Union line of low works, for whenever successive Confederate assaults were delivered, all who could crowd up to the log-works fired, and all who could not lay down behind them, loaded rifles, and passed them up to those who could. The Confederate officers describe the fire they here encountered as an unbroken stream of lead. In one of these assaults, Gen. Deshler, who commanded one of Cleburne's Brigades, was killed, and Col. Roger Q. Mills succeeded him. It was Van Derveer's Brigade of Brannan's Division that had saved the Union left almost as by a miracle. It was at a heavy cost of men, and the severity of the fire may be judged by the fact that every horse in the brigade but two was disabled in the short charge. Thomas had sent for Brannan's Division, which, by agreement at the council the night before, was to be left as a movable reserve, but which, without Thomas' knowledge, had been moved before daylight into the front line at Poe's. At the moment the order to go to Thomas arrived, the attack of Stewart on Brannan's front was opening. Hastily consulting with Gen. Reynolds, near him, and both agreeing, he stood fast awaiting attack, and sent word to Rosecrans of the situation, asking if he should go in spite of the surroundings. Meantime, in partial compliance with the order, he dispatched his reserve brigade (Van Derveer's). The latter was proceeding under orders to report to Baird, when suddenly, with its lines in the underbrush, it received an enfilading fire from Adams and Stovall. Van Derveer rushed his line into the open, handled them as above described, and the position was saved. ני But while Van Derveer was clearing the Union left with his brigade, Longstreet with his column of three divisions from the forest east of Brotherton's was moving through the Union center, and dire calamity there seemed unavoidable. Negley's Division, which held the line west of the Brotherton Field, had been replaced by Wood shortly before the order reached Brannan to report to Thomas at the left, as A before related. Rosecrans, supposing Brannan would move at once under the order, sent directions to Wood on his right to close up rapidly on Reynolds and support him. Brannan, not having left the line, and Reynolds being to the left of Brannan, Wood moved rapidly into the rear of Brannan and toward Reynolds. At this moment, Longstreet's attack was delivered, and Bushrod Johnson's Division burst through the opening left by Wood. Buell's, Wood's right brigade, was caught while thus marching by the flank and broken up. Davis' Division, to the right and rear of Wood, was hurried toward the gap, and Rosecrans galloped to the Widow Glenn's to rush Sheridan also to the center. But the disaster could not be repaired. Laws' Division, following Johnson's, had turned toward the right against Brannan at Poe's, and the left of Stewart also bore down on Brannan's left. His division fought stubbornly, but Johnson was soon full on its flank, and it was forced to abandon its line. Meantime, Wood, seeing Hood's forces moving north through the Dyer Fields, performed an act which ranks, as a vital move, with that of Van Derveer's in the Kelly Field. Harker's Brigade, which had proceeded well toward the left in rear of Brannan when Longstreet attacked, was hurried back into the Dyer Field in front of Hood's advance, taking position on the crest which crosses that field near its northern limits, and there awaited Hood. Laws' Division was in advance. Harker first checked it by fierce musketry, and then charged down into its face, forcing it back into the woods, and so disabling it that it was not again brought into action. One of its regiments, however, the Fifteenth Alabama, Col. W. C. Oates, subsequently joined Kershaw's advance. This check enabled Brannan to form his line with some deliberation in rear of Harker on Snodgrass Hill. When Harker was at length pushed back by Kershaw's Division advancing over Law's, he took position on the low open crest to Brannan's left, and Snodgrass Hill became the Union right. Next on the right of Harker, Stanley's Brigade of |