Twilight Action

Just before darkness, Stonewall Jackson’s wing of the Confederate army joined the action as some of his infantry advanced on this side of the road toward Malvern Hill’s crest, but broken and disoriented Confederate formations blocked their progress. As time passed, parts of several of Jackson’s brigades became engaged in this area and fought until well after sunset. That evening, several prominent Union generals argued for a counterattack the next morning because they believed the Confederate army’s disorganization after its defeat at Malvern Hill made Richmond vulnerable. But General McClellan ordered a complete withdrawal from Malvern Hill to a new base at Harrison’s Landing on the James River, where the army had a safe line of supply.

Virginia · United States