Edward Porter Alexander, Military memoirs of a Confederate: a critical narrative

Meanwhile, after the repulse of Robinson's division, Griffin's division made two assaults. The first met about the same fate as Robinson. The second did not come so far, but secured positions to our right, where they could find cover from 300 to 400 yards away, and began to intrench. Crawford's division next came up to Griffin's left and extended his intrenchment, only exchanging rather distant fire with ours. Wadsworth's, the last division, now under Cutler, next made an attack upon our left, driving in our pickets and establishing a line prolonging Griffin's to his right. It was now about midday, and Warren's corps had been fought to a standstill.

About this time, Meade ordered Sedgwick to reenforce Warren with his whole corps and join him in an attack upon our two divisions, which was to be ‘immediate and vigorous.’ It was scarcely done as ordered, for it was not made until five o'clock; it was but a partial attack, and it was nowhere successful. The time required to form troops for an attack can seldom be exactly fixed, and here it was said that the ground was new to every one and the troops were tired with an all-night march.

The attack was made, however, by so large a force, that it overlapped our line on its right, which might have proved a very serious matter. As luck would have it, however, Crawford's division, the overlapping part which entered the woods beyond our extreme right about dusk, ran into Rodes's division of Ewell's corps, just arriving on the field, after an all-day march from the Wilderness, nearly exhausted by the heat, dust, and the smoke of the fires still burning there. Rodes promptly drove Crawford back to his place in the Federal line, and then forming his division on the right of Kershaw, he proceeded to intrench. Johnson's division formed on his right and Early's division, now under Gordon, in reserve. The fighting along the lines lasted until dark. During it, nearly every gun in our corps had been engaged, and was now assigned to some position, either on the line or behind, where it could fire over. Now at night, all were intrenching themselves, and we made our bivouac near the Blockhouse.

Hill's corps, now under Early, Hill being sick, had remained all day of the 8th guarding the movement of our trains from