Miles,
After further review, I am more confused than ever, but now lean toward your position, which if I can accurately summarize is: 1) O'Neal's first charge and quick repulse; 2) Iverson's charge and extended repulse/capture; 3) O'Neal's second charge (now with 5th Alabama) and repulse; 4) Ramseur's charge and success. But there are unresolved issues that need to be addressed. If I may state these succinctly:
- the 45th NY (11 Corps) indicates they repulsed O'Neal and captured many prisoners, then they helped repulse Iverson's charge and captured more prisoners. How they were involved with Iverson is beyond me, but if they are referring to O'Neal's second charge, it makes sense. It also means they were involved with both O'Neal charges, and having arrived in town around 11:15 am, they had time to make it out there.
- a "blind spot" exists for a stretch along the Mummasburg Road into which many of O'Neal's men took refuge. They must have surged into that location during the first charge and/or second charge and were essentially trapped until taken captive by the 12th Massachusetts, and (perhaps later) the 13th Massachusetts and 104th New York. The 26th Alabama was likely heavily represented here, and if their color bearer worked his way around to the right toward Iverson's oncoming left, it would explain how the 88th Pennsylvania got their flag. But the 88th is vague about how these colors were taken - maybe they were found on the ground or taken from the bearer while he was a prisoner going to the rear?
- Adjutant Wehrum and George Kimball of the 12th Massachusetts associate (incorrectly) Iverson with McLean's barn, and thus prisoners they took would have been mainly from O'Neal, not Iverson. This set off a heated exchange in the National Tribune with Isaac Hall of the 97th NY, who denied their extensive claimed role against Iverson, when in fact they meant O'Neal.
- If O'Neal did make two separate charges, I am thinking the following First Corps units were involved in their repulse: First charge: 12th Massachusetts, 88th Pennsylvania, 83rd New York; Second charge: 13th Massachusetts, 104th New York, right companies of 90th Pennsylvania.
- Regarding the 12th Alabama, Robert Park writes that after a "long exposure" to the enemy his regiment was ordered back. Clearly he did not return after O'Neal's first charge because that was over in a matter of minutes.
- When Ramseur advanced, his two left regiments (2nd and 4th North Carolina) likely passed over the ground west of the McLean barn and by then O'Neal's second charge must have been over. The 16th Maine was sent to make a last ditch stand and was essentially annihilated.