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[84] Sickles, whose eye takes in the whole battlefield at a glance, sends Ward's brigade to support Berry's right in the wood, and this timely reinforcement gives once more the advantage to the Federals in that direction. In the mean time, the Confederates, led by Hall, have secured a foothold upon the edge of the plateau of Chancellorsville, and, after a veritable melee with side-arms, have taken possession of a portion of the earthworks erected thereon. But the check sustained by their left leaves them without support, and exposed, in their turn, to a convergent fire. The New Jersey brigade, which was formerly organized by the valiant Kearny,1 and is desirous of proving itself worthy of its old chief, returns to the charge: a new conflict takes place in the intrenchments. General Mott, in command of the Federals, is wounded, but his soldiers take possession of the work again, which is strewn with the dead and the dying; a number of prisoners and two regimental flags fall into their hands, and the enemy recrosses Lewis' Creek in disorder. As yet, the right of the third Confederate line has not participated in the combat. Its turn comes at last. Colquitt, after several useless countermarches, is sent to the left to support Nicholls' brigade, whose commander has just been killed, and which French, having rallied his troops, has vigorously attacked in the wood. The arrival of this reinforcement gives the advantage once more to the Confederates, while Hall, followed by those who surround him, whom his example stimulates, recaptures the intrenchments adjacent to the road. But this success is of as short duration as the preceding one, and Hall is soon driven back into the wood whence he has just emerged. After this effort the combatants on that side remain fronting each other, without venturing to come nearer. At the same time, south of the road the two brigades forming the right of the third line, under Ramseur and Doles, finally reach the logworks which had been abandoned since morning
1 This was the organization known as the Second New Jersey brigade, composed at this time of the Second New York, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth New Jersey, and One Hundred and Fifteenth Pennsylvania infantry. When General Mott, its commander, was wounded, the command devolved on Colonel William J. Sewell, Fifth New Jersey volunteers. The First New Jersey brigade, of which General Kearny was the original commander, belonged to the First division, Sixth army corps.—Ed.
Philadelphia, Jos. H. Coates and co., 1883.
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