Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 2, May 1999 Page: 77

Reminiscences of the Old Brigade

their men onward. When Col. Green saw the
movement on the "Mesa," he dispatched Lt-
Col. McNeil with a detail of 300 men to drive
them from the "Mesa." When the enemy on
the "Mesa" saw McNeil coming they abandoned
the "Mesa," passed between it and the river,
formed on our left flank and poured a galling
fire on our left and rear during our charge. It
was this fire that killed Hubbard, Joe Smith
and wounded Suff Clapp and one or two others
of our company. The enemy on our right, on
the other side of the river, kept up a plunging
fire on our right and rear during our charge but
was too far off to do much damage.
When in about forty yards of the enemy's
lines, the shot-guns opened, and at that fire the
enemy's lines seemed to melt away, but the
boys did not stop to re-load but they drew their
pistols and pressed right on over the cannons,
where a terriffic hand to hand struggle took
place, during which the enemy blew up one of
the caisons with several of our boys on it.
We have no mean and cowardly foe to fight.
The grand and noble Canby stands amid his
men and cheers them by words and deeds, and
he stands there until his men all flee. The gal-
lant McRae, scorning to retreat, stands by and
dies upon his guns, and nearly all his company
fall around him. Chivalrous Lord urges,-fer-
vently urges his men to stand firm against that
wave of gray; but vain were their appeals and
example.
Those potent men in gray, whom all the
live long day the enemy have shelled and beat
and badgered are grand and terriffic men; they
do not now, as the frown of battle lowers on
their brows seem to be the same men we lately
saw weeping over a dying comrade, but look
more like demons bent on destroying their own
race, and now, that the storm cloud of battle
sets on their brow, you see the flashing eye,
the firm set mouth, the clenched teeth, all tell-
ing of the firm set determination to conquer or
to die. On, on they press, their men falling,

bleeding, dying at every step, the clear ringing
tones of George Little, our flag bearer, is heard
over the din of battle. "Follow, and stick by
your flag boys!" Over their battery and on to
their infantry we go, they stand firm and bravely
meet the shock, but it was not in human power
to stop or resist that wave, and now they break
in utter confusion, many throwing down their
arms and seeking safety in flight, but one regi-
ment of infantry while compelled to retreat with
the crowd do so sullenly, and wheel and fire
back at us, but kill more of their own men than
they do of ours. On, on we press them to the
river and into it, and here their cavalry that
had been sent to the "Mesa" overtake their flee-
ing footmen and all go into the river together,
their cavalry actually riding over their infan-
try, we crowd the bank and play upon them
with our [illegible] arms until they cross, and
then we continue down this side firing upon
them as fast as we can load and fire. When we
had followed them below the "Mesa" the gal-
lant Shannon with our reserves-one company
of forty men-came up to take up the pursuit
and would have pursued them to Fort Craig,
but just as he reached the river bank a white
flag was presented by the enemy, after some
little discussion the flag was respected and fir-
ing ceased,-I being a private opposed respect-
ing it, and said that the only white flag that at
that time ought to be considered would be an
unconditional surrender of their army and the
fort. They requested that hostilities should cease
until they could bury their dead and attend their
wounded. Now here for nine long tedious hours
we have been fighting for that fort against four
times our numbers, and now, when we have
their army routed and panic stricken, and have
only to march in and take possession, we are
met in the midst of the pursuit with a white flag
and this request seemed to me rediculous. To
construe the real meaning of the request, it was
this:-"Now, Mr. Confederate, while it is true
you have battered down our walls, routed our

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