New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-02

Battle with Which This Ar.
ticle of The Tribune's Civil
War Series Deals Was
Called Seven Pines
by South.


the battle of May Sl-June was derived.
Casev's division Of the Union corps. under
General Reyes had taken up its position
nearly q mile west of Seven Pines, and
much nearer Richmond than COUGHS divi-
sion of the same corps. which encampe1
AT the pines Military works were thrown
ND and third line Of defence provided
FOR. Kearny's division Of fieintzelman's
corps was scattered along the Williams
hurg Road between the bridge and Seven
Pines and Rockers division was encamped
near White Oak swamp. perhaps three
| miles south OF Bottom Bridge, on road
| leading toward Richmond. which intersect-
| ed the cross road from the seven trees and
Joined the Williamsburg road mile IN
advance OF Casey's picket line.
| Mcclellan. promising Washington that he
! would attack Immediately. was still going
| on the theory that time did not count.
| whom Johnston learned q the presence %
a part OF the Union army on the south side
| of the Chickahomny. Although tho Con-
federate commander had only 500 avail
able troops, ne thought this too good an
opportunity to pass by. He Immediately
| planned an attack On the advanced Union
| troops near Seven Pines and arranged for
, supporting forces to march down the Nine
Mile Road across the railroad track at Fair
| oaks Station toward the Williamsburg
Road and the pines. At the moment that
Johnston was giving his orders 10 his COM
| nnanders for the attack Mcclellan was
| sending a telegraph dispatch TO Washing
| ton, saying: Richmond papers urge Johns
ton to attack; now he has US away from
the gunboats. / think he IS too able for
that"
On the night of May 20, when the final
preparations for the attack were being
made, rain fell. This pleased Johnston, for
no hoped that II would serve 10 raise the
Chickahominy sufficiently to cut off effect
ually the portion OF the army on the north
side from the corps on the south side.
Shortly after noon on MAJ 81 the division
OF the Confederate troops commanded by
General D. H. Ill., aided and supported
by Generals L.ongStreet and Huger, made
an impetuous attack on Caseys division.
The latter was forced back along the Will
iamsburg Road for upward OF a mile and
half, being carried beyond Seven Pines.
| HentZelman's corps came up TO the sup
port OF Casey's two divisions. Johnston
had placed General @. w. Smith, second in
command, in reserve near the junction Of
the New Bridge and Nine Mile roads and
was with that body OF troops in person. He
was uncertain Of the situation at Seven
Pines because, owing TO a peculiar cOndi-
ton of the atmosphere, ne did not hear the
! sound of the musketry. There had been
some errors in the movement OF troops
along the Williamsburg Road. and as he
considered the day too far advanced for
=. reinforcements to cross the Chickahonny
: 10 the succor of the Union forces, ne or
dered General Smiths troops forward
: along the Nine Mile Road toward Seven
| Pines.
BY good fortune General Sumner, an
energetic man, was the commander or the
Union corps on the north side OF the river,
opposite the Fair oaks Staten, near winch
Smiths reserves were going forward. Nc
, Clellan, as soon as firing began, had d.
rected him 10 be in readiness TO march TO
i the assistance of the troops on the south
! side. He did more than his orders strictly
: required, and marched his two divisions TO
: the two bridges he had built, where he
r halted them until the order should come
to cross. BY so doing he saved an hou, OF
= precious time, for the swollen waters or
6 the Chickahomny had carried away one OF
d the bridges and almost submerged the
1 other by the time the order came. But his
e men were ready. and they marched through
y the deep mud toward the heaviest firing
d reaching the neighborhood Of Fair OAKS
Station in season to throw back the forces
3 of Smith, who had attacked Couch's troops
8 which had been separated from the man
$ body OF Keyes's corps at Seven Pines
y About O'Clock that evening General Johh-
;. ston was severely wounded. and In short
). time the firing ceased. General Smith was
q now in command
,. Despite the fact that the Union troops
i, had been forced back along the Williams
s burg Road for mile and half, the Con-
n federate chieftains were by no means sat
isfied with the situation al nightfan. JET
| ferson Davis hoped the enemy might
>, ! withdraw during the night. which would
give the Confederates the moral eject OF
- a victory"
. The troops bivouacked where they had
y stood at dusk and renewed the battle the
= following morning. The federal forces re-
- gained the lost ground. but nothing else
happened. The Confederates had lost sN
thousand one hundred and thirty-four ana
the Union army five thousand and thirty!
= one a tremendous loss, but Mcclellan d!u
| not attempt to make use OF the Improved
morale of the army which resulted iroi"
the victory by taking advantage OF inc
s. weakened condition OF the Confederaes
J, to push on into Richmond.
u The news Of the battle was somewhat
. slow in reaching the press. and IL was not
~ until the issue OF June that The ITouh7
l. contained anything like full report Ing
d incompleteness of the reports is indca'en
= by the flights OF fancy presented III theS'
l paragraphs from a Washington dlspd''a
q printed that day. and headed Exaggerated
9 Rumors":
|" washington was alive with rumors TO-
~ day AT the Capitol in the departments
,e and on the streets people were sure 'nas
+ Richmond had been taken, with a loss %.
II cur side OF twenty-five thousand. ana %
seventy-fve Thousand rebels that pe"
c eral Heintzelman had been shot from
= window as he was entering the city, th''
ID the lest that was seen OF General SieH"s
ID he was planting the Stars and Stripes on
e the top OF the city Hail.
lie THE real news is that our forces ha''
h advanced since the battle until now. INV
= whole line Is within four miles OF the re'''
IN capital The President said this mofrli's
IN that he looked upon the AFFAIR OF Satu'u",
/: and Sunday as the last desperate enof' y,
- the rebels. into which they had thIo"-
a, their whole strength. Their defeat 10 ~
garded as fnal." -.
-, Another dispatch received from Wa"
40 ington on June l and printed the io"V'.
-, ,ng morning told the story OF a TIC" -.
norture In warfare This read.