Mechanicsville in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Battle of Gaines' Mill
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 12, 2011
1. Battle of Gaines' Mill Marker
“The most terrific fire I ever witnessed, except at Gettysburg.” Col. Eppa Hunton, 8th Virginia Infantry
“It was one continued roar of cannons & musketry you could not hear yourself think. Such desperate fighting never graced the pages of history.” David Hyde, 9th Pennsylvania Reserves
In these fields and woods unfolded the largest and bloodiest battle of the Seven Days—Gaines’ Mill. On the morning of June 27, 1862, Union General Fitz John Porter deployed his entire Fifth Corps, over 27,000 in total, behind the swampy waters of Boatswain’s Creek. He ordered a hundred guns to unlimber along the length of this plateau, known locally as Turkey Hill.
Around noon Lee’s forces converged on Porter’s mile-and-a-half front. Confederate probes struck first near the Union center before expanding to the left and right. The climax of the fighting occurred around 7:00 p.m. when General Hood’s Confederates broke through the Union position along the creek and swarmed up the hillside in front of you, spearheading the largest charge Lee’s Confederate army would make during the war—almost 55,000 strong.
Erected 2011 by Richmond
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is June 27, 1767.
Location. 37° 34.48′ N, 77° 17.475′ W. Marker is in Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. It can be reached from Watt House Road (Virginia Route 718) 0.7 miles south of Cold Harbor Road ( Route 156). This marker is located in the Gaines' Mill Battlefield unit of the Richmond National Battlefield Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6283 Watt House Road, Mechanicsville VA 23111, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 12, 2011
2. Battle of Gaines' Mill Trailhead
Other markers no longer nearby. Gaines’ Mill (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); A Powerful Postion (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Watt Family Farm (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . .
1. Richmond National Battlefield Park. NPS website entry (Submitted on June 12, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
2. The Battle of Gaines' Mill. Civil War Trust (Submitted on June 13, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
3. Old Marker at this Location. This marker replaced an older one at this location titled “The Battle of Gaines' Mill” (Submitted on June 13, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 12, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,042 times since then and 69 times this year. Last updated on September 12, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 12, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
