"Attended" the American Civil War Museum's 2021 virtual symposium today. Gary Gallagher did a presentation on the importance of the 7 Days. He said that this series of battles was more important in total impact on the war "than Vicksburg and Gettysburg combined." Said Vicksburg was largely symbolic as the Mississippi hadn't been a Confederate river for some time. I think his point was that the war ends if the Union takes Richmond, but Johnston's wounding results in Lee, and Lee results in Oak Grove, Mechanicsville, etc. Curious about anyone's thoughts? I'm not one to say July 1-4, 1863 was THE week in the War, but I certainly had not thought of June 25 - July 1,1862, being THE week in the way Gallagher presented it today.
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@Mark Blanchard So glad you wrote aboot this! Is Gallagher's lecture available to watch? I'm really intrigued by all this!
I have Kearny's letters, Burton's Extraordinary Circumstances and Crenshaw's Glendale to read shortly and will have a lot to say on this subject after that. Sears has very little sympathy for McClellan's decisions in the Peninsula.
July 8 /62
This is a letter by Francis Barlow to his brother, Edward, after the Peninsular Campaign.
The Link to the original letter & page: https://www.masshist.org/database/2203?ft=Massachusetts%20in%20the%20Civil%20War,%201861-1862&from=/features/massachusetts-in-the-civil-war-1861-1862/peninsula-campaign
A link to the MA Historical Society regarding this letter:
https://www.masshist.org/features/massachusetts-in-the-civil-war-1861-1862/peninsula-campaign
(Please be aware that this is transcribed from the original letter so the text below is broken up in lines that are peculiar to the eye)
My dear Edward
Your letter of July 2nd with enclosures reached me day before yesterday & is the last letter I have recd from home. I have already written several letters & in the last one gave quite a long account of the late proceed- ings.
We are lying here still & the weather is the hottest I have ever known. One can do nothing else but be perfectly still in bed & hardly can survive that. I see considerably of Ezra Ripley. He is very much disgusted with his Regt. & the service in gerenal & last night resigned. I do not be- lieve they will accept his resig- nation & it will hurt his reputa-
tion to resign at this time. Be as-
sured that I am eagerly watching
my opportunity to get out of it
but it is not just now the time
to do it. I have recommended
Miles to be Lt. Col. & if he's
appointed & there is no imme-
diate protest of an action
I may possibly be able to get
a furlough. I have only 149
men in the Regt. who are
fit for duty. 58 sick &
32 drummers, non com-
battants &c. I have 11
Officers here of whom 4 are
sick. If I can't resign
I should like to get a
postition as Inspector Gener-al or something of that
kind. I am thoroughly disgusted
with our Generals & think we had
better give up the struggle at
once unless we can have a
radical change. You have no
idea of the imbecillity of management
both in action & out of it. McClellan
issues flaming addresses though every-
one in the army knows he
was outwitted & has lost
confidence in him. His
statements that he lost no ma-
terials of war or ammunition
are simply false. I believe that
this Army properly handled
could march into Richmond
even now, but with our
present Generals never. We
are surprised to learn from
the New York papers that we
gained a great victory. We
thought here that we had made
a disastrous retreat leaving
all our dead & wounded & many
prisoners & material & munitions
of war in the hands of the
enemy - though it is true that
the men by hard fighting
often temporarily repulsed
the enemy - all this is
strictly private.
Did I tell you that in the midst of the hottest shelling I saw
Willie Storer who is in Genl Palmer's
staff. It was he who afterwards
brought me the order to go in to the
fight of Tuesday Evening.
You do not tell me whether R-
has got Tobins place. Has he?
I am very sorry you find it so
dull, but if you were here
you would heartily wish
yourself back in New York
though I know my dear brother,
how hard a life you have. Why don't
you go up & see the Townsends & write
to Mrs. Meagher after asking if she has
had any late news from the Army
& perhaps they will then repeat
their invitation. Erza Ripley
has just been in & is going to get a
sick leave instead of resigning.
No packages have yet come by Ex- press from the Fort but I expect them up in a day or two. There is a breeze today & it is cooler. I am going down to the River to see if I can find Arabella whom I expect on one of the Sanitary Boats. When it gets a little
Cooler I shall ride round & see what of my friends were killed & wounded.
Your affectionate brother
(I got a little carried away tonight researching a bit here & there about the campaign)
An 1864 newspaper cartoon of McClellan on the USS Galena, labelled "The Gunboat Candidate". McClellan was harshly criticized during his 1864 presidential campaign for his placement during the Battle of Malvern Hill.*
The dialogue box reads: "Fight on my brave Soldiers and push the enemy to the wall, from this spanker boom your beloved General looks down upon you." *
*Wikipedia Page on The Battle of Malvern Hill (Source for image & dialogue box words)
I have read and enjoyed many of Gallagher”s work but I am not sure I buy this theory. Man6 of the engagements over the seven days were draws or Union victories, but McClellan was already beaten. Lee can only take the war north