▁at ▁an ▁am ph ib ious ▁turning ▁movement ▁at ▁El th am ' s ▁Land ing ▁( May ▁ 7 ). ▁By ▁late ▁May ▁the ▁Union ▁army ▁was ▁within ▁six ▁miles ▁of ▁Richmond . ▁ ▁Real izing ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁defend ▁Richmond ▁forever ▁from ▁the ▁Union ' s ▁over wh el ming ▁numbers ▁and ▁heavy ▁sie ge ▁art illery ▁and ▁that ▁McC le ll an ' s ▁army ▁was ▁divided ▁by ▁the ▁rain - sw ol len ▁Ch ick ah om iny ▁River , ▁John ston ▁attacked ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁on ▁May ▁ 3 1 ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Seven ▁P ines ▁or ▁Fair ▁O aks . ▁His ▁plan ▁was ▁ag gress ive , ▁but ▁too ▁complicated ▁for ▁his ▁sub ordinates ▁to ▁execute ▁correctly , ▁and ▁he ▁failed ▁to ▁ensure ▁they ▁understood ▁his ▁orders ▁in ▁detail ▁or ▁to ▁super v ise ▁them ▁closely . ▁The ▁battle ▁was ▁tact ically ▁incon clus ive , ▁but ▁it ▁stopped ▁McC le ll an ' s ▁advance ▁on ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁would ▁turn ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁high - water ▁mark ▁of ▁his ▁invasion . ▁More ▁significant , ▁however , ▁was ▁that ▁John ston ▁was ▁wounded ▁in ▁his ▁shoulder ▁and ▁ch est ▁by ▁an ▁art illery ▁shell ▁fragment ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁battle . ▁G . W . ▁Smith ▁commanded ▁the ▁army ▁during ▁the ▁second ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁battle , ▁before ▁Davis ▁quickly ▁turned ▁over ▁command ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁ag gress ive ▁Robert ▁E . ▁Lee , ▁who ▁would ▁lead