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 .

The slowing Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale of this counter-attack Attack in the face of the Royalist cavalry forced Causation Essex to send Sending for reinforcements , who , while marching Self_motion to him , were attacked Attack and forced to retreat Escaping .