The New Student's Reference Work/Gaines Mill, Battle of

Gaines Mill, Battle of, one of the famous seven days' battles of McClellan's Peninsular campaign. McClellan had crossed the Chickahominy with a part of his army, leaving Gen. Fitz-John Porter with 35,000 men on the north bank. Here Porter was attacked on June 27, 1862, by the Confederate army, 55,000 strong, under Generals Lee and Stonewall Jackson. After hard fighting all day, the Federals were driven back, and the advantage rested with the Confederates, though the result was not decisive. Porter's loss was nearly 7,000 in killed, wounded and prisoners. The locality is about eight miles northeast of Richmond, Va.