of shell, thereby disabling him for further duty upon the field for a long time.  The command of the army now fell upon General G.W.  Smith, who ordered the troops to remain stationary for the night, and next morning, they were returned to their original quarters.  Kershaw and the other Brigadiers of the division did not become engaged, as they were awaiting upon a contingency that did not arise.  It is true, the enemy were driven from their strongly fortified position, and for more than a mile to the rear, still the fruits of the victory were swallowed up in the loss of so many good men, with no tangible or lasting results.  From all the facts known at the time, and those developed since, it is the opinion that upon G.W.  Smith rested the blame for the loss of the day.  Had he been as active or energetic as the other Major Generals, or had he assumed responsibility, and taken advantage of events presenting themselves during the battle, that could not be known beforehand, nor counted in the plan of the battle, the day at Seven Pines might have loomed up on the side of the Confederate forces with those at Gaines’ Mills or Second Manassas.  But, as it was, it must be counted as one of the fruitless victories of the war.

General Smith left the army next day, never to return to active service.  Here was a commentary on the question of the made soldier or the soldier born.  At West Point General Smith stood almost at the very head of his class; at the commencement of the war, he was considered as one of our most brilliant officers, and stood head and shoulders above some of his cotemporaries in the estimation of our leaders and the Department at Richmond.  But his actions and conduct on several momentous occasions will leave to posterity the necessity of voting him a failure; while others of his day, with no training nor experience in the science of war, have astonished the world with their achievements and soldierly conduct.  The soldiers were sorrowful and sad when they learned of the fate of their beloved Commander-in-Chief.  They had learned to love him as a father; he had their entire confidence.  They were fearful at the time lest his place could never be filled; and, but for the splendid achievement of their new commander, R.E.  Lee, with the troops drilled and disciplined by his predecessor, and who fought the battles on the plans laid down by him, it is doubtful whether their confidence could have ever been transferred to another.

General Lee took command the next day, June the 1st, 1862.  He did not come with any prestige of great victory to recommend him to the troops, but his bold face, manly features, distinguished bearing, soon inspired a considerable degree of confidence and esteem, to be soon permanently welded by the glorious victories won from the Chickahominy to the James.  He called all his Lieutenants around him in a few days and had a friendly talk.  He told none his plans—­he left that to be surmised—­but he gained the confidence of his Generals at once.