Westover
McClellan’s New Base
Following the last of the Seven Days' Battles on July 1, 1862, at Malvern Hill, Gen. George B. McClellan's Union Army of the Potomac continued its retreat to the James River. McClellan had earlier decided to "change his base" from the Pamunkey River to the James and had chosen the Harrison's Landing (Berkeley Plantation) and Westover area as his new base. From then until final evacuation to Fort Monroe on August 16, the 90,000-man army largely remained within its defensive fortifications, further protected by Union gunboats in the river. At first, elements of Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia probed for a weak spot to attack. Finding none, they settled for keeping an eye on the Federals.
While encamped at Berkeley, Union Gen. Daniel Butterfield of V Corps and a bugler, Pvt. Oliver W. Norton, reworked the last few bars of the “lights out” call into what became known as “Taps.” On July 8, President Abraham Lincoln arrived there by steamboat for a one-day visit, conferred with McClellan, and reviewed the troops.
Westover served as the headquarters of McClellan’s protégé, Gen. Fitz John Porter. Just after midnight on August 1, 41 pieces of Confederate artillery at Coggins Point across the river fired on the gunboats and the Union encampment around the house. McClellan reported 25 casualties. It may have been at this time that the eastern flanking building at Westover - the library - was destroyed by fire. Later that day, a Union party occupied Coggins Point, which the Confederates had abandoned.
Marker can be reached from Westover Road (Virginia Route 633) 2.1 miles east of Harrison Landing Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
