:Aftermath
417:Maj. Gen.
287:Oak Grove
440:Richmond
381:brigades
373:division
317:Glendale
250:Yorktown
176:Strength
74:Location
411:at the
357:of the
184:11,000
64: (
797:
778:
761:
746:
727:
710:
688:days."
514:Battle
482:, and
462:
456:
181:11,300
86:Result
592:Notes
370:Union
345:, or
115:Union
795:ISBN
776:ISBN
759:ISBN
744:ISBN
725:ISBN
708:ISBN
554:and
538:and
337:The
59:Date
562:'s
368:'s
194:194
853::
671:^
610:^
478:,
453:.
442:.
361:.
197:48
782:.
765:.
750:.
735:.
714:.
526:.
226:e
219:t
212:v
117:)
113:(
68:)
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
