The Seven Days' Battles

Dec 18

2 min read

Are you a student learning about the Civil War? Are you a teacher preparing to teach about the Civil War? This website is for both of you! It will even be helpful if you are just curious about the Civil War.

If you are a student, you can read about the Seven Days' Battles in the sections below. If you have questions as you read, you can send me a message, and I will do my best to get back to you.

If you are a teacher, you can use this website as a resource for yourself and your students, or you can purchase my printable reading passages and comprehension questions. They are available at Teachers Pay Teachers.

The Seven Days' Battles

June 25 - July 1, 1862

After the disaster at the First Battle of Bull Run, McDowell was replaced as general of the Union army by the cautious General George McClellan. Ordered by Lincoln to attack Richmond, the Confederate capital, McClellan moved his 100,000 soldiers into position but refused to attack. General Robert E. Lee, now in command of the Confederate troops, responded quickly. Realizing that his smaller number of troops (around ninety-thousand) wouldn’t last long against the Northern army, Lee didn’t wait for the Union to attack. Instead, he pummeled the invaders with wave after wave of attacks. The strategy was successful but caused enormous casualties. In just seven days of fighting, 1,734 Northern soldiers and 3,494 Southern soldiers died.

While McClellan suffered fewer casualties and won four out of the five battles over the seven days, he continually moved his troops away from Richmond in retreat. This retreat allowed Lee and the Confederates to regroup in Virginia, giving them the strength to continue the war for three more years.

Want to learn more about the Civil War? Check out the links below!