Battle of Glendale, The: Robert E. Lee’s Lost Opportunity

Book excerpt: By late June 1862, the Union army, under George B. McClellan, stood at the doorstep of Richmond. In a desperate hour for the Confederate capital, Robert E. Lee attacked McClellan and drove the Union army into a full retreat toward the safety of the James River. Lee recognized an opportunity to seal a decisive victory and commanded his Army of Northern Virginia to prevent the Union forces from retreating. A.P. Hill, James Longstreet and "Stonewall" Jackson were among those who engaged in the harrowing day of battle during the Seven Days" Campaign. Author Douglas Crenshaw details the dramatic Battle of Glendale in the Civil War.