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a heavy forest, and a screen of dense undergrowth.
A terrific thunder storm had taken place on the night of the 29th of May, and floods of rain spirting in broad jets, had so swollen the
Chickahominy in
Keyes' rear, that
Johnston indulged the prospect of having to deal with no other troops than those of this corps.
In these circumstances, on the morning of the 30th May, he moved out to annihilate the enemy's left.
Battle of seven Pines.
Gen. Johnston's plan of battle was to embrace an attack at three points
Gen. D. H. Hill, supported by the division of
Gen. Longstreet, (who had the direction of operations on the right,) was to advance by the
Williamsburg road, to attack the enemy in front;
Gen. Huger, with his division, was to move down the
Charles City road, in order to attack in flank the troops who might be engaged with
Hill and
Longstreet;
Gen. Smith was to march to the junction of the
New Bridge road and the Nine Mile road, to be in readiness either to fall on
Keyes's right flank, or to cover
Longstreet's left.
The greater part of the day was lost in vain expectation of
Huger's movement — the most important part of the design, as it was to take the enemy's flank and insure his destruction.
The movement was disappointed, as
Huger could not cross the swollen stream in his front.
At a late hour in the afternoon
Longstreet determined to move upon the enemy with his own and
Hill's division, and accomplish whatever results were possible in the far-spent day.
Gen. Johnston remained with
Smith on the left, to observe the field.
Through the thick woods, on marshy ground, in water in many places two feet deep,
Longstreet's regiments moved on, brushing off occasionally a cloud of skirmishers that disputed their passage.
As they came upon the enemy's works, a sheet of fire blazed in their faces.
It was sharp, rapid work.
Some of the regiments crept through the low brushwood in front of the redoubt, and, at a given signal from the flanking parties, made a rush for the guns, cleared them, and, entering pell-mell into the earthwork, bayonetted all who opposed them.
Line after line of the enemy's works was carried; the victorious career of the
Confederates swept through his successive camps and entrenchments; and as night fell he had been driven about two miles, and had left a track of retreat through swamp and water red with carnage.
On the left, where
Johnston commanded in person, the enemy held his position until dark;
Smith's division, with a portion of
Whiting's, failing to dislodge him. On this part of the field
Gen. Johnston was disabled by a severe wound in the shoulder.
