Show I I FIERCE FIGHT AT FAIR OAKS OAKS Comrade William J J. J W Wray ray of Pennsylvania GI Gives ves Interesting Story of Noted Battle To refute that there e e were Jealous jealous- lea ies existing bet between e en Couch ouch and Casey and that Couch was not prompt to go to the support of Casey at the battle of Dr Fair Oaks 1 I give my personal knowledge while serving I ng in that ac tion with th the Pennsyl Pennsylvania van I a wr writes tes Comrade Wm 1 m. m J. J Wray in the National Tribune About noon of of Ia 1 May y 31 while the themen themen men of the regiment were cooking rice the a only n y ration on hand th the e ee wagons being away behind th the e enN en en- N r. r 1 V r We Were Relieved at Dusk emy attacked Casey's division which was In position about a quarter-mile quarter beyond the Nine Mile road when the battle opened Our brigade Abercrombie's Abercrombie's Aber Aber- crombie's of Couch's division was in bivouac along that road from the Williamsburg Wil- Wil road to and across the York river railroad and the right of the Pennsylvania ia rested In the fallen timber Umber to the left of the rail rail- road As soon as the tho action began a ashell ashell ashell shell from the enemy landed in a clearing in front of the camp and the themen themen themen men at once got into line General Keyes came riding up the road passed the Pennsylvania and ordered ordered or dered it to support C Casey's sey's right Moving across the Nine-Mile Nine road oad and through some some- low bushes 10 we we chine c came uI upon n the the enemy enemy n mY iwho who were were driving iri in lya a lees lee's ele s. s 8 1 de of Casey's division division I TW e we charged striking t e ey Jebe l I Jn flank k d driving Iri through a clearing and w- w woods wd woods where d vi r we wo continued the fight until recalled The Pennsylvania advanced through the woods and drove the enemy enemy enemy en en- emy into the clear fields where masses masses' of the enemy Pettigrew's brigade were moving to cross the the railroad We opened upon them and II became so hotly engaged that we were driven back slowly to the Nipe- Nipe could be seen Mile 1 road The enemy passing Town down the road and the rail rail- road We maintained this position with no support on either flank under tinder under un- un un tin- der a most severe severe fire Colonel Neill then ordered the men to retire to their ther camp on the Nine Nine Mile Milc road It appears now that Couch in order order order or or- der der- to gain time so he could form the regiments above named to the right and rear of Fair Oaks station tatton at tho Adams farm house left the Pennsylvania in the angle of tho the woods to hold the enemy Reaching to faced to the rear the Uie e camp we receive the tho attack attach of the enemy who had passed around the fallen timber Umber and while thus engaged a regiment the Nine Mite road and received received re reo re- re moved up a volley from the enem enemy They broke and coming back on the Pennsylvania threw our line Into confusion confusion con can rallied fusion but the men quickly position fully half an and hel held the hour until ordered out The resistance resist resist- resistance ance of the regiment in its old camp in conjunction with the New NewYork NewYork evidenced in the York on Its left was number of the enemy killed the enemy all the It had taken afternoon to drive o out our r line back 1000 1001 yards We Wo were relieved at dusk and bivouacked at the breastworks down tho the Williamsburg road The Tho troops troop engaged with were the were wo we Georgia South Carolina Georgia and the Palmetto sharpshooters of Andersons Anderson's brigade under Col ers MIcah Jenkins The last line that In check was of at troops the enemy held beld and Casey's divisions divisions divi of Couch's composed of Kearny's divi and a portion Bion Sion regiment fired about 60 rounds Our of ammunition lost killed captured an and wounded none and Company C in 35 prisoners brought took part w with th and picket was on farther down the brigade Birneys Birney's left lert leftIn leftIn lertIn B D was while Company railroad Millers Miller's bat bat- battery a and d supported In camp in front of the the clearl clearing g at tery appeared When the enemy camp execution as they they- they had had good they did the wounded and from arms gathered several muskets load had each man B n joined the regiment ed cd Company the as It formed In the nc new line Une to left of the camp |