Battle of Seven Pines June 1,1862: Union Counter Attack Part 2

General French's Brigade firing on General Mahone's Brigade across the tracks.

Turn 3.Federal Initiative. Sickles Brigade continues their attack.  All along the line the attack grows in strength.

BG Armistead's Brigade continues to hold out. The 9th VA Infantry break under the pressure and fall back.

Turn 4. Confederate Initiative. The Confederate Line more or less is intact. They hold position as the Federal wave crashes into them. Colston's Brigade holds position. General Longstreet moves forward to help with the developing situation.

French's Brigade prepares to move forward after forcing the Confederate 9th VA Infantry to retreat. A hole in the line develops between Mahone's Brigade and Armistead's Brigade.

Birney's Brigade crosses the Rail Road track and presses into Pickett's Brigade. Meagher's Brigade continues to slug it out with Armistead's Brigade. 

Turn 5. Federal Initiative. The majority of Birney's Brigade is across the track. Pickett's Brigade takes heavy casualties.

BG Wilcox holding the line with his men.

Turn 6. Confederate Initiative. the 8th NJ Infantry from Patterson's Brigade routs. Sickles Presses the Excelsior brigade Forward. The 10th Alabama Infantry from Wilcox's Brigade Routs. The 19th VA Infantry from  Pickett's Brigade also leaves the field.  BG Pryor tries to support Wilcox with volleys of musketry.

Pickett's Brigade is in a bad place. A hole in the line develops between Pickett and Pryor's Brigade. on the right. Birney's Brigade also presses  between Pickett and Armistead's Brigades. If Pickett stays he will be surrounded on three sides.

French's Brigade pushes south across the track. Holes develop all along the Confederate line.

BG Raleigh Colston and his North Carolina Brigade sit uneasy as they are unsure were they are needed. The Confederate Line begins to collapse in four places.

Turn 7. Confederate Initiative. The lines more or less remain the same with each side releasing volley after volley into each other. The Confederate force takes the blunt of the casualties. BG Pickett's Brigade remains in position at the curve in the line.

Ever closer do they come.... BG Sickles and the Excelsior Brigade come within  yards of the Confederate line

Turn 8. Federal Initiative. More and more regiments show signs of fatigue. Sickles Brigade, 71st NY Infantry rout off the table. Pickett's 18th VA Infantry Rout. Meagher's 69th NY Rout as well.  BG Mahone losses the 41st VA infantry as they rout. Colston receives orders to shift his brigade line and hold position for a breakthrough.

Turn 9. Confederate Initiative.  Sickle's Brigade runs out of steam and they advance grinds to a halt. Wilcox and Pryor's Brigades manage to hold the line, but paid a heavy cost.  The remains of Pickett's Brigade falls back after they realize their position is unattainable.  Birney uses this moment to straighten his line and prepare to advance again. Meagher's Brigade moves in the gap created by the vacant brigade. BG Armistead stubbornly holds out. he is flanked on both sides by advancing Federal Brigades.

Watching the front. Colston's Brigade prepares for the attack that they know is sure to come.

French's Brigade Presses through the gap between Armistead and Mahone's Brigades.

General Longstreet issues orders for his brigades to fall back and reform their lines.

Turn 10. Sickles's Brigade Holds its position and lets loose with a few volleys. Patterson's Brigade Holds position as well. Wilcox and Pryor's Brigades straighten their lines and return fire. Pickett's Brigade continues to fall back in order to reform. Birney's Brigade Holds position and reforms for the advance. Armistead's Brigade continues to slug it out with Part of Meagher's Irish Brigade and French's brigade. 

General Longstreet decides that this is close enough to the front. Remembering what had happened to MG Joe Johnston the day before, he  issues orders for his men to make preparations to defend against another attack.

The apex of the battle line. Pickett's Brigade position

BG Mahone agrees with his aide. The brigade should pull back and reform.

Colston's Brigade ready and willing.

The summer sun begins to set on the battlefield and with it comes the closing musketry of the days battle. A very bloody affair indeed.
The results of the battle include Federal losses of 6 Regiments routed from the field. one Brigade Commander killed. BG Patterson. However, The Federal Army did manage to break the Confederates defensive line in three places.
The Confederate Losses where 6 Regiments routed from the field and their defensive line broken. Brigadier General George Pickett's Brigade suffering the worst in casualties losing 2 of the regiments that were routed.

The Results being a DRAW. The Federal Army managed to breach the Confederate Line in three places however, they were not able to exploit this in the time given.

The overal Results for the two day Battle of Seven Pines is a Confederate Victory.


HISTORICAL RESULTS~ The results of May 31st gave the Confederate Army the initiative. They managed to drive Casey's Division from the redoubt. The attack north of the Richmond and York Rail Road extended the battle line. The conclusion of the days battle was still in question when General Joesph E. Johnston was seriously wounded that evening.
June 1st came with the Confederate force in a bit of disarray. Johnstons' successor,  Major General Gustavus Woodson Smith took command of the army but had no idea of his former commanders overall tactical situation or objectives because of  a lack of information available. He suffered what appears to be a panic attack and was thus relieved of command by Confederate President Jefferson Davis.  His replacement, Davis's Military aide, a fifty five year old West Point Graduate by the name of Robert Edward Lee....