26 June, 1862: Thursday (Battle of Mechanicsville)

Government - Union
A primary command change is announced in Washington. Major GEneral John Pope is formally assigned command of the newly created Army of Virginia, which included the old Mountain Department, the Department of the Rappahannock, and the Department of the Shenandoah. The main task of the new command was to protect Washington and, more importantly, to consolidate all land forces in Virginia, not including the army of the Potomac, so that they could move overland to aid McClellan and take the pressure off his army near Richmond. At the same time Lincoln continued to tell McClellan that he was sending him all the men possible.

Military - Confederacy
Virginia
The Seven Days continue.

Three Confederate divisions are ready to strike at McClellan's east of Richmond. Stonewall Jackson's force was not yet up, but Lee's plan was clear. A. P. Hill was to cross the Chickahominy at Meadow Bridge, push the Union troops out of Mechanicsville, and clear the way for D. H. Hill and Longstreet.

Jackson was to come in on the left and all were to sweep backward Fitz John Porter's large Union corps. The rest of the Union army was out of reach, on the southwest side of the Chickahominy.

But where was Jackson and his men?

At 3 pm A. P. Hill attacked without him. The Confederates pushed through Mechanicsville as planned and Porter fell back to Beeaver Dam Creek and Ellerson's Mill to a strong, prepared position.Hill did not stop, but threw his men forward in frontal assault. The charge was a failure.

Jackson did not get into things, the first of several delays charged to Jackson during the Seven Days.

The cost for the Confederates was 1484, to 361 for the Union, with effective forces engaged of 14,000 Confederates and over 15,000 Union.

During the night, Porter, threatened by the bulk of the Confederate army, withdrew to another prepared position near Gaines' Mill, behind Boatswain Swamp.

Military - Union
His base at White House on the Pamunkey severely threatened by the Confederates, General McClellan ordered his supplies sent to the James River, where a new base would be set up at Harrison's Landing.

Mississippi
On the Mississippi, the mortar boats bombarded the Confederate gun positions at Vicksburg from the south, preparing the way for Farragutt's fleet to pass to the north and hook up with the gunboats above Vicksburg.



Bibliography
The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac 1861-1865. E.B. Long with Barbara Long, De Capo, 1971