Rodes' division of five brigades was formed across Seminary Ridge, facing south, with Iverson on the right, supported by Daniel and O'Neill in the centre, and Doles on the left, Ramseur being in reserve. Iverson was sent to attack the First Corps on Seminary Ridge, and O'Neill and Doles went forward about 2.45 P.M., to keep back the Eleventh Corps. When the two latter became fairly engaged in front, about 3.30 P.M., Early came up with his whole division and struck the Union right. This decided the battle in favor of the enemy.
Barlow had advanced with Von Gilsa's brigade, had driven back Ewell's skirmish line, and with the aid of Wilkinson's battery was preparing to hold the Carlisle road. He was not aware that Early was approaching, and saw Doles' advance with pleasure, for he felt confident he could swing his right around and envelop Doles' left; a manoeuvre which could hardly fail to be successful.
Schimmelpfennig now threw forward Von Amberg's brigade to intervene between O'Neill and Doles, and to strike the right flank of the latter; but Doles avoided the blow by a rapid change of front. This necessarily exposed his left to Barlow, who could not take advantage of it as he was unexpectedly assailed by Early's division on his own right, which was enveloped, and in great danger. His men fought gallantly, and Gordon, who attacked them, says, made stern resistance until the rebels were within fifty paces of them. As Barlow was shot down, and their right flank enveloped, they were forced to retreat to the town. This isolated Von Amberg's brigade, and Doles claims to have captured the greater portion of it.
The retrograde movement of the Eleventh Corps necessarily exposed the right flank of the First to attacks from O'Neill and Ramseur.
Howard sent forward Coster's brigade, of Steinwehr's division, to cover the retreat of the Eleventh Corps; but its force was too small to be effective; its flanks were soon turned by Hays' and Hoke's brigades, of Early's division, and it was forced back with the rest.
We will now go back to the First Corps and describe what took place there while these events were transpiring.
When the wide interval between the First and Eleventh Corps was brought to my notice by Colonel Bankhead of my staff, I detached Baxter's brigade of Robinson's division to fill it. This brigade moved promptly, and took post on Cutler's right, but before it could form across the intervening space, O'Neill's brigade assailed its right flank, and subsequently its left, and Baxter was forced to change front alternately, to meet these attacks. He repulsed O'Neill, but found his left flank again exposed to an attack from Iverson, who was advancing in that direction.* He now went forward and took shelter behind a stone fence on the Mummasburg road, which protected his right flank, while an angle in the fence which turned in a southwesterly direction covered his front. As his men lay down behind the fence, Iverson's brigade came very close up, not knowing our troops were there. Baxter's men sprang to their feet and delivered a most deadly volley at very short range, which left 500 of Iverson's men dead and wounded, and so demoralized them, that all gave themselves up as prisoners. One regiment, however, after stopping our firing by putting up a white flag, slipped away and escaped. This destructive effect was not caused by Baxter alone, for he was aided by Cutler's brigade, which was thrown forward on Iverson's right flank, by the fire of our batteries, and the distant fire from Stone's brigade. So long as the latter held his position, his line, with that of Cutler and Robinson's division, constituted a demi-bastion and curtain, and every force that entered the angle suffered severely. Rodes in his report speaks of it as "a murderous enfilade, and reverse fire, to which, in addition to the direct fire it encountered, Daniel's brigade had been subject to from the time it commenced its final advance."
[* General Robinson states that these changes of front were made by his orders and under his personal supervision.]
While Iverson was making his attack, Rodes sent one of his reserve brigades—the one just referred to, that of Daniel—against Stone. This joined Davis' brigade of Hill's corps, and the two charged on Stone's three little regiments. Stone threw forward one of these —the 149th Pennsylvania, under Lieutenant-Colonel Dwight, to the railroad cut, where they were partially sheltered. Colonel Dana's regiment, the 143d Pennsylvania, was posted on the road in rear of Dwight and to the right. When I saw this movement I thought it a very bold one, but its results were satisfactory. Two volleys and a bayonet charge by Dwight drove Daniel back for the time being.* In this attack Colonel Stone was severely wounded, and the command of his brigade devolved upon Colonel Wister of the 150th Pennsylvania.
[* Dwight was a hard fighter, and not averse to plain speaking. Once, when Secretary of War Stanton had determined to grant no more passes to go down to the army, Dwight applied for permission for an old man to visit his dying son. The request was refused; whereupon Dwight said: "My name is Dwight, Walton Dwight, Lieutenant- Colonel of the 149th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers. You can dismiss me from the service as soon as you like, but I am going to tell you what I think of you," and he expressed himself in terms far from complimentary; whereupon Stanton rescinded the order and gave him the pass.]