Mistaken Identity

At sundown, with the air dense with smoke and a banner still furled, members of the 5th South Carolina Infantry were uncertain whether the column before them was friend or foe. Colonel Jenkins called out for the opposing force to show its flag or face fire, and when no flag was unfurled, the order was given to fire. On the other side, men of the 16th Michigan Infantry were likewise unsure they faced an enemy until the opposing commander, on foot at the front, demanded their surrender. Major Welch refused, and the opposing force immediately opened a withering volley.

Virginia · United States