George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Major-General United States Army
George Gordon Meade, Ed.

[293] moment, forced to leave his guns in the enemy's hands. A force was now hastily collected, composed of the remaining men of the battery and some of the infantry, which made a last supreme effort to recapture the guns; but after a hand-to-hand fight, in which they succeeded in driving off the Eleventh Alabama, in regaining the battery, and rescuing Randol's wounded lieutenant, the enemy surging up in increasing numbers, this gallant little band was finally swept away. This was accomplished by part of Field's brigade, of A. P. Hill's division, which had been sent forward to Wilcox's relief.

A glance at the condition of the two contending lines at this point of time will explain the situation of affairs. The whole of Longstreet's division had now been engaged, and although temporarily successful on parts of the line, his attack had on the whole been so firmly resisted that it had failed in its main object—the breaking through of the Federal line and the gaining of the Quaker Road. His losses had been very severe; many of his brigades had been driven from the field, and those that remained were now, at dusk, so heavily pressed that the remaining brigades of A. P. Hill's division were being hurried up to support them and endeavor to regain the ground and batteries so often contended for. Along the Federal line, McCall's two flanks had been driven back and lost ground. His centre, however, still maintained itself, and with colors flying held its ground within a hundred yards of where it was originally posted, keeping watch over Cooper's guns, which neither side was able to use or remove. On McCall's right, Kearney had held his own all day. His left, which had been the only part of his line seriously engaged, was reinforced by part of Caldwell's brigade of Richardson's division, whilst Berry's brigade of Kearney's own division had also come to take position in its rear. On the left of the Pennsylvania Reserves, Hooker was to be found, still firmly posted. His right, Grover's brigade, on which had fallen the brunt of the fight, was now supported by Carr's brigade, which Hooker had posted in a second line. Both Kearney and Hooker held the same position they had taken up early in the day. Burns's brigade, which had been moved into the space between Hooker and McCall, occupying the ground where Seymour had reformed his line after Kemper's attack, had fought hard and well, and was now relieved by Sully's brigade of Sedgwick's division. This latter brigade, and Dana's of the same division, when the action began on Franklin's front, had been sent over there to be used in case of necessity. Late in the afternoon