Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 4.
Frank Moore, Ed.

How Zollicoffer was Killed.--Mrs. Fry, wife of Col. S. S. Fry, of the Fourth Kentucky regiment, received a letter at Danville, from Col. Fry, written after the battle near Somerset. He details in the letter the manner in which he killed Gen. Zollicoffer, which varies somewhat from the many statements we have seen. Col. Fry was in the act of leading his regiment into a charge upon the Mississippians, when Gen. Zollicoffer, accompanied by his aid, rode up to him and said: “You are not going to fight your friends, are you? These men (pointing to the Mississippians) are all your friends.” In the mean time Zollicoffer's aid fired upon Col. Fry, wounding his horse, from which wound the animal died. Col. Fry then turned and fired upon Zollicoffer with fatal effect. Gen. Zollicoffer evidently labored under the impression that Col. Fry was a rebel officer. The stories about the old intimacy of the two officers are all untrue. They had never met before, nor did Col. Fry know the rank of the officer upon whom he fired, as the evidences of his rank were covered by a cloak which Gen. Zollicoffer wore in battle.