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TWO DAYS OF BATTLE AT SEVEN PINES.

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AFTER THE BATTLE OF SEVEN PINES—PETTIT’S BATTERY IN FORT RICHARDSON, IN FRONT OF FAIR OAKS STATION,BETWEEN THE NINE-MILE ROAD AND THE RAILROAD. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.

have required all subordinates to report to me events that took place on thefield in their respective commands whilst I was in control of the army.

The detailed reports of regimental and brigade commanders on both sides inthis battle show many instances of close, persistent, and bloody fighting, suchas have been seldom equaled by any troops on any field. Cases of temporaryconfusion and disorder occurred, but fair examination shows there was goodreason for this. In reference to the general management, however, it maywell be said that General McClellan committed a grave error in allowingKeyes’s corps to remain isolated for several days within easy striking dis-tance of General Johnston’s army. The intention of the latter to throwLongstreet’s division against Keyes’s exposed and weak right flank was thebest plan that could have been adopted. The first great blunder consistedin Longstreet’s taking his division from the Nine-mile road to the Will-iamsburg road, and the next in placing six brigades on the Charles Cityroad, where there was no enemy. Five of these brigades were marching andcountermarching on the latter road, and struggling through the White OakSwamp, in mud and water waist-deep, to reach the Williamsburg road milesin rear of the fighting, where General Longstreet then was, whilst ColonelJenkins’s three regiments were scouring the rear of the Nine-mile road fromFair Oaks to Seven Pines; thus not only saving the right of Hill’s divisionfrom being driven out of Casey’s captured works by Federal reenforcementsunder Kearny, but forcing Keyes and Heintzelman to their third line ofdefense. No one can fairly doubt what would have been the result, if at 3 p.m., when Hill’s division alone had carried Casey’s works, the five brigades thathad been sent to the Charles City road had been within supporting distanceof Hill, and had been promptly put in close action, and Pickett’s brigade had