inst Lane's
flank, rushed forward through the wood. Two hundred paces from the
embankment it came in contact with Archer's left, which was resting
on the very edge of the coppice. The Confederates were taken by
surprise. Their front was secured by a strong skirmish line; but on
the flank, as the thickets appeared impenetrable, neither scouts nor
pickets had been thrown out, and the men were lying with arms piled.
Two regiments, leaping to their feet and attempting to form line to
the left, were broken by a determined charge, and gave way in
disorder. The remainder, however, stood firm, for the Federals,
instead of following up their success in this direction, left Archer
to be dealt with by the third brigade of the division, which had now
reached the railroad, and swept on towards the military road, where
Gregg's brigade was drawn up within the forest. So thick was the
cover, and so limited the view, that General Gregg, taking the
advancing mass for part of Archer's line retiring, restrained the
fire of his men. The Federals broke upon his right. He himself fell
mortally wounded. His flank regiment, a battalion of conscripts,
fled, except one company, without firing a shot. The two regiments on
the opposite flank, however, were with great readiness turned about,
and changing front inwards, arrested the movement of the enemy along
the rear.

The Federals had now been joined by a portion of the first brigade,
inspirited by their victory over Lane, and the moment, to all
appearance, seemed critical in the extreme for the Confederates. To
the left rear of the attacking column, Meade's third brigade was held
in check by Walker's batteries and the sturdy Archer, who,
notwithstanding that a strong force had passed beyond his flank, and
had routed two of his regiments, still resolutely held his ground,
and prevented his immediate opponents from joining the intruding
column. To the right rear, opposite Pender, Gibbon's division had
been checked by the fire of the great battery near Bernard's Cabin;
two of his brigades had been driven back, and the third had with
difficulty gained the shelter of the embankment. So from neither left
nor right was immediate support to be expected by Meade's victorious
regiments. But on the Richmond road were the divisions of Birney and
Newton, with Doubleday's and Sickles' not far in rear, and 20,000
bayonets might have been thrown rapidly into the gap which the
Pennsylvanians had so vigorously f