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column of three brigades in the direction of the Dunker Church was unsupported, and it appeared as if he had been assigned to fight the remainder of the battle alone.
The First Corps had been disposed of and Hooker wounded and carried to the rear, the Twelfth broken into fragments and Mansfield killed.
Sedgwick was annihilated by the Confederate fire in front and on both flanks.
The ground was strewn with the bodies of the dead and wounded, while the unwounded men moved rapidly away.
“Nearly two thousand men were disabled in a moment.”
The other divisions of the Second Corps under Richardson — who was mortally wounded-and French were ordered up to support Sedgwick, but too late, for R. H. Anderson's division, just from Harper's Ferry, had re-enforced D. H. Hill in his position on the famous Sunken road, which enabled the Confederates to vigorously assume the offensive, and the assaults of the remainder of Sumner's corps were repulsed.
The terrible carnage had progressed six hours. Franklin, with his Sixth Corps from Pleasant Valley, arrived about 10 A. M.-having sent Couch's division of the Fourth Corps to guard Maryland Heights.
His leading division under Smith, whose advance brigade was commanded by Hancock, went to the support of Sumner; a forward movement of this division and that of Slocum, which had arrived about noon, was stopped by McClellan, who feared a counter attack on his vanquished right.
The attack on the Confederate left being foiled, McClellan next threw a heavy force on the Southern center, which was repulsed by a part of Walker's division and the brigade of General G. B. Anderson, and Rodes of D. H. Hill's, assisted by a few pieces of artillery.
R. H. Anderson came to the support of this line too, and formed in rear.
The Fifth Alabama, on Rodes's right, was being enfiladed by battery fire, and Rodes gave directions to retire it, when the whole brigade, through a misapprehension of orders, moved back, making a gap which was immediately occupied by the Federals.
G. B. Anderson's brigade was broken, its commander being mortally wounded, and Major-General R. H. Anderson and Brigadier-General Wright
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