At the end of June 1862 Union General George McClellan placed his Army of the Potomac along the Chickahominy River in Virginia. Most of the army was positioned north of the river, with a smaller portion about half the size, posted south of it. Confederate General Robert E. Lee would launch a series of battles that lasted seven days, giving rise to the names that still is used today:  the Seven Days’ Battles.

Lee’s strategy was to strike the smaller portion of the Union army, destroy it, and move on to the larger part. On the third day of the seven, the armies met at Gaines’ Mill in Hanover County, Virginia. In this battle Lee enjoyed a decided, and unusual, advantage in manpower, with about 57,000 troops against McClellan’s 34,000, a reversal of most of his battles.

On June 27, McClellan ordered most of his men to abandon their supply trains and retreat to a new supply base on the James River. General Fitz John Porter was ordered to hold the rearguard with his 34,000 men. For most of the day Lee’s assaults had little effect, with Porter’s Federals holding strong. However, in late afternoon, Lee launched an overwhelming attack, overrunning the Union position.

Over the six hours of fighting, the Union suffered 6,800 casualties against 8,700 for the Confederates. The Confederates also captured more than 25 artillery pieces and killed or wounded nine of Porter’s regimental commanders.

Lee’s victory at Gaines’ Mill is credited with discouraging McClellan enough that the Union’s plan to advance on Richmond was abandoned, allowing the Confederacy to hang on for nearly two more years.

Private George Dallas Sidman, Company C, 16^th Michigan Infantry

By James Gindlesperger, historical author

George Dallas Sidman was born in Rochester, New York, on November 25, 1844. As with many Civil War soldiers, little is known about his early years, although it is known that he entered the 16^th Michigan Infantry in 1862 as a 16-year-old drummer boy. In that capacity he would ultimately acquire the nickname “The Drummer Boy of the Chickahominy.”

On June 27, 1862, the 16^th Michigan Infantry was part of Brigadier General Fitz John Porter’s V Corps at Gaines’ Mill, Virginia. The Wolverines were on the left flank of the line with the rest of Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield’s 3^rd brigade, resting on Chickahominy Creek. Their position was less than desirable, with only a small corduroy road across a swampy area providing an escape route, should one be needed.

Early in the evening the Confederates advanced on the Union line in an enfilading approach. The strategy was a good one, and the Union line was quickly breached, with the 16^th Michigan among those forced back. In danger of being pushed into the swamp, the entire line was in disarray until General Butterfield himself rallied his men.

With youthful exuberance, Sidman grabbed one of the regiment’s guidons and found himself standing beside the general. Shouting over the din of battle for his friends to rally around him, he was surprised to see them respond. Following their teenage guidon bearer, the men of Company C mounted a charge that caught the attention of the remainder of the regiment. Soon the entire 16^th Michigan was rushing the rebels, forcing them back into a defensive position. Sidman’s action was credited with possibly saving the V Corps.

At some point during the charge Sidman was struck in the left hip by a minie ball, rendering him unable to walk. He lay on the ground where he fell, with the zip of the firing passing inches above him. When the action slowed, he drew himself up as best he could and smashed his musket against a stump so it would be of no use to the rebels if he was captured and tossed all his equipment into the swamp for the same reason. Then, he crawled through the swamp on his hands and knees to a place of relative safety, where he was picked up the next morning by an ambulance crew and taken to Savage Station. Two days later he was one of some 3,000 Union troops taken captive by the Confederate army.

Taken to Richmond, he was confined in Libby Prison and Castle Thunder before being moved to Belle Isle in the middle of the James River. There, his wound became gangrenous. With no medical treatment available, Sidman self-medicated by pouring capsicum, a material similar to today’s hot pepper sauce, directly into his wound. He later would claim that it saved his life.

Sidman was exchanged in late summer and placed in a hospital at Point Lookout, from where he stowed away on a steamboat bound for Washington, D.C. Reaching his destination, he hobbled on his crutches to the War Department and asked to be sent to Virginia to rejoin his regiment. Instead, he was sent to convalescent camp near Alexandria, Virginia, where he remained only until he was able to move around using a stick, instead of crutches, to aid in his walking.

Learning that the 16^th Michigan was camped nearby, he sneaked out and rejoined his comrades. However, for obvious reasons, the surgeon refused to clear him for duty, instead ordering him to return to the convalescent camp. Sidman refused the order, choosing to follow the regiment when it broke camp the next day. Falling behind with each step, it wasn’t until late that evening that he reached the regiment, now camped near Georgetown. He would follow the regiment to Antietam and participate in the fighting there.

Wounded several more times over the next several months, he eventually was unable to continue as a part of his original regiment. He would serve in the Veteran Reserve Corps until war’s end.

On April 6, 1892, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Gaines Mill, his citation reading:

Distinguished bravery in battle. Rallied his comrades to charge vastly superior force until wounded in the hip. He was a 16-year old drummer.

George Dallas Sidman died February 3, 1920 in Lakeland, Florida, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

Further Reading:

• Beyer, W.F., and Keydel, O.F., editors, Deeds of Valor, (Detroit:  Perrien-Keydel Co, 1903), 50-53.
• CMOHS, George Dallas Sidman, https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/george-d-sidman, Accessed March 27, 2025.

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About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor, inspiring America to live the values the Medal represents, and supporting Recipients of the Medal as they connect with communities across America.

Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. There are fewer than 70 living Recipients.

The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education and preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, Medal of Honor Outreach Programs, the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and the Medal of Honor Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. The Society’s programs and operations are funded by donations.

As part of Public Law 106-83, the Medal of the Honor Memorial Act, the Medal of Honor Museum, which is co-located with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s headquarters on board the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was designated as one of three national Medal of Honor sites.

Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s initiatives at cmohs.org