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

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[93] Carroll's brigade over to the right, to report to Howard. Carroll had promptly drawn out from the line, and moving by the right, on the double-quick, had soon, as narrated, covered the rear of the captured position on Cemetery Hill. Although it was quite dark, and difficult to distinguish friend from foe, he had, without loss of time, formed his command in column of regiments, charged on the victorious enemy, and after a sharp struggle, had driven back and down the hill the brigades of Hays and Avery, had retaken the captured guns, and advancing to the stone wall at the foot of the hill, had reformed the broken lines. General Meade's attention also had been attracted by this firing. Receiving word from Howard of the approaching attack on the right, and of the need of reinforcements, he ordered Newton to send Robinson's division at once back to the cemetery. He himself rode rapidly over there, and was on McKnight's Hill¹ at the time of the attack, sending a message to the troops engaged on Cemetery Hill to hold fast, that reinforcements would soon be there. Robinson's division shortly afterward filed through the cemetery to the Baltimore Pike, beyond which the contest had been raging; but Carroll's men had already done the work required.

This closed the fighting for the day, for although it had been arranged that Rodes's division, posted in the town of Gettysburg, on the right of Early, should co-operate in the assault, by the time he had drawn his troops out of the town, had formed them, and was ready to advance, Early had already assaulted and been repulsed from Cemetery Hill. By that time it was so late that it was not deemed advisable to continue the action, and Rodes's troops were recalled.

When it was found that the services of Ruger's division were not needed on the left, Williams had ordered it to return, as quickly as possible, to the right and reoccupy the line they had vacated. It was about dusk when Ruger received this order and moved over. On crossing the Baltimore Pike and entering the woods to gain his old line, his skirmish line that Ruger had sent out well in advance to reconnoitre, fearing that the enemy may have crept in during his absence, were fired upon and driven back. It was then discovered by Ruger that all that part of the breastworks on the left of his original position were in possession of the enemy, as also were those farther to his left that had been occupied by Geary. That part of the breastworks on the right and extending to Rock Creek were still unoccupied.