Fair Oaks, or seven Pines, battle of
In May, 1862,
Gen. Fitz-John Porter was sent by
General McClellan with a considerable force to keep the way open for
McDowell's army to join him, which he persistently demanded, in order to venture on a battle for
Richmond.
Porter had some sharp skirmishes near Hanover Court-house, and cut all railway connections with
Richmond, excepting that from
Fredericksburg.
Meanwhile
General McClellan telegraphed to the
Secretary of War that
Washington was in no danger, and that it was the duty and policy of the government to send him “all the welldrilled troops available.”
When these raids on the
Confederate communications had been effected,
Porter rejoined the main army on the
Chickahominy, and
McClellan telegraphed again to the
Secretary, “I will do all that quick movements can accomplish, but you must send me all the troops you can, and leave me full latitude as to choice of commanders.”
Three days afterwards
General Johnston, perceiving
McClellan's apparent timidity, and the real peril of the
National army, then divided by the
Chickahominy, marched boldly out of his intrenchments and fell with great vigor upon the
National advance, under
Gen. Silas Casey, lying upon each side of the road to
Williamsburg, half a mile beyond a point known as the
Sever Pines, and 6 miles from
Richmond.
General Couch's division was at
Seven Pines, his right resting at Fair Oaks Station.
Kearny's division of
Heintzelman's corps was near Savage's Station, and
Hooker's division of the latter corps was guarding the approaches to the
White Oak Swamp.
General Longstreet led the
Confederate advance, and fell suddenly upon
Casey at a little past noon, May 31, when a most sanguinary battle ensued.
Very soon the
Confederates gained a position on
Casey's flanks, when they were driven back to the woods by a spirited bayonet charge by
Pennsylvania, New York, and
Maine troops, led by
General Naglee.
Out of the woods immediately the
Confederates swarmed in great
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numbers, and the battle raged more fiercely than ever.
The
Nationals fell back to the second line, with a loss of six guns and many men; yet, notwithstanding the overwhelming numbers of the
Confederates, and exposed to sharp enfilading fires,
Casey's men brought off fully threefourths of their artillery.
Keyes sent troops to aid
Casey, but they could not withstand the pressure, and the whole body of Nationals were pushed back to Fair Oaks Station, on the
Richmond and York Railway.
Reinforcements were sent by
Heintzelman and
Kearny, but these were met by fresh Confederates, and the victory seemed about to be given to the latter, when
General Sumner appeared with the divisions of
Sedgwick and
Richardson.
Sumner had seen the peril, and, without waiting for orders from
McClellan, had moved rapidly to the scene of action in time to check the
Confederate advance.
The battle continued to rage fiercely.
General Johnston was severely wounded, and borne from the field; and early in the evening a bayonet charge by the Nationals broke the
Confederate line and it fell back in confusion.
The fighting then ceased for the night, but was resumed in the morning, June 1, when
General Hooker and his troops took a conspicuous part in the struggle, which lasted several hours.
Finally the
Confederates, toiled, withdrew to
Richmond, and the Nationals remained masters of the field of
Fair Oaks, or
Seven Pines.
The losses in this battle were about the same on both sides—7,000 men each.
It was nearly one-half of both combatants, for not more than 15,000 men on each side were engaged.
In this battle
Gen. O. O. Howard lost his right arm.
Casey's division, that withstood the first shock of the battle, lest one-third of its number.
