Captain Conolly’s and Captain Wharton’s—attached, and the Fifth, Lieut.-Col. J. P. Jones in command during the sickness of Colonel McRae, were present, but so situated that they took no decided part in the engagement. The Sixth regiment was hotly engaged, however, and lost its gallant colonel, Charles F. Fisher.
This regiment had, by a dangerous ride on the Manassas railroad, been hurried forward to take part in the
expected engagement. When it arrived at Manassas
Junction, the battle was already raging. Colonel Fisher moved his regiment forward entirely under cover until he reached an open field leading up to the famous Henry house plateau, on which were posted Ricketts magnificent battery of Federal regulars with six Parrott guns, and not far away Griffin s superbly-equipped battery of Fifth United States regulars. These batteries, the commanders of which both rose to be major-generals, had done excellent service during the day, and not until they were captured was McDowell s army routed. At the time of Fisher’s arrival these guns, which had only recently been moved to this plateau, were supported by the Eleventh New York (Fire Zouaves) and the Fourteenth (Brooklyn) New York. Fisher s presence was not even suspected by the enemy until he broke cover about, says Captain White,[1] 125 yards in front of Ricketts battery, and with commendable gallantry, but with lamentable inexperience, cried out to his regiment, which was then moving by flank and not in line of battle, "Follow me," and moved directly toward the guns. In the confusion of trying to get in line, three of the left companies, with Lieutenant-Colonel Lightfoot, became separated from the right companies and took no part in the gallant rush forward, of which General Beauregard says, "Fish er s North Carolina regiment came in happy time to join in the charge on our left."[2] The Sixth was so close to
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