Johnston saw that the Union army was split in half by the rain-swollen Chickahominy River and hoped to defeat it in detail at Seven Pines and Fair Oaks.
Johnston så at unionshæren var delt i to af Chickahominy River, som var svulmet op på grund af regn, og håbede at han kunne besejre de to dele enkeltvis ved Seven Pines og Fair Oaks.