By the end of May, 1862, Confederate Gen. Joe Johnson knew he must attack. A crucial Union strategic choice gave him room to pick his preferred point. But a key failure sent the entire battle spinning out of control.

As a side note, Union sources at the time called the battle “Fair Oaks”. However, most of the fighting was around the crossroads of “Seven Pines”. The two locations are not far distant, and either name is correct.

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