25-2
TWO DAYS OF BATTLE AT SEVEN PINES.
Stuart reported to me that the enemyhad made no advance during the dayon the Charles City road, and thatour troops had captured the Federalworks at Seven Pines some time be-fore sunset and had advanced beyondthat point—he did not know how far.He had good guides with him, andoffered to go in person to GeneralLongstreet and have him piloted toheadquarters. A little after 11 p. M.
I received a note from General Stuart,stating that at 10:30 he had failed tofind General Longstreet.
In the meantime General McLaws ,who was at New Bridge, reported largeforces opposite that point, and thatthey were building a pontoon-bridge.He added : “ If this position is forced,your command will be in great dan-ger, as you are aware.”
Guided by one of my staff, who hadsucceeded in finding him about mid-night, General Longstreet reachedheadquarters after 1 a. ai. He re-ported that D. H. Hill’s division anda portion of his own, after prolongedfighting and heavy losses, had suc-ceeded in driving the enemy fromSeven Pines late in the afternoon, and had pursued them more than a mile,until dark. On learning from him that a portion of his own division had notbeen in action, and that Huger’s division, recalled from the Charles City road,though now at the front, had not been engaged at all, I directed General Long-street to send a brigade of Huger’s division to the Nine-mile road. That bri-gade was to support McLaws at New Bridge, or Whiting at Fair Oaks, asmight be required. General Longstreet was ordered to renew the attack withthe rest of his command as soon after daybreak as practicable, and to fightnorth rather than attempt to force his way any farther toward Bottom’sBridge. He left me a little after 2 a. m., and returned to the Williamsburg road.
I wrote to General Lee, who was stationed in Richmond , in general chargeof military operations, informing him of the orders I had given. In reply, dated5 a. m., June 1st, General Lee says: “Your movements are judicious, anddetermination to strike the enemy right.” In my official report it is stated :
“ General Longstreet was directed to pusli his successes of the previous day as far as practi- jcable, pivoting his movement upon the position of General Whiting, on his left. The latter ]was directed to make a diversion in favor of General Longstreet’s real attack.”