Join speaker Frances A. O’Reilly as he shares reflections on the pivotal Battle of Malvern Hill from his new book. The Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862, marked the climax of the Seven Days’ Battles around Richmond, Virginia. For the first time since the Civil War began, the full might of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan’s Union Army of the Potomac and Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia met. The world watched and wondered as this high-stakes combat played out on the doorstep of the Confederate capital. McClellan’s army emerged victorious with its superior positions and overwhelming artillery firepower. Yet, McClellan retreated from victory to establish a safe base on the James River. Lee’s army secured a default victory simply by holding the battlefield and saving Richmond from capture. Francis Augustín O’Reilly’s long-awaited Retreat from Victory: The Battle of Malvern Hill and the End of the Seven Days, July 1, 1862, is the first book-length treatment of this critical and pivotal battle.

Francis Augustín O’Reilly is an author and historian who can often be found on the Civil War battlefields of Virginia and, occasionally, on the battlefields of Europe. O’Reilly wrote the award-winning The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock (2003), which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Military history is his passion, and he has had a lifelong fascination with how soldiers conduct themselves under extreme duress. O’Reilly has been a professional battlefield guide for forty years. He has led tours and staff rides from Manassas to Appomattox and has lectured around the world on topics of war and leadership.

The Petersburg Civil War Roundtable (PCWRT) will meet the first Thursday of each month (except for the months of June, July and August) at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Annual membership is $40.00. Individuals who are already members of Pamplin Historical Park can become members of PCWRT for $20.00. Non-members can attend for $5.00 each meeting. Call (804) 861-2408 for more information.