Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 2.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[291] the embankment. All Hill's troops were concentrated to dislodge them; the rest of Hooker's division hastened to their assistance; and notwithstanding their numerical inferiority, the Federals maintained their position, when Early, throwing himself into the melee, put an end to the struggle and carried off the victory. Kearny, who had been notified too late, only attacked the enemy after Grover's repulse. Movements so badly combined could not succeed. Kearny experienced the same fate as Hooker.

While the right of the Federals was sustaining considerable but fruitless losses in these partial engagements, Pope was wondering that he did not hear Porter's cannon thunder upon what he believed to be Jackson's flank. Having at last been informed of the position in which McDowell had left his subordinate, he sent him, at half-past 4 o'clock, an order to attack the enemy's lines, and to carry out the prescribed movement. He expected to renew the assault upon the railroad at the moment when, according to his own calculations, Porter must have flanked the enemy's line. Allowing him an hour and a half to accomplish this, he gave the signal for a new attack in front between five and six o'clock. On the left the division of Reno, and on the right that of Kearny, who had taken Hooker's place, both advanced under a most terrific fire. Kearny, making a change of front, charged the extreme left of the enemy's line, broke it, threw it upon its centre, and once more took possession of the embankment. Reno supported him. But the Confederates made an offensive return, and the Union troops, having no reserves left, finally lost all the ground they had so persistently contested. It was now a quarter-past six o'clock. At this moment McDowell appeared on the battle-field with the heads of column of the remainder of his corps, which, having diverged from the Gainesville road, had just arrived from Manassas. He debouched on the left of Siegel, and instantly deploying the first division, under King, led it to the attack upon the enemy's positions near Groveton. But instead of having to fight the exhausted troops of Jackson, he found in these positions Hood's division, which Longstreet, henceforth at perfect ease regarding his right, had sent to the relief of the latter. It resisted without losing an inch of ground. King returned to the charge several times, but