Seven Pines. Behind Casey, at a distance of about a mile and a quarter, Couch was in position on the same road, his right extending out toward Fair Oaks on the Nine-mile road. Kearny’s and Hooker s divisions, forming Heintzelman s corps, were in rear of Couch. The rest of the Federal army was north of the Chickahominy.
General Johnston’s battle plan was simple, and if all of it had been carried out as effectively as a part of it was the result must have been disastrous to McClellan. Longstreet, who commanded the entire right, was to send in D. H. Hill’s division in a front attack on Casey on the Williamsburg road, and support that attack by his own division. Huger was to move on the Charles City road, parallel to Hill, and make a flank attack synchronous with Hill’s front attack. G. W. Smith, in charge of the left wing, was to keep Sumner s corps, north of the river, from reinforcing Keyes, and if not attacked early, he was to assist the right wing. For various reasons, not in the province of this writer to consider, only a part of the plan was carried into effect. Huger never made the flank attack, and in the first day’s fight only one of Longstreet s brigades got into close action, although Hill’s division was fighting Casey, Couch and Kearny. On the left wing, the line of battle was never formed until the head of Sumner s corps was in position to receive it.
On the day appointed, D. H. Hill, after vainly waiting from early morning until i o clock for the flank movement and for the left wing, was ordered by General Longstreet to attack Casey s works with his division of four brigades. Garland and G. B. Anderson formed the left of the attacking column, and Rodes and Rains the right. "After more than two hours of very hard fighting," says Gen. G. W. Smith, "these four brigades, unaided, captured Casey s earthworks."[1] Then, aided after 4 o’clock by R. H. Anderson s brigade of Long-
—
- ↑ Battle of Seven Pines, p. 149.
