Battle of Glendale

At the Battle of Glendale, Confederate Gen. Benjamin Huger’s division was intended to spearhead the Confederate assault by advancing toward the Glendale Crossroads, also called Charles City Crossroads by some Federals, but Union Gen. Henry Slocum’s division cut down trees to block the road and stopped the advance. Instead of sending troops to dislodge the Federals, Huger’s men tried to clear the road while Huger brought up artillery and engaged in a duel, leaving Lee’s lead division out of the fight and costing the planned assault 9,000 men. At the same time, Confederate Gens. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and D.H. Hill failed to cross White Oak Swamp and, aside from exchanging artillery fire, their men remained idle. Farther south on the River Road, Gen. Theophilus Holmes became bogged down, and Lee sent his reserve division under Gen. John Magruder to assist him, which gained nothing and also removed Magruder’s men from support of the attack on the Glendale Crossroads. As a result, Lee’s planned 72,000-man attack was reduced without his knowledge to only 19,000 men under Gens. James Longstreet and A.P. Hill, while Federal troops facing the inactive Huger and Jackson were free to reinforce those opposing Longstreet and A.P. Hill.

Sandston, Virginia · United States