To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign [Hardcover]

Stephen W. Sears (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992

An account of the largest campaign of the Civil War weaves together narrative, military analysis, and firsthand testimony from the diaries and letters of Union and Confederate soldiers to reflect on the influence of individuals on events. 25,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sears complements his 1988 biography of George McClellan with this definitive analysis of the general's principal campaign. McClellan's grand plan was to land an army at Yorktown, move up the Virginia peninsula toward Richmond, and fight a decisive battle somewhere near the Confederate capital, thereby ending the Civil War while it was still a rebellion instead of a revolution. The strategy failed in part because of McClellan's persistent exaggerations of Confederate strength, but also because under his command the Federals fought piecemeal. The Confederates were only marginally more successful at concentrating their forces, but Sears credits their leaders, especially Lee, as better able to learn from experience. Confederate victory on the Peninsula meant the Civil War would continue. The campaign's heavy casualties indicated the kind of war it would be. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This companion to Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam ( LJ 5/15/83) continues the author's narrative of the fortunes of the Army of the Potomac and its leader, General George B. McClellan. Sears's compelling Civil War chronicles rival those of the late Bruce Catton, and this work resonates with authority derived from a thorough knowledge of McClellan and his adversaries and immediacy achieved by extensive use of eyewitness accounts gleaned from the reminiscences of combatants on both sides. Lucid maps, accurate tables of command, and a comprehensive bibliography all contribute to the book's usefulness. Those reading it may also want to consult Richard Wheeler's Sword over Richmond ( LJ 4/1/86) for other eyewitness accounts and William C. Davis's The Guns of '62 ( LJ 2/15/82) for a superb photographic record of the campaign. Recommended for most libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/92.
-Lawrence E. Ellis, Broward Community Coll. Lib., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 468 pages
• Publisher: Stan Clark Military Books; First Edition edition (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899197906
• ISBN-13: 978-0899197906
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Campaign Analysis, June 22, 2004

By 

Jonathan Gianos-Steinberg (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To The Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign (Paperback)

Sears (as usual) does a great job of covering all the logistics and numbers surrounding the lengthy Peninsula campaign, and it's necessary since the campaign's principal source, George Brinton McClellan, was deluding himself throughout 1862.

Each battle is covered in very good detail and the maps are easy enough to follow. Sears does a good job covering every folly, from Johnston's mixeded up plan for Seven Pines to McClellan's disgraceful disappearance act on the Galena.

As always, plenty of primary source information from the common soldier gives a good idea what the marches and other hardships were like. And every reader will put down the book completely disgusted with George McClellan.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive modern scholarship on Peninsula battles..., July 29, 2002

By 

Thomas Moody - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To The Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign (Paperback)

