Edward Porter Alexander, Military memoirs of a Confederate: a critical narrative

Briefly, it may be said of this battle that it seems to have been left in the hands of the division commanders until it was nearly lost. Only at the last moment was the hand of the general in command revealed. But had Jackson's march that morning been pushed with the fierce swiftness natural to him on such occasions, and had he, during A. P. Hill's attack, thrown his whole force upon McClellan's right, a comparatively easy victory would have resulted. As has been stated, the enemy's right flank was his weakest point. It was not found. D. H. Hill would have attacked it even before A. P. Hill's battle, had not Jackson stopped and withdrawn him, instead of reenforcing and pushing him, as it was naturally expected that Jackson would do — although no man ever needed pushing less than D. H. Hill. In the Century War book, he wrote of this occasion:—

‘Had Jackson's command gone in on the left of the road running by the McGehee House, Porter's position would have been turned and the line of retreat cut off.’