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Edward Porter Alexander, Military memoirs of a Confederate: a critical narrative, Chapter 5: Seven Pines or fair Oaks (search)
lt batteries at Drury's Bluff, about six miles below Richmond, covering obstructions made of a row of piles and some sunken schooners. On May 15 the fleet, which included three ironclads, the Monitor, Galena, and Naugatuck, attacked the batteries, but was repulsed with 25 killed and wounded, and considerable injury to some of the vessels. Until that time Johnston had contemplated fighting on the north of the Chickahominy, but he now decided to concentrate his army nearer Richmond, and on May 17 it was all encamped within three or four miles to the east of the city. The situation had grown very threatening; for McDowell's army, still at Fredericksburg with 31,000 men, had again been assigned to McClellan. He only awaited the arrival of Shields, marching to join him with 11,000 more, before advancing. If it was now in Johnston's power to do anything to save Richmond, it must be done before McDowell arrived. It was not likely that McClellan would himself seek battle when such