The Civil War Virginia Peninsula Campaign of 1862 set the tone for the Union implementation of the war for the subsequent 2 years and Stephen Sears chronicles this series of battles magnificently in "To the Gates of Richmond". The overwhelming thrust of this book descrbes in great detail how inept a battle general George McClellan was and how his poliicies led to the ultimate withdrawal of the "Army of the Potomac" from the Richmond front. The reader gets a true feeling of frustration at McClellan right from the beginning as the campaign starts with the siege at Yorktown. The Federals far outnumber the Confederates in this initial phase, but McClellan opts to entrench his army in the face of a much weaker and somewhat exhausted "Army of Northern Virginia" just completing it's march down to the Peninsula from Manassas. Sears does a good job of documenting McClellan's lack of ability to obtain military intelligence but does a better job showing McClellan's lack of "the will to fight". And this isn't more evident than in the following battles at Williamsburg and Seven Pines/Fair Oaks...the Federals really had victory in their grasp, but because of the "defensive minded" leadership, the campaign continued on. An interesting debate on how long this faceoff at Richmond would have lasted can be had if Joe Johnston hadn't gotten wounded at Seven Pines and R.E. Lee hadn't taken over. Johnston was fairly "defensive-minded" himself and I'm sure that the campaign would not have followed the course that it ultimately did. Lee then, of course, initiated an offensive that started with Jeb Stuart's cavalry ride around the Federal entrenchments, proceeded on to the battles at Mechanicsville, Gaines Mill, Savage's Station and Glendale before ending with the blood-bath at Malvern Hill and subsequent Union withdrawal to Harrison's Landing on the James River. Sears descibes each battle with just the right amount of military tactics and "real-person" accounts from the many journal/diary entries enclosed to give the reader a real feel for the action. His discussions of Longstreet's subversion of the plan at Seven Pines, the mysterious actions of Stonewall Jackson throughout the campaign, the bloody fighting and ultimate breakthrough by the Confederates at Gaines Mill and the standoffs at Savage's Station and Glendale adroitly precede the brilliant climax of the book at the "Guns of Malvern Hill" chapter and the amazing decision (by McClellan) to retreat to Harrison's Landing following the Malvern Hill victory. Sears continues his brilliant writing as he closes the book with the entrenchment at Harrison's Landing and subsequent withdrawal (ordered by Halleck and protested by McClellan) back up the Potomac. Sears proves himself to be one of the pre-eminent Civil War historians around today with this book and he should be considered an "essential" author in any reading of the conflict...I definitely look forward to reading his other books and would recommend this book very highly.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent History of Failed Opportunities, November 30, 2002

By 

Fred M. Blum - See all my reviews

This review is from: To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign (Hardcover)

In To The Gates of Richmond : The Peninsula Campaign, Stephen W. Sears once again proves that he is the preeminent author of Civil War histories. Like his histories of the The Battle of Antietam in Landscape Turned Red or of the Battle of Chancellorsville, Sears has an enviable way of setting forth both the feel of the battles and the raw history that one needs to fully understand the battles and campaigns of the Civil War. In To The Gates of Richmond, Sears does a masterful job of describing the thought process of McClellan and Lee as well as the line soldiers on both sides. If one wants to get a true feel of what it was like to be on the Peninsula in 1862, then this is the book for you.

The theme of the book is lost opportunities for both the Union and the Confederacy. The Peninsula Campaign is probably the only time in the history of the Civil War where each side had an ability to end the conflict on terms that were advantageous. For the Union, a victory and the capture of Richmond, probably would also have resulted in the destruction of the main Southern Army. For the Confederacy, if Lee had been able to cut off and destroy the Union Army, as Lee wanted to do, the Union would have been left with no effective force to stop an advance on Washington. However, errors on both sides led to three more years of death and destruction.

For Lee it was the problem of a new command, with subordinates not of his own choosing and with many of those subordinates failing to live up to expectations. For Stonewall Jackson, the Peninsula Campaign was far from his finest hour. From failing to communicate with Lee, to not having his troops arrive on time, to not pushing forward where there was a clear advantage, Jacksons failures assisted the Union Army in escaping the traps that were being set by Lee. However, the blame is not placed solely on Jackson and his fellow Generals. Sears properly criticizes Lee for his overly complicated battle plans, especially given his unfamiliarity with the command.

Sears greatest criticisms are rightfully saved for McClellan. Like in the Battle of Antietam, McClellan great caution turned a real numerical superiority into an imaginary disadvantage. Where McClellan should have been driving forward and bringing Lee to battle, his incorrect belief that he was outnumbered two to one forced him to take the defensive and almost led to the destruction of the Army that he truly loved. The plain fact is that McClellan may have been the right General to have formed the Army of the Potomac, but as a battlefield leader he was a disaster. From his ordering retreats when they were not necessary, to his failure to establish a clear chain of command during battles, to his penchant for not being in the field when battles were taking place, and for his failures to take advantage of opportunities presented him, Sears systematically outlines the deficiencies of the General that was once known as the Young Napoleon.

This is a very good book, especially for those who are interested in the personalities of those that led the armies into battle. It is very readable and draws a fine balance between presenting the facts that one needs to be aware of as well as the personalties of the leasers and common soldiers that fought the battles.