The first three parts of Lee’s plan for June 30th had failed and his hopes now hinged on the 19,000 men under Longstreet and Hill. As shown in the maps below McCall was astride the Long Bridge Road with three brigades. George Meade was to the right, Truman Seymour to the left and Colonel Seneca Simmons in reserve. Hooker was to the left but there was a gap between his men and McCall’s. In order to continue the retreat toward Malvern Hill Union forces would need to protect the Willis Church Road and the Glendale intersection (Riddell’s Shop).

As the Confederates approached Kemper attacked first to the right of the road near the J. Whitlock house. They drove Truman Seymour’s men back only to suddenly find that they were unsupported on either side. Lawrence O’Bryan Branch was to be on Kemper’s left but he was slow to advance over the difficult terrain and after some initial success was pushed back. Pickett’s brigade under Colonel John Strange attacked next on Branch’s right and almost made it to the Willis Church Road but the timely return of two of Sedgwick’s brigades from White Oak Swamp and the arrival of Hooker’s division secured the Union position. The disjointed attack of the three Confederate brigades was halted. The next assault was launched in the center by Colonel Micah Jenkins to try and take two Union artillery batteries there. Jenkins men focused on shooting the horses so that the guns could not be withdrawn. Wilcox’s Alabamians crossed the road from the left as did Pryor but Kearny on the Union right along with reinforcements from Slocum held. Slocum could move some of his men to help Kearny given Huger’s inactivity on the Charles City Road. Longstreet sent in his final brigade under Winfield Featherstone to no avail. Only A.P. Hill’s men remained to go in. The 1st Brigade commanded by Charles Field moved forward down the Long Bridge Road with the 47th VA and the 1st VA Battalion on the left and the 55th and 60th VA on the right. By nightfall the Confederates controlled the field but they could not get to the Willis Church Road and the Federals escaped to Malvern Hill.

The failure of Huger, Holmes and Jackson to play any meaningful role in the day’s fighting along with Magruder’s men being sent on a march to a portion of the battlefield where they were not needed left Hill and Longstreet with too few men to overrun the Union position. The opportunity to stop the Union army from reaching the James River had slipped out of Lee’s grasp.

Although a significant part of the battlefield has been preserved including the area around the J. Whitlock house it has not yet been made available to the public. The interpretation at present is largely signs along the main roads. I viewed the signs first along Long Bridge Road and turned right on Darbytown Road to its intersection with the Charles City Road. This is the Glendale intersection or Riddell’s Shop. I then turned left on the Charles City Road to the Freeman marker. I then turned around retracing my path back to the intersection and continued straight on Willis Church Road.

To the left of this Freeman marker is a path not accessible to the public that leads to the area of the J. Whitlock house upon which sits a Civil War Trails sign. The pictures of it below are from the Historical Marker Database.

The Riddell’s Shop Intersection at the Freeman Monument above.

I stopped at 37.4395537, -77.2350263 to view part of a building foundation from the Nelson Farm. The foundation appears to have been damaged recently based on previous views of it I have seen. It is located in a field at 37.4392284, -77.2330489.

I passed this sign which pertains to Malvern Hill on the way to the Glendale National Cemetery.

Next- Malvern Hill the Forces Align

Sources

Richmond Should Not Be Given Up The Seven Days’ Battles June 25- July 1, 1862 by Doug Crenshaw

To the Gates of Richmond The Peninsula Campaign by Stephen W. Sears