Mechanicsville in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Seven Days Battles

Gaines’s Mill

Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, April 17, 2022

1. Seven Days Battles Marker

New updated marker.

Inscription. Just to the east was Gaines's Mill, a multistory grist mill that burned during the Civil War. Confederates under Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill encountered light Federal resistance there early on the afternoon of 27 June 1862. Heavy fighting took place later that day at Boatswain Creek, just to the southeast. There Union Brig. Gen. Fitz John Porter's V Corps established a defensive line to protect the rest of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac as it moved toward the James River. Confederates under Gen. Robert E. Lee attacked in waves, sustaining heavy casualties. Reinforcements broke through the Union line just before sunset, and the Federals retreated across the Chickahominy River.

Erected 1932 by Conservation & Development Commission. (Marker Number PA-16.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 27, 1861.

Location. 37° 35.22′ N, 77° 18.241′ W. Marker is in Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. Marker is on Cold Harbor Road (Virginia Route 156) west of Old Millstone Drive, on the left when traveling east. Marker has been relocated and the text has

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been updated. Previous marker was located about ½ mile west of the entrance road to the Gaines' Mill Battlefield Unit of Richmond National Battlefield Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mechanicsville VA 23111, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Gaines' Mill (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Seven Days' Battles (approx. half a mile away); The Tramp of Marching Feet (approx. 0.6 miles away); Firing Blind (approx. 0.7 miles away); New Cold Harbor (approx. ¾ mile away); a different marker also named Seven Days’ Battles (approx. ¾ mile away); Confederate Breastworks (approx. 0.8 miles away); Nowhere To Go (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mechanicsville.

More about this marker. Marker text has been updated and relocated.

Also see . . .
1. Gaines’ Mill. CWSAC Battle Summaries website. (Submitted on January 3, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)

2. The Seven Days Battle. HistoryCentral.com website. (Submitted on January 3, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)

Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, April 17, 2022

2. Seven Days Battles Marker

New marker and location

Site of the Battle of Gaines’s Mill image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 24, 2007

3. Site of the Battle of Gaines’s Mill

Union Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter's V Corps was overwhelmed here on June 27, 1862 by troops of Longstreet, Jackson and A.P. Hill. The battle is considered the first major victory for Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Richmond National Battlefield Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 24, 2007

4. Richmond National Battlefield Park

Marker is located about ½ mile west of the entrance to the Gaines’ Mill Battlefield Unit of Richmond National Battlefield Park.

Previous Gaines’s Mill Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 24, 2007

5. Previous Gaines’s Mill Marker

This is the site of Gaines’s Mill, which gave its name to the Battle of June 27, 1862. Here A. P. Hill’s advance guard, following Porter, came in contact with the Union rearguard. After a short action the Unionists withdrew to a position on Boatswain Creek, closely pursued by the Confederates.

Previous marker on Cold Harbor Road image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, June 14, 2003

6. Previous marker on Cold Harbor Road

Two markers for Gaines’s Mill were at this location.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 3, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,245 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 25, 2022, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 3, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.