Chickahominy Bluff

View from Chickahominy Bluff of the Mechanicsville Turnpike crossing the Chickahominy River.

from Harper's Weekly, June 21, 1862, Sketched by Mr. A.R. Waud

Richmond, as the Confederate capital, was vital to the Confederacy's war effort, both politically and industrially. General George McClellan's U.S. forces posed a direct threat to the city, making this a decisive moment for General Robert E. Lee in the struggle to defend it. This bluff, overlooking the Chickahominy River, was a key Confederate defensive position and set the stage for General Lee’s first major offensive as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. At the time, the bluff offered a clear, commanding view of the river and surrounding landscape—unlike today, where natural overgrowth and tree cover obscure much of the original sightlines. It was here that Lee began to implement his bold plan to push Union forces away from Richmond, setting the tone for the week-long series of engagements that would follow.