Eltham's Landing VA011
1862-05-07 to 1862-05-07 · VA · Peninsula Campaign [March-July 1862] · frozen result: Inconclusive · NPS summary (as listed)
Franklin's Union division landed at Eltham's Landing and was attacked by two brigades of Smith's command, reacting to the threat to the Confederate army's trains on the Barhamsville Road. Franklin's movement occurred while the Confederate army was withdrawing from the Williamsburg line.
Dossier claims
Draft dossier, revision . Claims are extraction records with their quoted passages, not historical adjudication. JSON
information
unknownunresolved
No original reconnaissance, order or message chain was inspected to establish the commanders’ contemporary knowledge. Retrospective explanations of beliefs, surprise or missed opportunities are not independently verified information states.
logistics
supportedunresolved Webb says darkness delayed the gunboat convoy, Franklin left Yorktown on May 6, and transports returned for Sedgwick after landing his troops.
Approach sequence preceding the frozen May 7 engagement. Troops in transports, disembarked troops and troops engaged are distinct populations.
the commander of the gunboat flotilla declined to act as convoy until the following morning.webb-peninsula-selections-v1, pp.81–82 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
3be92161e849…sent the transports back for Sedgwick's division.webb-peninsula-selections-v1, p.82 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
3be92161e849…objectives
supportedunresolved Webb distinguishes an initial concept of cutting off the retreat from Franklin’s instructions on arrival to wait at Eltham for further orders.
Do not turn the earlier concept into a proven disobeyed order. The original instructions were not inspected separately.
cut off the retreat of such bodies of the enemy as might be below.webb-peninsula-selections-v1, pp.81–82 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
3be92161e849…His instructions were to wait at Eltham until further orders. No mention was made about cutting off the enemy.webb-peninsula-selections-v1, p.82 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
3be92161e849…outcome
supportedpost_outcome The frozen result remains Inconclusive.
Retain the frozen outcome and engagement interval. A tactical result, later retreat, success at a local sector and campaign contribution are different measures. No causal effect, half-win or extra independent victory is inferred.
disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads 242 total (US 194; CS 48). The live NPS table reads 234 total (US 186; CS 48;).
Preserve source versions and population boundaries. No original return was inspected to reconcile totals, categories, missing side breakdowns or reporting cutoffs. A zero display is not no losses; casualties and captured hospital populations are not opening strength. Do not add overlapping battle/component totals.
242 total (US 194; CS 48)arnold-cwsac-battles, battle VA011; column casualties_text · snapshot
952b5d08402a…responsibility
supportedunresolved NPS assigns the landing division to Franklin and the attacking brigades to Smith’s command.
Division/brigade roles are not automatic equal or sole credit, and do not resolve every subordinate’s control interval.
Franklin's Union division landed at Eltham's Landing and was attacked by two brigades of Smith's commandnps-va011-v1, Description · snapshot
74a43399fb1c…strength
unknownunresolved
No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. The frozen side-specific numerical bounds are blank; zero displays, vessel lists, combined army totals and later casualties cannot fill them.
disputedunresolved The frozen force field reads Divisions; the live NPS table reads 0 total (US 0; CS 0;).
These are source fields, not matched opening returns. Preserve vessel versus personnel units, unspecified formations and combined versus side totals. Shared NPS/CWSAC provenance supplies no independent confirmation; displayed zeros are not measured absence.
terrain
supportedunresolved NPS locates Franklin’s landing at Eltham’s and the threatened Confederate trains on the Barhamsville Road.
Locations and a transport route, not a measured terrain advantage or a verified map.
Franklin's Union division landed at Eltham's Landingnps-va011-v1, Description · snapshot
74a43399fb1c…the Confederate army's trains on the Barhamsville Road.nps-va011-v1, Description · snapshot
74a43399fb1c…Open questions
- Original orders, personnel and casualty returns, contemporary message chains, disputed totals and precise command clocks remain deferred after the bounded follow-up. No OCR-to-print or map verification is claimed.
- Keep opening, reinforced, engaged, hospital, captured and vessel populations distinct. Source fields and retrospective judgments do not establish causal contributions.
- Preserve frozen outcomes and campaign membership, including combined/component rows; no automatic commander credit or battle/campaign double counting.