Sandston in Henrico County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Seven Pines
Bloody Stalemate
| | 1862 Peninsula Campaign | |
In April 1862, Union forces under Gen. George B. McClellan began a major campaign to capture Richmond, marching west from Fort Monroe up the Peninsula between the York and James Rivers toward the Confederate capital. Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's army, half their number, opposed them. Slowly but inevitably, the Federal juggernaut overcame three Southern defensive lines and was soon captured in Richmond's eastern suburbs. New commander Robert E. Lee, however, led a Confederate offensive that drove the Union army away during the Seven Days' Battles at the end of June.
Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston ordered his army to make attacks on May 31, 1862 that were designed to push the Union army away from Richmond. The heaviest action took place here along Williamsburg Road as one Confederate thrust struck an isolated wing of the Federal Fourth Corps.
Two brigades of Confederate Gen. D.H. Hill's division under Gen. Robert E. Rodes and Gen. Gabriel J. Rains charged toward you. Union Gen. Silas Casey's earthwork, defended by two of his brigades under Gen. Henry W. Wessells and Gen. Innis N. Palmer, blocked the way. Close-quarters fighting raged here, until Hill's men broke through and pushed eastward toward the Seven Pines intersection at the present-day national cemetery. Casey wrote that Hill's
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Late in the day, Johnston fell wounded north of here, and the next day Gen. Robert E. Lee took command of the army. The clash at Seven Pines was the largest battle fought in Virginia during the first 14 months of the war. More than 70,000 men fought here and the armies suffered at least 10,000 casualties.
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1862.
Location. 37° 31.347′ N, 77° 18.74′ W. Marker is in Sandston, Virginia, in Henrico County. It is on East Williamsburg Road (Route 60) west of Rodes Avenue, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 23 E Williamsburg Rd, Sandston VA 23150, 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 least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Battlefield of Seven Pines (a few steps from this marker); Site of the First Public Library in Henrico County (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battlefield of Seven Pines (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named McClellan's First Line
Other markers no longer nearby. Seven Pines (has been replaced with this marker); McClellans First Line (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Battlefield of Seven Pines (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been permanently removed).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Old CWT Marker At This Location also titled "Seven Pines".
Credits. This page was last revised on January 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 18, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,057 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 18, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
