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Lieutenant T. D. Lattimore of the 34th North Carolina Infantry: “On 26 June, 1862, being a part of A. P. Hill’s Light Division, we were ordered across the Chickahominy, and at Mechanicsville, where we had our first experience in real war, we were very anxious to fight; but some of us had serious misgivings as to how we would act when the test came. After being formed into line of battle we marched in the direction of the enemy and came in sight of him just before dark. We had been taught that the proper thing to do was to raise the ‘rebel yell’ and charge, which we proceeded to do, and found ourselves in a creek not far from the enemy’s works. In this fight our regiment lost 8 or 10 killed and 15 or 20 wounded.” -- from Lattimore’s short history of the 34th North Carolina in Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65 edited by Walter Clark and commonly called North Carolina Regiments, volume 2, page 583
Colonel John H. Taggert, commander of the Twelfth Pennsylvania Infantry: “On the afternoon of the 26th it was reported that the enemy were advancing in force, when eight companies of the regiment were at once posted in the rifle pits on both sides of the road, and two companies . . . at a rifle pit near Ellison’s grist-mill . . . . Two pieces of artillery of Cooper’s battery . . . were also posted on the brow of the hill in rear of the road over which the enemy were expected to pass. These dispositions made, it was not long before the enemy appeared in large force marching from Mechanicsville. Fire was immediately opened upon them by the two pieces of artillery and by the infantry in the rifle pits, which was returned with great spirit and determination by the advancing force.” -- from Taggert’s battle report, in War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, series I, volume 11, part 2, page 426
Captain James H. Cooper, commander of Battery B, First Pennsylvania Light Artillery: “Lieutenant Fullerton, in command of the left section, reports having engaged the enemy [and] repulsing them with case-shot and canister. Four desperate efforts were made to cross the bridge near the mill, but as often were they repulsed and forced to fall back.” -- from Cooper’s battle report, in War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, series I, volume 11, part 2, page 410
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