Uploaded May 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this episode, Little Wars TV and Richmond National Battlefield Park refight the Battle of Seven Pines on the 160th anniversary. Seven Pines, also known as Fair Oaks, caught the Army of the Potomac by surprise on May 31st, 1862 and nearly ended in a rout. But timely Federal reinforcements and poor coordination by the Confederate commanders instead led to a stalemate. In today's 6mm scale wargame, we'll explore those variables and see if our players can rewrite history and learn from past mistakes. Will the Confederates find a way to coordinate their converging columns, and can the Federals hold on long enough for help to arrive? Let's find out!
Today's video is the culmination of our months-long "On to Richmond" series, a real-time look at McClellan's progress from Fort Monroe to the gates of Richmond. Though no one knew it at the time, McClellan's march to Richmond was destined to stop here, at the dirt crossroads of Seven Pines. We'll use this turning point in the Peninsula Campaign as a good place to step away from the American Civil War and turn our attention to wargaming other periods of military history.
But if you enjoyed the series and want to see us return for a future look at the next chapter in the story--Lee's counter-attack, known as the Seven Days--just let us know in the comments below. We read every comment! A huge thank you to our Patreon supporters for making this road trip to Virginia possible, and of course, THANK YOU to the amazing team at Richmond National Battlefield Park. They operate many historical sites in and around Richmond (some of which you saw in this video series!), so if you're looking for a great taste of Civil War history, pay them a visit.
nps.gov/rich
To learn more about the game rules on which today's wargame was based, check out our Live Free or Die tutorial video here:
youtube.com/watch?v=Doj7Uf3qQao
In this episode, Little Wars TV and Richmond National Battlefield Park refight the Battle of Seven Pines on the 160th anniversary. Seven Pines, also known as Fair Oaks, caught the Army of the Potomac by surprise on May 31st, 1862 and nearly ended in a rout. But timely Federal reinforcements and poor coordination by the Confederate commanders instead led to a stalemate. In today's 6mm scale wargame, we'll explore those variables and see if our players can rewrite history and learn from past mistakes. Will the Confederates find a way to coordinate their converging columns, and can the Federals hold on long enough for help to arrive? Let's find out!
Today's video is the culmination of our months-long "On to Richmond" series, a real-time look at McClellan's progress from Fort Monroe to the gates of Richmond. Though no one knew it at the time, McClellan's march to Richmond was destined to stop here, at the dirt crossroads of Seven Pines. We'll use this turning point in the Peninsula Campaign as a good place to step away from the American Civil War and turn our attention to wargaming other periods of military history.
But if you enjoyed the series and want to see us return for a future look at the next chapter in the story--Lee's counter-attack, known as the Seven Days--just let us know in the comments below. We read every comment! A huge thank you to our Patreon supporters for making this road trip to Virginia possible, and of course, THANK YOU to the amazing team at Richmond National Battlefield Park. They operate many historical sites in and around Richmond (some of which you saw in this video series!), so if you're looking for a great taste of Civil War history, pay them a visit.
nps.gov/rich
To learn more about the game rules on which today's wargame was based, check out our Live Free or Die tutorial video here:
youtube.com/watch?v=Doj7Uf3qQao
