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Confederate Veteran 1893 pg 15
Confederate Veteran, Vol. I, No. 11, Nashville, Tenn., November, 1893. BATTLE OF FRAZIER'S FARM, A CORRECTION. H. R. Hogan, Springfield, MO. I notice on page 212 of July VETERAN, in list of captured flags, No. 20, this statement: "United States Flag, Stars and Stripes, captured at New Market Cross Roads, June 30, 1862, by Patrick Ryan, Company D, Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, from Eleventh Alabama Regiment. "This flag was used by the rebels to deceive the United States troops." The above is a misstatement of facts, and should be corrected. The Eleventh Alabama Regiment never marched under false colors. I was a member of it, and took an active part in the battle of "Frazier's Farm." (The Yankees called it the "New Market Cross Roads.") I submit this statement of the battle as I saw it: In the forenoon of June 30,1862, our brigade, the Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Fourteenth Alabama Regiments, under the command of Brigadier-General Cadmus M. Wilcox, Longstreet's Division, was marched hurriedly from toward Richmond, and about 2 A. M. took position across either the Darbytown or Charles City road; I never was sure which road our line of battle crossed. Any way, our rear was toward Harrison's Landing, to which point the Federal Army was trying to get. Our opportune arrival at this point intercepted his line of march, and it at once became evident that a desperate struggle was impending. Our line extended along the south edge of an old field which had been turned out as commons. This opening was skirted with a thick growth of scrubby pines, which afforded us temporary shelter from view of the enemy, who were posted along the north side of the field, some two hundred or two hundred and fifty yards distant from our line. Directly across the road the enemy had planted a battery of sixteen brass howitzers, into whose dark muzzles we could plainly see. I can not tell how long we lay in this position, but suppose from thirty to sixty minutes. It was while our division was getting in position. My own company, A, lay just to the right or east of the road, the left resting almost at its edge. While lying here a scene of thrilling interest occurred. General R. E. Lee had been in the road a few minutes, taking in the situation, and all the rank and file had become nervous and excited over his presence in plain view and close proximity to the enemy, when suddenly President Davis dashed up, sprang from his horse, and proposed to lead us in an onslaught upon the enemy. The scene was thrilling and dramatic in the extreme. I shall never forget it. While we could not hear what the two great chieftains said, it was plainly evident that they were remonstrating with each other. In a few minutes, General A. P. Hill appeared, and engaged in a short parley with the two Chieftains, when all three retired from view down the road. A few short moments elapsed, when there occurred one of the most heroic, desperate, and sanguinary hand to hand conflicts ever recorded. We were in plain view of the enemy. The situation was terrible in the extreme. The command, "Forward! " no sooner fell upon the ear than every man was on his feet, and with a savage yell sprang into the opening. With all possible speed we rushed across it for the threatening battery. But, ah! many of those who emerged from that thicket had their lives snuffed out by iron missiles hurled from those blazing cannon. Without a halt-or waver, in the face of belching cannon and a solid line of leaden hail from a double line of infantry, delivered at close range on open and level land, the intervening space was soon covered. On reaching the guns, supported by a line of infantry which stood its ground, a desperate hand to hand conflict took place. Desperate men of both sides used their bayonets; officers, their swords and pistols. The scenes enacted in this horrible contest for the mastery beggar description. Here were Alabamians who never knew what it was to flinch in defending their homes and fighting for a principle, determined to conquer or to die. On the other hand were sturdy Pennsylvanians, made desperate by the thought of surrender. At last, when we thought the battle virtually won, a fresh line of infantry was thrown against us. Human endurance and unparalleled heroism could not avail. Slowly we began to retire, and in doing so every inch of ground was contested. When pressed back about half way across the open field, to our great surprise and joy, General Evans, with his Palmetto Brigade, of Ball's Bluff fame, came, with a rush and demoniac yell, upon the scene. With renewed courage our broken line again pressed to the front. The crash was tremendous, but the victory was ours. One of the trophies of this terrific battle was the person of Major General McCall, who commanded the Pennsylvanians. He was sent back to prison at Richmond. In our first onslaught, when we reached the battery, Charley McNeil mounted one of the guns with our regimental colors, but was shot, falling underneath the cannon, but still held and waved the flag in the face of the enemy. His nephew, Billy McNeil, seeing his uncle's condition, attempted to relieve him of the flag, but was shot dead before he could do so. (Both of these boys were raised with me in Marengo County, Ala.) When we were forced back, Charley McNeil was left with his flag, and when we returned he had been slain by a bayonet thrust through the heart and our colors were gone. I suppose. they are now in Washington as one of the trophies of that battle. The United States flag captured by Patrick Ryan from one of our regiments was taken from a Yankee in our first charge, and retaken by Ryan in the second advance under General Evans. There was no disposition on our part or any member of our regiment to deceive the enemy, neither was there any chance to practice any deception. The above is a brief account of the part taken by our command in that battle. Many thrilling incidents could be mentioned but limited space forbids. At the first discharge of that battery five of my own company were killed outright by grape shot, our Captain Holcomb being among them. Two of them struck him in the region of the heart, and he fell dead. The scene at the field hospital that night was heartrending. Oh, I'll never forget the groans and the intense agony of my torn and bleeding comrades and our noble Wilcox passing among the hundreds of wounded and dying heroes, wringing his hands and weeping as if his great heart would break, and saying,"My poor boys! My poor boys!"
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