Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3.

[301] exhibited. Military skill was of little account, ana Grant knew it, and so he gave but the single general order, Attack along the whole line at five o'clock.

Lee was not quite ready at Grant's appointed hour, for he had made arrangements to strike the left of his antagonist a terrible and fatal blow, by which he hoped to drive him back to the Rapid Anna. It was for this purpose that Longstreet was ordered to the right of Hill. That general's force was not in position so early as Lee had hoped it would be, and therefore, to distract attention until Longstreet should be in position, and possibly to penetrate the National line at some weak point, he made a demonstration against Meade's right. This was done, at a little before five o'clock, by a fierce musketry attack upon Seymour's brigade, on the extreme right, which involved first Ricketts's division, and then Wright's. The assailants made desperate attempts to break through the lines, but were easily thrown back, when Sedgwick advanced his corps a little. At the same time Warren and Hancock made a simultaneous attack upon the foe on their front. The latter opened the battle on the left by advancing two divisions under Birney, with Getty's command, supported by the brigades of Owen and Carroll, of Gibbon's division. At the same time Wadsworth moved from his bivouack, and, gallantly fighting his way entirely across the portion of the Second Corps posted on the north of the plank road, wheeled up that highway, and commenced driving the Confederates, for Longstreet had not yet come into position, and Anderson's division was absent. Heth and Wilcox were driven a mile and a half back upon their trains and artillery, and nearly to Lee's Headquarters. The Confederate rifle-pits were captured, with many prisoners, and five battle-flags. A speedy and substantial triumph seemed to be promised for the Nationals, when, for some unexplained reason, the victors paused. It was a halt fatal to their hopes of success. During that interval Anderson came up and checked Hill's confused retreat, and at the same time the van of Longstreet's column, which had been marching to flank Hancock, appeared in front.

It was now about nine o'clock in the morning.

May 6, 1864.

Hancock re-formed his somewhat broken line, which had been re-enforced by Stevenson's division of Burnside's corps in addition to that of Wadsworth, and resumed his advance, when he found his way blocked by an unexpectedly large and determined force. Lee had recalled Longstreet from his flanking march to the assistance of Hill, and it was a greater portion of the Confederate army which Hancock had before him. He had been informed of Longstreet's flanking march, and was. expecting him from another quarter. For awhile the noise of guns where Sheridan, at eight o'clock, encountered Stuart's cavalry far on Hancock's left, was supposed to be the sounds of Longstreet's contest with National skirmishers, but while Hancock was looking for him on his flank, his van, as we have seen, had. taken position on his front. Ignorant of this, the latter resumed the attack. most vigorously, but could make no headway. Finally, after losing heavily, he found himself compelled, at about 11 o'clock, to fall back before an over-whelming force, sent, according to Lee's original plan, to double up the, National left, and drive the whole army back to the Rapid Anna. Wads-worth was then fighting gallantly, and pushing into a weak part of the Confederate line, when his own gave way. While trying to rally his flying