Seven Pines

Seven Pines

Richard J. LeFevre (1931 - 2000)

1991

watercolor and mixed media on paper

The Battle of Seven Pines, or the Battle of Fair Oaks as it was called by the North, was fought on May 31, and June 1, 1862. General George B. McClellan had brought his Army of the Potomac up the Virginia Peninsula engaging in battles at Yorktown and Williamsburg and was within sight of the church steeples of the Confederacy’s capital of Richmond. This painting depicts a sergeant from Pennsylvania who picked up his regiment’s colors and led them to glory. For his bravery, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. It was at the Battle of Seven Pines that General Joseph E. Johnston, Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, was seriously wounded and General Robert E. Lee was appointed by Confederate President Jefferson Davis to assume command. General Lee never released that command until the end of the war.

Bequest of the Artist