Seven Days Battle

▲Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath Dignity of Duty: The Journals of Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath 2015 The 20th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment was sent in June 1862, to join the Army of the Potomac. They settled into a line just six miles from the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. With Union General George McClellan’s army threatening the Confederate capital, General Robert E. Lee realized the city could not withstand a siege and that he must attack. General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s three divisions were to join Lee’s planned attack. A week of sharp skirmishing preceded the Seven Days Campaign. The 20th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment was assigned to the Third Corps, which led the Union attack on June 25. This was the regiment’s first real battle, and it suffered significant casualties.