Page:Decisive Battles Since Waterloo.djvu/285

Rh Bartlett's brigade all pushed forward to the rescue. United they were superior in number to the enemy in front of the position, but there was danger of their being beaten in detail as they arrived. Anderson's three brigades continued their advance, confident of victory. But the way was not an easy one. Meade in person led Lockwood's soldiers at the left against him, in the wood north of the Millerstown road, and McCandless' brigade supported him. Bartlett's, Eustis', and Nevin's brigades of the 6th corps arrived and reinforced the 5th on the line between Little Round Top and McGilvery's battery.

Barksdale and many of his men fell before one of Burling's regiments. Wilcox scaled the slopes and attacked Humphreys and Gibbon. Wright captured a battery on the edge of a wood above Gibbon's front. Webb's brigade dashed forward, destroyed two thirds of his division and recaptured the battery. Wilcox was taken in flank by McGilvery's artillery, and was vigorously met by Humphreys and Hancock. He lost a third of his men and withdrew to the Emmettsburg road. The attack had been a failure all along the line. If it had been supported by Posey's, Mahone's, or Pender's divisions the result might have been far different.

While this desperate fighting was taking place on the left, Ewell was not idle on the right. His orders were to move forward when he heard Longstreet's guns, but owing to a contrary wind he did not hear them until five o'clock. His six batteries on Benner's Hill opened against the Union entrenchment on Gulp's Hill, but being entirely unprotected, were quickly silenced. Johnson attempted to turn the Union position on Gulp's Hill by moving in the gorges of Rock Greek on the southeast. The 12th corps was abandoning this position, and on their way to the right, when Johnson attacked it. A few detachments of Green's brigade alone defended the intrenchments, and