As with most of the Seven Days Battles, Lee's plan was poorly executed.
Huger was slowed by felled trees obstructing the Charles City Road, a result of the efforts of pioneers from Brig.
Gen. Henry W. Slocum's division.
Huger had his men spend hours chopping a new road through the thick woods in what became known as the "Battle of the Axes".
He failed to take any alternative route, and, fearing a counterattack, failed to participate in the battle.
By 4 p.m., Lee ordered Maj.
Gen. John B. Magruder to join Holmes on the River Road and attack Malvern Hill, the left flank of the Union line, then ordered him to assist Longstreet, so his division spent the day countermarching.
Stonewall Jackson moved slowly and spent the entire day north of the creek, making only feeble efforts to cross and attack Franklin's VI Corps in the Battle of White Oak Swamp, attempting to force back the enemy by a fruitless artillery duel so that a destroyed bridge could be rebuilt, even though adequate fords were nearby. (
Despite his stunning victories in the recent Valley Campaign, or possibly due to the fatigue of that campaign, Jackson's contributions to the Seven Days were marred by slow execution and poor judgment throughout.)
Jackson's presence did cause two of Brig.
Gen. John Sedgwick's three brigades, which had been defending the Charles City crossroads, to move north as reinforcements.
McCall's division had stopped at Charles City Crossroads on its march to rejoin Porter.
The gap in the line by Sedgwick was noticed and plugged by his three brigades.
Holmes's inexperienced troops (from his Department of North Carolina, attached to the Army of Northern Virginia) made no progress against Porter at Turkey Bridge and Malvern Hill and were repulsed by artillery fire and by the Federal gunboats Galena and Aroostook on the James.

At 2 p.m., as they waited for sounds of Huger's expected attack, Lee, Longstreet, and visiting Confederate President Jefferson Davis were conferring on horseback when they came under heavy artillery fire, wounding two men and killing three horses.
A.P. Hill, commanding in that sector, ordered the president and senior generals to the rear.
Longstreet attempted to silence the six batteries of Federal guns firing in his direction, but long-range artillery fire proved to be inadequate.
He ordered Col.
Micah Jenkins to charge the batteries, which brought on a general fight around 4 p.m.
Although belated and not initiated as planned, the assaults by the divisions of A.P. Hill and Longstreet, under Longstreet's overall command, turned out to be the only ones to follow Lee's order to attack the main Union concentration.
Longstreet's 20,000 men were not reinforced by the Confederate divisions of Huger and Jackson, despite their concentration within a three-mile 3 miles (4.8 km) radius.
They assaulted the disjointed Union line of 40,000 men, arranged in a 2 miles (3.2 km) arc north and south of the Glendale intersection, but the brunt of the fighting centered on the position held by the Pennsylvania Reserves division of the V Corps, 6,000 men under Brig.
Gen. George A. McCall, just west of the Nelson farm, north of Willis Church. (
The farm was now owned by R.H. Nelson, but many locals still called it Frayser's or Frazier's Farm.)
McCall's division included the brigades of Brig.
Gen. George G. Meade on the right and Brig.
Gen. Truman Seymour on the left, with the brigade of Brig.
Gen. John F. Reynolds (led by Col.
Seneca G. Simmons since Reynolds's capture at Boatswain's Swamp after Gaines's Mill) in reserve.

Three Confederate brigades were sent forward in the assault, from north to south: Brig.
Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox, Col.
Micah Jenkins (Anderson's Brigade), and Brig.
Gen. James L. Kemper.
Longstreet ordered them forward in a piecemeal fashion, over several hours.
Kemper's Virginians charged through the thick woods first and emerged in front of five batteries of McCall's artillery.
In their first combat experience, the brigade conducted a disorderly but enthusiastic assault, which carried them through the guns and broke through McCall
As with most of the Seven Days Battles, Lee's plan was poorly executed. Huger was slowed by felled trees obstructing the Charles City Road, a result of the efforts of pioneers from Brig. Gen. Henry W. Slocum's division. Huger had his men spend hours chopping a new road through the thick woods in what became known as the "Battle of the Axes". He failed to take any alternative route, and, fearing a counterattack, failed to participate in the battle. By 4 p.m., Lee ordered Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder to join Holmes on the River Road and attack Malvern Hill, the left flank of the Union line, then ordered him to assist Longstreet, so his division spent the day countermarching. Stonewall Jackson moved slowly and spent the entire day north of the creek, making only feeble efforts to cross and attack Franklin's VI Corps in the Battle of White Oak Swamp, attempting to force back the enemy by a fruitless artillery duel so that a destroyed bridge could be rebuilt, even though adequate fords were nearby. (Despite his stunning victories in the recent Valley Campaign, or possibly due to the fatigue of that campaign, Jackson's contributions to the Seven Days were marred by slow execution and poor judgment throughout.) Jackson's presence did cause two of Brig. Gen. John Sedgwick's three brigades, which had been defending the Charles City crossroads, to move north as reinforcements. McCall's division had stopped at Charles City Crossroads on its march to rejoin Porter. The gap in the line by Sedgwick was noticed and plugged by his three brigades. Holmes's inexperienced troops (from his Department of North Carolina, attached to the Army of Northern Virginia) made no progress against Porter at Turkey Bridge and Malvern Hill and were repulsed by artillery fire and by the Federal gunboats Galena and Aroostook on the James.
At 2 p.m., as they waited for sounds of Huger's expected attack, Lee, Longstreet, and visiting Confederate President Jefferson Davis were conferring on horseback when they came under heavy artillery fire, wounding two men and killing three horses. A.P. Hill, commanding in that sector, ordered the president and senior generals to the rear. Longstreet attempted to silence the six batteries of Federal guns firing in his direction, but long-range artillery fire proved to be inadequate. He ordered Col. Micah Jenkins to charge the batteries, which brought on a general fight around 4 p.m.
Although belated and not initiated as planned, the assaults by the divisions of A.P. Hill and Longstreet, under Longstreet's overall command, turned out to be the only ones to follow Lee's order to attack the main Union concentration. Longstreet's 20,000 men were not reinforced by the Confederate divisions of Huger and Jackson, despite their concentration within a three-mile 3 miles (4.8 km) radius. They assaulted the disjointed Union line of 40,000 men, arranged in a 2 miles (3.2 km) arc north and south of the Glendale intersection, but the brunt of the fighting centered on the position held by the Pennsylvania Reserves division of the V Corps, 6,000 men under Brig. Gen. George A. McCall, just west of the Nelson farm, north of Willis Church. (The farm was now owned by R.H. Nelson, but many locals still called it Frayser's or Frazier's Farm.) McCall's division included the brigades of Brig. Gen. George G. Meade on the right and Brig. Gen. Truman Seymour on the left, with the brigade of Brig. Gen. John F. Reynolds (led by Col. Seneca G. Simmons since Reynolds's capture at Boatswain's Swamp after Gaines's Mill) in reserve.
Three Confederate brigades were sent forward in the assault, from north to south: Brig. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox, Col. Micah Jenkins (Anderson's Brigade), and Brig. Gen. James L. Kemper. Longstreet ordered them forward in a piecemeal fashion, over several hours. Kemper's Virginians charged through the thick woods first and emerged in front of five batteries of McCall's artillery. In their first combat experience, the brigade conducted a disorderly but enthusiastic assault, which carried them through the guns and broke through McCall
Battle of Glendale