Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 04.djvu/124

116 In the battle of the 3d there was a want of concert of action on the part of the Confederates, as the following extract from General Lee's report will show: "General Longstreet's dispositions were not completed as early as was expected, but before notice could be sent to Ewell, Johnson had already become engaged, and it was too late to recall him. After a gallant and prolonged struggle, in which the enemy was forced to abandon a part of his entrenchments, General Johnson found himself unable to carry the strongly fortified crest of the hill. The projected attack on the enemy's left not having been made, was enabled to hold his right with a force largely superior to that of General Johnson, and finally to threaten his flank and rear, rendering it necessary for him to retire to his original position about 1 P. M." It was near this hour that Longstreet's attack commenced, with a heavy cannonade of nearly an hour, to be speedily and thoroughly repulsed. In his report he says: "Orders were givedgiven [sic] to Major General Pickett to form his line under the best cover he could get from the enemy's batteries, and so that the center of the assaulting column could arrive at the salient of the enemy's position, General Pickett's line to be the guide, and to attack the line of the enemy's defences, and General Pettigrew, in command of Heth's division, moving on the same line as Pickett, was to assault the salient at the time. Pickett's division was arranged two brigades in the front line, supported by his third brigade, and Wilcox's brigade was ordered to move in rear of his right to protect it from any force that the enemy might attempt to move against it." Wilcox's brigade had lost seriously in the engagement the evening before—little over 500 out of 1,600—but was ordered at daylight to move to the front to support artillery, then being placed in position on and near the Emmettsburg pike, on ground won from the enemy. This brigade lay in line parallel with the pike and 150 yards in rear of it. About 10 A. M. Pickett's division arrived and formed in line nearly parallel with the pike, his center brigade directly in rear of Wilcox's brigade.

These four brigades lay in position during the cannonading that preceded the attack. Pickett's right brigade—Kemper's—lost near 200, the other brigades much less. From these four brigades the enemy's line directly in front was some 700 or 800 yards. Beyond the Emmettsburg pike it converged upon the pike towards