He can make a counter movement, if he chooses, by weakening his own right to help Burnside, or he can throw in Porter's corps of twelve thousand strong, to help Burnside, by a dash upon the center, or leave Burnside to struggle against the superior force in front of him, move Porter upon the double quick to the right, unite him with Franklin, order up fifty or eighty guns from his reserve artillery, gather the brigades of Hooker's, Williams's, and Sumner's corps to hold the line, while Franklin and Porter, twenty thousand strong, fall like a thunderbolt upon Jackson, and break him in pieces. He can adopt one other plan,—hold what has already been gained. He adopts the last, and makes no movement.
It was three o'clock before Burnside's troops were in position for the advance. The entire line moved, Wilcox and Crook up the ravine and on both sides of it, Rodman across the fields south of the highway, and Scammon along the river bank.
A. P. Hill, from his position, enfiladed Rodman, who was obliged to change his line of march. He severed his right from Wilcox, and wheeled towards the southwest.
He was obliged to make this maneuver, to meet Hill face to face, but it brought upon his line an enfilading fire from the cannon and infantry nearer the town, and it opened a wide gap in the line, which Burnside was obliged to fill by pushing in Sturgis,—his only reserve.
The troops move quickly to the attack. Wilcox and Crook sweep all before them. The Rebel batteries which have had possession of the hills east of the town through the day are compelled to fall back from knoll to knoll.
There is a mill by the roadside, a half-mile east of the town. The hills opposite the mill on the right hand are sharp and steep. It is about half a mile across the fields to the Boonesboro' pike, where Richardson's left has been struggling to gain a foothold.
The Rebel batteries, which have been thundering all day from these hillocks between the Boonesboro' road and the highway to Burnside's bridge, have enfiladed Richardson. They have answered Taft, and Weber and Porter's batteries upon the east bank of the river; they have thrown solid shot almost to the head-quarters of General McClellan; but now, under the resolute advance of Wilcox and Crook, they are forced to withdraw.
Rodman meanwhile is wheeling in the open field, under a fire from front, right and left, pouring hot upon him like the concentrating rays of a lens.
Hill had his own division, consisting of Branch's, Gregg's, Field's, Pender's and Archer's brigades, also Jenkins and Toombs. Hood was sent down from the church, and held in reserve.[75]