“THE SEVEN DAYS," INCLUDING FRAYSER’S FARM.

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in a severe skirmish, with infantry and artillery. The battle then raged withgreat fierceness. General Jackson was again missing, and General Lee grewfearful of the result. Soon I received another message from General Lee,saying that unless I could do something the day seemed to be lost. I thendetermined to make the heaviest attack I could. The position in front of mew T as very strong. An open field led down to a difficult ravine a short distancebeyond the Powhite Creek. Prom there the ground made a steep ascent, andwas covered with trees and slashed timber and hastily made rifle-trenclies.General Whiting came to me with two brigades of Jackson’s men and askedme to put him in. I told him I was just organizing an attack and would givehim position. My column of attack then was R. H. Anderson’s and Pickett’sbrigades, with Law ’s and Hood’s of Whiting’s division.

We attacked and defeated the Federals on their left, cap-turing many thousand stand of arms, fifty-two pieces ofartillery, a large quantity of supplies, and many prison-ers,— among them General Reynolds, who afterward fellat Gettysburg . The Federals made some effort to reen-force and recover their lost ground, but failed, and duringthe afternoon and night withdrew their entire forces fromthat side of the Cliickahominy, going in the direction ofJames River. On the 29th General Lee ascertained thatMcClellan was marching toward the James. He deter-mined to make a vigorous move and strike the enemy asevere blow. He decided to intercept them in the neigh-borhood of Charles City cross-roads, and with that end inview planned a pursuit as follows: I was to march to apoint below Frayser’s farm with General A. P. Hill . Gen-eral Holmes was to take up position below me on the sioned officer of theNew Market or River road, to be in readiness to cooperate 1 s 1higade? ke^'s' 8with me and to attack such Federals as would come within division, 3d

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liis reach. Jackson was to pursue closely the Federalrear, crossing at the Grapevine Bridge, and coming in on the north of thecross-roads. Huger was to attend to the Federal right flank, and take posi-tion on the Charles City road west of the cross-roads. Thus we were toenvelop the Federal rear and make the destruction of that part of McClellan’sarmy sure. To reach my position south of the cross-roads, I had about six-teen miles to march. I marched 14 miles on the 29th, crossing over into theDarby town road and moving down to its intersection, with the New Marketroad, where I camped for the night, about 3 miles south-west of Frayser’sfarm. On the morning of the 30th I moved two miles nearer up and madepreparation to intercept the Federals as they retreated toward James River.General McCall, with a division of ten thousand Federals, was at the cross-roads and about Frayser’s farm. My division, being in advance, wasdeployed in front of the enemy. I placed such of my batteries as I could findposition for, and kept Hill ’s troops in my rear. As I had twice as far tomarch as the other commanders, I considered it certain that Jackson and

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