After the conclusion of the Battle of Seven Pines (May 31-June 1,
1862), Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed his senior
military adviser as commander of the Confederate Army - General
Robert E. Lee. In his first headquarters, Lee
planned the attack that would become the Seven Days Battles. The
aggressiveness of Lee's attack and the tactics used by the
Confederates unnerved an already jittery and paranoid George B.
McClellan who, on the third of the Seven Days, ordered a retreat to
the James River.
The Dabbs House is now a historic museum and houses a Civil War research library. Tours are open to the public (12-4 pm weekdays), but the library is available by appointment only. Visit Link
In May 1862, Gen. George McClellan’s Union
army was poised on the outskirts of Richmond threatening the
Confederate capital. Here, in the Dabbs House, Robert E. Lee, as
new commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, opened his
headquarters on June 1, 1862. Four days later, he had shaped the
strategy that would free Richmond from the Army of the
Potomac.
Two notable conferences occurred here. The
first, on June 11, brought cavalryman Gen. J.E.B. Stuart to plan
with Lee the famous ride around the Union Army. That feat, which
covered 100 miles in 72 hours, electrified stagnant morale among
citizens and soldiers alike and was the first flash in Stuart’s
meteoric career.
Almost two weeks later, on June 23, Lee
assembled his top subordinates for the first time. Using
information gathered from Stuart’s ride, he unveiled his plan to
drive the Northern army away from Richmond. This event, often
called “The Dabbs House Meeting,” was the first step in the series
of battles known as the Seven Days that introduced Lee to the world
as a talented [sign text clipped].
Sidebar: Known as High Meadow prior to the
Civil War, the two-story brick structure was the home of Josiah and
Mary Dabbs when the war broke out. Upon the death of Josiah in
January 1862, Mary moved into Richmond, leaving the house
unoccupied when Lee made it his headquarters. An extension on the
west and two one-and-a-half story wings were added in the early
1900s.