May 31, 1862 (Saturday) Seven Pines & Fair Oaks

Fair Oaks Battlefield Near Casey's Redoubt

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
May 31, 1862.

Major-General HUGER:
    GENERAL: I fear that in my note of last evening, of which there is no copy, I was too positive on the subject of your attacking the enemy's left flank. It will, of course, be necessary for you to know what force is before you first. I hope to be able to have that ascertained for you by cavalry. As our main force will be on your left, it will be necessary for your progress to the front to conform at first to that of General Hill. If you find no strong body in your front, it will be well to aid General Hill; but then a strong reserve should be retained to cover our right.


Yours, truly,
J. E. JOHNSTON

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH CORPS,
Seven Pines, May 31, 1862.

Brigadier General R. B. MARCY,
Chief of Staff:
    SIR: I send by my aide Lieutenant B. C. Chetwood, who is the aide of Major General J. E. Johnston. This young gentleman was handsomely captured by our pickets on our right, and near the place examined two days ago by Generals Barnard and Humphreys, where the enemy was drawn up in line of battle. In connection with the appearance of this young officer on our right and near our lines, I will state that the general officer of the day, Colonel Hunt, of Casey's division, heard the cars running through the night continually.
    Yesterday there was much stir among the enemy, and everything on his part indicates an attack on my position, which is only tolerably strong and my forces are too weak to defend it properly. Brigadier-General Sumner told me yesterday he should probably cross the Chickahominy last night. If he did so, and takes post nigh the Old Tavern and this side, I should feel much more secure than I do now.
    I am, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,


    E. D. KEYES,
    Brigadier-General, Commanding Fourth Army Corps.

DOCTOR GAINES" HOUSE, May 31, 1862.

General McCLELLAN:
    I descended at 2 o"clock from near Mechanicsville. The position of the engagement is about four or five miles from New Bridge in a southerly direction.
The enemy on our right seem to remain quiet. Quite a large reserve are in the edge of the woods about one mile and a half from the heights on the road from New Bridge. I will ascend from this point as soon as the wind lulls.
    Your very, obedient servant,


    T. S. C. LOWE.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, May 31, 1862.

General E. V. SUMMER:

    You will cross the Chickahominy River with your command and march at once to the support of General Heintzelman.
    Send out strong reconnaissance to the right toward New Bridge road and Old Town.


   R. B. MARCY,
   Chief of Staff.

    MAY 31, 1862-4.30 p.m.

Brigadier-General MARCY,
Chief of Staff:
    There are large bodies of troops in the open field beyond the opposite heights on the New Bridge road. White-covered wagons are rapidly moving toward the point of the engagement with artillery in the advance. The firing on our left has ceased.


T. S. C. LOWE,
Chief Aeronaut.


                              HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
                                       New Bridge, May 31, 1862-5 p.m.
General HEINTZELMAN,
Commanding Left Wing:
    You have done what I expected of you in retrieving the disaster of Casey. With the remaining five divisions you should hold your own. I will post everything during the night, so as to be able to cross at New Bridge to-morrow. Tell Kearny, Hooker, and Ord [?] that I expect them to hold firm and repulse every and any attack. Recapture, if possible, any guns taken. Keep me fully informed of all that passes. Let me send to Washington as soon as possible the news that all is right.


    GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
    Major-General.

AT THE FRONT, May 31, 1862-6 p. m.

General McCLELLAN:
    Our troops on the road have given way. Birney is advancing on the railroad. Our left still holds its own.


   S. P. HEINTZELMAN,
   Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 31, 1862-6.20 p. m.

Colonel COLBURN:
    General Casey's division is being rallied by Lieutenants McAlester, Hunt, and Johnson, of the general's staff. General Casey is reported dead. Lieutenant McAlester reports that General Kearny is at the Seven Pines, driving the enemy back slowly. General Sumner's column is just arriving on the ground. General Hooker's about half a mile in rear of these headquarters.


    C. McKEEVER,
    Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 31, 1862.

Colonel COLBURN:
    General Casey's division is entirely demoralized. Generals Casey and Palmer are reported killed and General Naglee wounded. I have been able to find but one colonel, and he says the men have nothing to eat.


    C. McKEEVER,
    Chief of Staff.

    P. S.- It is reported that some of the regiments of General Peck's brigade have broken and dispersed.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD CORPS,
May 31, 1862-10 p. m.

[General McCLELLAN:]
    I have sent across Bottom's Bridge for our ammunition, and it will be up before daylight. My corps is supplied with three days' rations. General Keeyes thinks that General Couch's is supplied till to-morrow night. They are now issuing to General Casey's. General Casey's division cannot, however, be relied upon for any purpose whatever. The intrenching tools must be left at this place. We are much in want of them.


    S. P. HEINTZELMAN,
    Brigadier-General.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 11, Part 1, Pages 938 and others.

Johnston vacillated about attacking and gave vague orders to his commanders.  Longstreet wrecked havoc by failing to move on the road assigned to him and ending up on the roads assigned to D.H. Hill and Huger.  Instead of a dawn attack, the battle got underway around 1PM when D. H. Hill attacked on his own at Seven Pines.  The Confederates suffered heavy casualties (1,094 killed and wounded out of 2,000 in the brigades of Garland, G. B. Anderson, Rain, and Rodes) in the initial fighting. Casey's  division made a fighting withdrawal from the 1st Union line to a 2nd position.  The arrival late in the day of Kearny's divison reinforced the wekened Federal line, which was staggered by an attack from R. H. Anderson's brigade. Keyes attacked across a half mile of open ground after that, making it possible for the the Union forces to hold their third line before fighting ceased at 6PM.  At this point Huger's division and six of Longstreet's brigades had not even been engaged.  Johnston was severely wounded and suceeded by G. W. Smith.  The next day Longstreet had orders to attack but failed to act aggressively.  Meanwhile, Richardson reinforced the Union position and Robert E. Lee, arriving on field to assume command at 2 P.M. ordered a withdrawal.  There were 41,797 Union troops engaged, 41,816 Confederate and losses were 5,031 Federals and 6,134 Confederates.  It is interesting to note Lowe's role in alerting McClellan to the situation just after the initial assaults, which resulted in reinforcements being sent in earlier than would other have been the case.  It was a major opportunity lost for the Confederates, largely due to Johnston's indecision and loss of command control and Longstreet's bumbling.