" THE SEHEN DAYS,” INCLUDING FRAYSER’S FARM.

401

impossible for the enemy to see us as we sat on our horses in the little field,surrounded by tall, heavy timber and thick undergrowth; yet a battery bychance had our range and exact distance, and poured upon us a terrific fire.The second or third shell burst in the midst of us, killing two or three horsesand wounding one or two men. Our little party speedily retired to safer quar-ters. The Federals doubtless had no idea that the Confederate President, com-manding general, and division commanders were receiving point-blank shotfrom their batteries. Colonel Micali Jenkins was in front of us, and I sent himan order to silence the Federal battery, supposing that he could do so withhis long-range rifles. He became engaged, and finally determined to chargethe battery. That brought on a general fight between my division and thetroops in front of us. Kemper on my right advanced his brigade over diffi-cult ground and captured a battery. Jenkins moved his brigade forward andmade a bold fight. He was followed by the other four brigades successively.

The enemy’s line was broken, and he was partly dislodged from his posi-tion. The batteries were taken, but our line was very much broken up bythe rough ground we had to move over, and we were not in sufficientlysolid form to maintain a proper battle. The battle was continued, however,until we encountered succor from the corps of Generals Sumner and Heintzel-man, when we were obliged to halt and hold the position the enemy hadleft. This line was held throughout the day, though at times, when vigorouscombinations were made against me, McCall regained points along his line.Our counter-movements, however, finally pushed him back again, and moreformidable efforts from our adversary were required. Other advances weremade, and reenforcements came to the support of the Federals, who con-tested the line with varying fortune, sometimes recovering batteries we hadtaken, and again losing them. Finally McCall’s division was driven off, andfresh troops seemed to come in to their relief. Ten thousand men of A. P.Hill ’s division had been held in reserve, in the hope that Jackson and Hugerwould come up on our left, enabling us to dislodge the Federals, after whichHill ’s troops could be put in fresh to give pursuit, and follow them down toHarrison’s Landing. Jackson found Grapevine Bridge destroyed and couldnot reach his position; while for some unaccountable reason Huger failed totake part, though near enough to do so. | As neither Jackson nor Hugercame up, and as night drew on, I put Hill in to relieve my troops. When hecame into the fight the Federal line had been broken at every pointexcept one. He formed his line and followed up in the position occu-pied by my troops. By night we succeeded in getting the entire field,though all of it was not actually occupied until we advanced in pursuitnext day. As the enemy moved off they continued the fire of theirartillery upon us from various points, and it was after 9 o’clock whenthe shells ceased to fall. Just before dark General McCall, while lookingup a fragment of his division, found us where he supposed his troops were,and was taken prisoner. At the time he was brought in General Lee hap-pened to be with us. As I had known General McCall pleasantly in our

4 General Huger says, in his official report, that the road was very effectively obstructed.— Editors.