SEVEN PINES  

Fair Oaks, Fair Oaks Station

Peninsula Campaign (March-September 1862)

May 31-June 1 1862

PRELUDE

McClellan was appointed in place of McDowell after Bull Run. He took many months to reorganise the Army in the East so that it was not until March 1982 he felt ready to move. The Union Army had a new pride but the Administration and the Public felt that McClellan has delayed too long.

So in March McClellan moved his army by water to the tip of the Virginia Peninsula. The idea was to march on Richmond 75 miles inland with his flanks protected by the James and York Rivers .[ See map ]. In a huge operation he carried out this transfer in the short time of two weeks with no problems.

Peninsula between York and Jame's rivers.	McCellan and his staff

However then events started to go against him. President Lincoln demanded that General McDowells Corps was left to protect the capital Washington. McClellan was under the impression that General Johnston's army outnumbered him and that plus the mud because of the inclement weather slow his advance up the Peninsula.

At Yorktown McClellan stopped at the Conferedate Earthworks and prepared to siege, not knowing that initially only some 11000 troops were defending. Although more troops were available from Jphnston's main army he, Johnston, decided Yorktown was untenable and he retreated towards Richmond some 75 miles away.

McClellan followed and there was a sharp clash at Williamsburg on May 5 but Johnston continued to retreat and McClellan followed so that towards the end of May most of his army was along the north bank of the Chickahommy River a tributary of the River James with only two of his corps south of the river.

At this time Johnston was alarmed to hear that McDowell's Corps was moving South to unite with the right flank of McClellan's Army and he prepared to strike before this happened. However, McDowell the retired and Johnston called off his main assult on the Union forces north of the river and looked towards the two Union Corps south of the Chickahommey.

The Battle of Seven Pines was thus set.

THE COMMANDERS

Major General George B. McClellan [US]

General Joseph E. Johnston and Major General G.W. Smith [CS]

McClellan	J.Johnston	G.W.Smith
1826-1885	1807-1891	1821-1896

FIRST DAY

On May 30th it rained heavily and this the River Chickahomaney and the bridges across were flooded.

This isolated the two Union Corps in the South from the rest of the Union Army across the river in the north.

Confederate General Joseph Johnston ordered General Longstreet to make the main attack striking east to Seven Pines. It was to be a three pronged attack : Major General Huger on the Charles City Road : D.H.Hill on the Williamsburg Road and General Longstreet himself on the Nine Mile Road.

The timing of the attack [ set at 8.00 am ] was down to General Huger who, when in position, was to signal Hill who would commence the attack: the gunfire would be heard by Longstreet who would then throw his troops into the action.

It was a sound plan and if all went well the two Union Corps would be attacked on the left, in front and on the right.

Unfortunately all did not go to plan.

General Longstreet, in a rare moment, misunderstood his orders and marched south to Williamson Road-----thus reducing the three pronged attack to two, but in many ways more important, caused chaos on the Williamson Road where Hill was to attack on Huger's signal.

This chaos and misunderstanding delayed the start of the attack until after midday.

Johnston wounded at 7.00pm

The Confederate assaults, though not well coordinated, succeeded in driving back the IV Corps and inflicting heavy casualties. Reinforcements arrived, and both sides fed more and more troops into the action. Supported by the III Corps and Sedgwick’s division of Sumner’s II Corps (that crossed the rain-swollen river on Grapevine Bridge), the Federal position was finally stabilized. Gen. Johnston was seriously wounded during the action, and command of the Confederate army devolved temporarily to Maj. Gen. G.W. Smith.

SECOND DAY

On June 1, the Confederates renewed their assaults against the Federals who had brought up more reinforcements but made little headway. Both sides claimed victory.  Confederate brigadier Robert H. Hatton was killed.

AFTERMATH

RESULT

Inconclusive

CASUALTIES

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Battle Index

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