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attack
Keyes on the 31st at
Seven Pines, and crush his corps before it could be reinforced from the north of the
Chickahominy or to any extent by
Heintzelman from Bottom's bridge.
To understand his plan of attack, it will be necessary to explain the situation more minutely.
Seven Pines and
Fair Oaks are about a mile apart, and distant from
Richmond about 7 1/2 and 7 miles.
Fair Oaks is on the railroad, and
Seven Pines on the
Williamsburg road.
Two roads which figure in this account, and the railroad, run east from
Richmond practically parallel for 5 miles, theNine-mile road to the north, below it the railroad, and further south the
Williamsburg road.
At
Old Tavern, 5 miles from
Richmond, theNine-mile road turns southeast, crosses the railroad at
Fair Oaks, and joins the
Williamsburg road at
Seven Pines.
About 2 miles from
Richmond, on the
Williamsburg road, the
Charles City road turns off to the southeast.
White Oak swamp lies between
Seven Pines and the
Charles City road.
To strike the corps at
Seven Pines, the direct road would be the
Williamsburg road, with the
Charles City road running to the
Federal left To strike him at
Fair Oaks, the direct road would be the railroad, with theNine-mile road coming to the same point (
Fair Oaks) from
Old Tavern, and affording good points from which to turn the
Federal right.
Johnston's plan of attack was admirably considered.
D. H. Hill's division was to attack at Seven Pines by the Williamsburg road; Brig.-Gen. Benjamin Huger's division was to attack the left flank by the Charles City road; Longstreet's division was to attack at Fair Oaks by theNine-mile road, and W. H. C. Whiting's division was to support the whole by guarding the Confederate left and watching against reinforcements coming from the north side of the Chickahominy.
The plan was perfect, but it was not executed, except in one particular; the attack assigned to D. H. Hill was a splendid achievement, and won the main success of the day, May 31st.
In securing
