Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston fended Defending off McClellan 's repeated attempts to take Motion the city , slowing Hindering Union progress on the peninsula to a crawl .

With speed down to a crawl the 'home ' signal was lowered Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale , the driver assumed Deciding , wrongly , that with no other fixed signals Warning to Cherry Tree Lane his route was clear and speed gradually rose Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale .