Here we see the beginning of the lull in the fighting of the second day at
Fair Oaks, which it has been asserted led to a fatal delay and the ruin of
McClellan's Peninsula Campaign. The first day's battle at Fair Oaks, May
31, 1862, was decidedly a Federal reverse which would have developed into
a rout had not Sumner, crossing his troops on the perilous Grapevine
Bridge, come up in time to rally the retreating men. Here we see some of
them within the entrenchments at Fair Oaks Station on the Richmond & York
River Railroad. The order will soon come to cease firing at the end of the
second day's fighting, the result of which was to drive the Confederates
back to Richmond. McClellan did not pursue. The heavy rainstorm on the
night of May 30th had made the movement of artillery extremely difficult,
and McClellan wanted to complete the bridges and build entrenchments
before advancing. This delay gave the Confederates time to reorganize
their forces and place them under the new commander, Robert E. Lee, who
while McClellan lay inactive effected a junction with "Stonewall" Jackson.
Then during the Seven Days' Battles Lee steadily drove McClellan from his
position, within four or five miles of Richmond, to a new position on the
James River. From this secure and advantageous water base McClellan
planned a new line of advance upon the Confederate Capital. In the smaller
picture we see the interior of the works at Fair Oaks Station, which were
named Fort Sumner in honor of the General who brought up his Second Corps
and saved the day. The camp of the Second Corps is seen beyond the
fortifications to the right.
[Illustration: FORT SUMNER, NEAR FAIR OAKS.