Description
Oil painting depicting the Union Artillery at the Battle of Malvern Hill. The Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862, was fought between the Union Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by Gen. Robert E. Lee. It was the final battle of the Peninsula campaign, an attempt by McClellan to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond and put an end to the American Civil War.
The Union position on the battlefield was a strong one, with artillery massed on the hill facing sloping open fields in three directions. Despite this, Lee felt he could take the position by using Confederate artillery to suppress the Union cannon fire, then launch massive infantry assaults to carry the position. The Southern bombardment failed, but the infantry attacks continued anyway. From the early afternoon until nearly sunset, wave after wave of charging rebel soldiers were mowed down before the Union guns.
As the the sun was setting, the attacks continued. Sgt. Frederick E. Garnett, a Union soldier of the 74th New York Infantry, later wrote this account of the Union artillery in action. “It was getting dark as we passed through the lines formed by our artillery. It was a magnificent sight to see the crescent of fire. How the brave fellows worked at their guns. With jackets off and shirt sleeves rolled up, with faces wet with perspiration and begrimed with the smoke, in the light of the sudden flash from the guns they looked as much like devils as men.”
Shortly after darkness, the battle ended. Despite the resounding tactical victory, General McClellan and the Army of the Potomac withdrew to Harrison’s Landing on the James River, ending the Seven Days Battles.
Additional information
For more on the battle, go to The American Battlefield Trust site on the battle.
Union Artillery at the Battle of Malvern Hill. Print of an original 24″ x 30″ oil on canvas painting.
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