The Seven Days

By: Time-Life Books

This is a stirring account of the events surrounding the Union's plans to seize Richmond from Lee's Confederates during the summer of 1862. Includes the tactics and strategies of some of the top generals of the war, and covers the battles in Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, Savages Station, White Oak Swamp, and Malvern Hill.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 078354720X
• ISBN13: 9780783547206
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Time Life Medical
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 2.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 10.3" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 11 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 6 and higher

Customer Reviews

A person's eye view of the Seven Days

To me, the Seven Days battle around Richmond is an extraordinary struggle. Confederate forces bled more than their Yankee opponents; they lost more of the struggles than they won--yet, in the end, they drove the Union hordes away from the capitol of the southern cause. When you think about it, this is an amazing set of circumstances. This book is part of the Time-Life "Voices of the Civil War" series. In each volume, some part of the Civil War is visited, with most of the volume featuring photos and first person responses and reflections on the specific conflict. That includes general officers--and privates--and civilians. First, some basic facts. This was the largest army that Robert E. Lee ever led. His forces suffered 20,204 total casualties (killed, wounded, missing) as opposed to the Union losses of 15,855. Thus, Lee's forces suffered higher losses than McClellan's Army of the Potomac. Second, there were a series of nasty fights over the course of the Seven Days. Gaines' Mill, Savage Station, Glendale, Malvern Hill, among others. McClellan's army had stood at the gates of Richmond, but--after commanding general Joseph Johnston's wounding--Lee took over the Confederate forces and resolved that Richmond would not fall. He began a series of slashing attacks, many of which failed because of inexperience or errors of key generals. Stonewall Jackson faltered badly; A. P. Hill's impetuosity created problems. But, in the end, McClellan decided that he was whipped and withdrew. Thus, after a series of tactical defeats, Lee won a strategic victory. Go figure! But the heart of this book is the reflections of those who had some involvement with the continual fighting around Richmond. Rufus Hollis of Law's Brigade produces a somewhat fanciful account of the Yankees running from the field as Mechanicsville--but it surely captures the Confederate soldiers' state of mind. Or Private Levi Fritz reflecting on the struggle at Savage's Station. Or Captain Thomas Goree (of Longstreet's staff) speaking of the battle at Glendale. The first hand accounts add a great deal to our understanding of people's perceptions (whether right or wrong) of this confusing struggle, over time and space. In the end, this is a useful volume for those who might be interested in the human side of the conflict. If you want detailed analysis of the battles, this would not be a good choice for you.