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[123] annoy the detachments which on the south have turned Hazen's position. Wood's second brigade, commanded by Colonel Buell, was closely in Harker's train; Wood has placed it in the middle of the fields forward of the road, near the Vineyard farm, ready to support Carlin and Barnes. Both of the latter resist the repeated assaults by Gregg and McNair. Gregg falls wounded into their hands. Hood moves against them Robertson's brigade, until then held in reserve, consisting of choice soldiers whom he has himself led to the slopes of Round Top on the field of Gettysburg. Robertson comes upon Carlin, rescues Gregg, and carries everything before him. The Federals; routed, fall pell-mell upon Buell's men, who cannot return the enemy's fire lest they kill their comrades. They try to charge the enemy, but the mass of fugitives carries them away, without being able to fight, as far as the wood which bounds the farm, about two hundred yards to the west of the road. More to the right, Barnes has also been repulsed, and the batteries of Wood's division have hastily fallen back: one of them falls into the hands of the enemy.

This was at the point in the progress of events where we left off our narrative a little while ago—a critical moment for the Federals. True, their left, to which Bragg has directed his first and greatest efforts, has finally tired the assailants; but the centre has met with a reverse the consequences of which have been lessened only by the intervention of the artillery, while the right is in full flight. The road which forms the base of defence for the Union army is at several points occupied by the Confederates. These are, however, exhausted: they have worn themselves out on the left by fruitless attacks. To derive any benefit after so many sacrifices, Bragg should be enabled to renew the fight with fresh troops. He has in hand two divisions—Preston's, which on the left, near Gordon's Mills, exchanges shots with Sheridan; and Hindman's, which, having before three o'clock crossed the river more to the right, also receives the shot of the enemy without any good return in the position recently occupied by Johnson. These troops await only a signal to achieve the victory. Bragg does not give the signal. He only orders Preston to send Trigg's brigade to aid Johnson. He persists in his original design, and wishes to dislodge the enemy's left before following up his success

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