And then
with their fierce yell they charged and swept the field.
Lee repeated the brilliant achievement of Jackson at Chancellorsville.
Longstreet was sent around Hancock's left to turn and assail his flank.
The movement was a complete success. Hancock's line was smashed and
driven back a mile to his second defenses.
General Wadsworth at the head of his division was mortally wounded and
fell into the hands of the on-sweeping Confederates. Just as the
movement had reached the moments of its triumph which would have
crumpled Grant's army in confusion back on the banks of the river,
Longstreet fell dangerously wounded, struck down by a volley from his
own men in exactly the same way and almost in the same spot where
Jackson had fallen. General Jenkins, who was with him, was instantly
killed.
The charging hosts were halted by the change of Commanders and the
movement failed of its big purpose, though at sunset General John B.
Gordon broke through Sedgwick's Union lines, rolled back his right
flank, drove him a mile from his entrenchments and captured six hundred
prisoners with two brigadier generals.
The mysterious fate which had pursued the South had once more stricken
down a great commander in the moment of victory, and snatched it from
his grasp--at Shiloh, Albert Sydney Johnston; at Seven Pines, Joseph E.
Pages:
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479