Page:Civil War The 42nd Infantry Division of Bedford County Virginia.djvu/12

 The seven day's battle fought just outside Richmond from June 26 to July 2 were a series of small battles fought by a certain corps of the Union Army commanded by General McClellan and certain commands or corps of the Confederate Army commanded by General Joe Johnston until he was wounded and General Lee was appointed commander of the Army of Northern Virginia.

General McClellan was within 7 miles of Richmond with 80,000 men, but the rumors were that General Lee had called everyone in to help defend the Capital and 200,000 men were there to stop McClellan. This was not true, General Lee pulled out General Longstreet's, General D. H. Hill's, and General A. P. Hill's 30,000 men, leaving only 20,000 to defend the City. General Lee ordered these troops to join forces with General Jackson's 30,000 coming from the Valley of Virginia to strike General McClellan's forces in the rear. The Chickahominy River was out of its banks and all bridges washed out keeping General Jackson from uniting with Longstreet and company to make a strike at Mechanicsville, Virginia. General A. P. Hill sent General Reynold's and General Seymour's brigades to do this on June 26 and General McClellan thought there were many thousands of men in front of him and now many thousands in his rear. He sent word to President Lincoln to send reinforcements or he would be wiped out completely, but would die with his men. The whole truth of