Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

Maney's retreat causes a like movement on the part of Strahl. The latter has already seen his left uncovered by the rout of its neighbor, Wright's brigade. Posted upon a slight elevation in a strong position, he might nevertheless have yet held out if, at the time when Jackson was giving way, Cheatham had not sent him orders to bear to the right so as to support Jackson. In the midst of this dangerous flank movement Strahl's right has come into collision with Johnson's soldiers on the ground where it expected to meet friendly troops. This unforeseen shock has thrown into confusion the entire brigade, which beats a hasty retreat, leaving more than two hundred dead on the ground. However, Strahl has been able to re-form his ranks and carry out the orders of his chief, thanks to the arrival of Maney, who covers his right. But the latter, after three-quarters of an hour's fighting, when he is in turn repulsed, sees himself obliged to follow Strahl in his retreat. Cheatham, in order to give the fugitives time to rally, again moves Jackson's and Smith's soldiers to the front. These troops, being hardly recovered from their recent reverses, need, fortunately, but little exertion to check the Unionists, who are themselves exhausted.

Wright, on the left, has suffered, as we have said, a still greater reverse than the rest of the division. In fact, the advent of new Federal forces has changed the face of the struggle which he was keeping up, with varying success, since one o'clock in the afternoon against Cruft and Grose. A little before eleven o'clock, Thomas, seeing the battle seriously commenced, and wrongly believing that Palmer was already in line beside him, had wished to finish closing to the enemy the breach which separated him from the Twenty-first army corps. He had asked Crittenden to take charge of this operation with a second division of that corps. The despatch had reached its destination about half-past 11 o'clock; Palmer was on the way, and Crittenden had waited only for the authority from the general-in-chief to respond to Thomas' request by sending to the left Van Cleve with two of his brigades. His haste was justifiable, for he had just learned that the messengers despatched after Palmer had not been able to overtake him; they had been halted by Wright's scouts: Palmer was then engaged with an enemy who