attack Keyes on the 31st at Seven Pines, and crush
his corps before it could be reinforced from the north of the Chickahominy or to any extent by Heintzelman from Bottom’s bridge. To understand his plan of attack, it will be necessary to explain the situation more minutely. Seven Pines and Fair Oaks are about a mile apart, and distant from Richmond about 7½ and 7 miles. Fair Oaks is on the railroad, and Seven Pines on the Williamsburg road. Two roads which figure in this account, and the railroad, run east from Richmond practically parallel for 5 miles, the Nine-mile road to the north, below it the railroad, and further south the Williamsburg road. At Old Tavern, 5 miles from Richmond, the Nine-mile road turns southeast, crosses the railroad at Fair Oaks, and joins the Williamsburg road at Seven Pines. About 2 miles from Richmond, on the Williamsburg road, the Charles City road turns off to the south east. White Oak swamp lies between Seven Pines and the Charles City road. To strike the corps at Seven Pines, the direct road would be the Williamsburg road, with the Charles City road running to the Federal left. To strike him at Fair Oaks, the direct road would be the railroad, with the Nine-mile road coming to the same point (Fair Oaks) from Old Tavern, and affording good points from which to turn the Federal right.
Johnston’s plan of attack was admirably considered. D. H. Hill s division was to attack at Seven Pines by the Williamsburg road; Brig.-Gen. Benjamin Huger s division was to attack the left flank by the Charles City road; Longstreet’s division was to attack at Fair Oaks by the Nine-mile road, and W. H. C. Whiting s division was to support the whole by guarding the Confederate left and watching against reinforcements coming from the north side of the Chickahominy. The plan was perfect, but it was not executed, except in one particular; the attack assigned to D. H. Hill was a splendid achievement, and won the main success of the day, May 31st. In securing
