Richmond Battlefield

Richmond Battlefield. Malvern Hill. The Battle of Malvern Hill was the last in the weeklong series of engagements in 1862 known as the Seven Days battles. General George B. McClellan's Union army, having been maneuvered away from its base at White House Landing east of Richmond, sought the shelter of a new position on the James River. Having reached the river, his army turned back north and on July 1 confronted the pursuing Confederates here at Malvern Hill., Less wooded in 1862, this hilltop with its steep sides provided its defenders with both protection and extensive fields of fire. From here a line of Union artillery, supported by infantrymen, repulsed a long series of assaults launched up the hill by the men of General Robert E. Lee's Confederate army. During the night McClellan's soldiers moved southeast, toward their new base at Harrison's Landing. Although it lasted less than half a day, the Battle of Malvern Hill extracted a deadly toll from its participants. More than 8,000 men fell killed and wounded here., Touring the Battlefield , A network of trails and signs is available to help you explore the battlefield. A 1 1/2-mile trail loops through some of the key sites. Several stops to the north highlight the formation of Confederate troops and place you at the beginning of their attacks. The line of Union cannon here and on the opposite side of the road help to emphasize the power of the artillery at Malvern Hill. A short trail to the western side of the hill, past the Crew House, illustrates the steepness of the terrain., Richmond Battlefields , The national battlefield park contains sites relating to three separate events of the Civil War: the Seven Days Campaign of 1862, the Overland Campaign of 1864, and the late-war fighting north of the James River.