 The areas around Malvern Hill hosted much of Lee 's army the night after the battle . Some of the Confederates were close enough to hear the sounds made by the Army of the Potomac retreating under cover of darkness , and see the lanterns of Northerners helping their wounded . The day after the Battle of Malvern Hill , Lee and Stonewall Jackson met President Jefferson Davis at Poindexter farm . They considered immediately pursuing McClellan ; however , in view of the rain and confusion , Davis and Lee deemed large @-@ scale pursuit of McClellan 's army too risky . Jackson disagreed , saying , " They have not all got away if we go immediately after them . " Jackson even had the bodies of the dead moved so that his soldiers had a clear line of attack when pursuing McClellan . However , Davis and Lee thought it necessary to rest the army . They did not completely rule out a pursuit though ; Lee even ordered J. E. B. Stuart to reconnoiter McClellan 's position for future attacks . Lee ordered Theophilus Holmes to move to Drewry 's Bluff , and decided to keep the men on Malvern Hill through July 3 to forestall any potential Union attack against that location . 
