TIVO DAYS OF BATTLE AT SEVEN PINES.

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forces when the command of the army devolved upon me, by reason of Gen-eral Johnston’s being wounded. His statement of the reasons for my nothaving ordered the attack to be renewed the next morning (June 1st) callsfor specific proof that I did order the attack to be renewed, and for a detailedexhibit of General Longstreet’s battle-field notes to me on that day.

Without specifying further, at this time, in regard to the “misunder-standing,” misapprehension, and other causes that have led to erroneouspublished accounts of important events in this battle,— to some extent onthe Federal, but more on the Confederate, side,— it may be added that therecent publication of the “ Official Records,” when carefully studied, throws agreat deal of light upon these events, the accounts of which have heretoforebeen nearly as dark and confusing as were the dense, tangled wood andswamps in which most of the close and desperate fighting took place. The Fed-eral accounts, as now officially published, are full; they embrace the reports ofnearly every regimental, brigade, division, and corps commander engaged;but many of the Confederate reports are missing, those in D. H. Hill’s divis-ion being the only ones that are complete in regard even to brigade com-manders. There are, however, enough others, when taken in connection withthe full Federal reports, to give quite a clear understanding of the main factson both sides.

The affair at Williamsburg , May 5th, was an incident in the withdrawal ofthe Confederate army from its fortified lines, near Yorktown, to the opencountry between the Pamunkey and the Chiekahominy rivers, where GeneralJohnston intended to halt, near the Richmond and York River Railroad, andcontest the farther advance of General McClellan’s army. From Williamsburg ,Longstreet’s and Hill’s divisions, both under General Longstreet, moved onthe Charles City road, which crosses the Chiekahominy at Long Bridge; thedivision of G. W. Smith and Magruder’s forces — commanded by him beforeJohnston’s army arrived at the Yorktown lines — moved on the road thatpasses through Barliamsville and New Kent Court House and crosses theChiekahominy at Bottom’s Bridge. All the Confederate troops on the latterroad were under my command, and they were followed by the Federal army.Excepting occasional collisions between our rear-guard and the Federaladvance-guard, nothing of special interest occurred after we left Barhams-ville, near which place, below West Point, the Federals landed quite a largeforce, and seemed disposed to move out against us. General Johnston orderednearly the whole of his army to Barhams ville, and came there in person. Thenext day, May 7th, the Federal skirmishers advanced, but their main forcegave us no opportunity to cut them off from their gun-boats. At this pointthere was a good deal of sharp fighting for several hours. 5, From this time

S* Reference is had here to the York River on West Point, if successful, tvould secure theexpedition, under General W. B. Franklin, which so-called Urbana route of communications, theMcClellan dispatched from Yorktown on the 5th advantages of which are explained in McClellan’swith instructions to seize and hold a landing near letter to the War Department of March 19th,West Point, situated at the confluence of the York 1862.

and Pamunkey rivers, and the terminus of the Rich- Franklin moved up the York River on the 6th,mond and York River Railroad. This movement his troops in transports and under convoy of a