TWO DAYS OF BATTLE AT SEVEN PINES i (FAIR OAKS).

BY GUSTAVUS W. SMITH, MAJOR-GENERAL , C. S. A.

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THE SEVEN PINE8, LOOKING EAST.

A ROUGH SKETCH MADE DURING THE WAR.

here the Williamsburg “old stage” road is inter-sected by the Nine-mile road, at apoint seven miles east of Richmond ,was fought the first great contest be-tween the Confederate Army of North-ern Virginia and the Federal Armyof the Potomac. The junction of thesetwo roads is called Seven Pines. Aboutone mile from Seven Pines, where theNine-mile road crosses the Richmond and the York River Railroad, there is astation called Fair Oaks. Before theaction ended there was a good dealof fighting near the latter place. The Federals called the action of May31st and June 1st the battle of Fair Oaks.

Before describing this contest, a sketch will be given of the movements of thetwo armies from the time the Confederates withdrew from Williamsburg. Itis well, however, to say here that, in preparing an account of the battle, I havefelt constrained to refer to some important matters in more detail than wouldhave been considered essential, if there was not such direct conflict of “highauthorities ” in regard to them. For instance, nearly all the descriptions ofthis action heretofore published give as the intention of the Confederatecommander that Longstreet’s division was to move to the Willi amsbiu'g roadand support D. H. Hill’s division on that road. In “ asserting ” that this is anerror, I have felt that, under the circumstances, it is incumbent on me toprove what I say on that subject.

It is broadly stated by many authorities that General Johnston intendedHuger’s division should attack the Federal left flank and rear, Huger’s attackto be followed by D. H. Hill’s division falling on the Federal front; and it isclaimed by many that the slowness of Huger’s division caused the failure ofcomplete Confederate success the first day. In refutation of these statementsand claims, I have felt constrained to give proofs, and not leave these ques-tions to be decided by mere “ assertion.”

The position of the Confederate troops at dark, May 31st, has been errone-ously stated by General Johnston, and in such particularity of detail as at thetime to satisfy me that, in the main, he was correct. But the “ OfficialRecords,” recently published, show beyond question that General Johnstonis in error on this point. It has, therefore, been considered necessary in thisarticle to give definite proof in regard to the position of the Confederate

j In the Confederate attack, in the irregular and desperate fighting, and in the duration and changingsuccess of this first great battle in the East, there are striking resemblances to (as well as wide diver-gences from) the two days’ battle at Shiloh, the first great clash of arms in the West.— Editors.

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