Victor Vignola presents, “The Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks) VA; The Turning Points of the Civil War”
Surprisingly little has been written about the important Battle of Fair Oaks (and the simultaneous Seven Pines). The bloody two day affair (May 31-June 1, 1862), fought on the doorstep of the Confederate capital, was the first major battle in the Eastern Theater since Bull Run/Manassas the previous summer.
It left more than 11,000 casualties in its wake and the primary Southern army without its commander. The possession of Richmond hung in the balance. Victor Vignola’s Contrasts in Command, which is centered around the Fair Oaks fighting, rectifies this gap in the literature.
Major General George B. McClellan marched his Army of the Potomac up the Virginia Peninsula during the spring weeks of 1862 before committing a near-fatal error by placing his inexperienced IV Corps at the tip of the spear south of the flood-prone Chickahominy River. Opposing McClellan at the head of the Virgina army was General Joseph E. Johnston, who had fallen back without offering much opposition.
When the opportunity to strike beckoned, Johnston crafted an overly complex attack plan to crush the exposed IV Corps. A series of bungled Confederate marches, piecemeal assaults, and a lack of assertive leadership doomed the Southern plan. One of the wounded late in the day of May 31 was General Johnston, whose injury led to the appointment of General Robert E. Lee to take his place – a decision that changed the course of the entire Civil War.
Sandwiched between Shiloh and the Seven Days’ Battles, the combat at Fair Oaks, and Seven Pines, has been mostly overlooked or forgotten. Although tactically inconclusive, the ramifications were far reaching in ways no one could have foreseen. And like Shiloh, the battle provided a clear warning that the war would be long and bloody.
Biography – Victor Vignola
Historian Victor Vignola, a lifelong student of the Civil War, has written articles for publication in North and South Magazine and other forums. He delivers historical programs, conducts tours, and regularly visits various Civil War sites. He is the author of “Contrasts in Command”, which is centered around the Fair Oaks fighting.
Vic graduated from SUNY-New Paltz with a degree in economics and business. His career included executive level labor and inter-agency relations for the Office of Mental Health in New York State. He lives with his family in Orange County, New York, home of the 124 th New York “Orange Blossoms” Regiment, which served as part of the III and V Corps from September 1862-April 1865. They fought at Gettysburg on July 2 nd at Devil’s Den as part of Ward’s Brigade.