Had Hill come a half hour later Lee's whole center would have been
swept away.
Lee and his great lieutenants, Jackson and Longstreet, were still
confident. Despite the disparity in numbers they had beaten back every
attack.
A. P. Hill was a man who corresponded in fire and impetuosity to Hooker.
The number of his veterans was not so great, but their rush was so fierce,
and they struck at such a critical time that the Northern brigades were
unable to hold the ground they had gained. More troops from the dying
battle on the north came to Lee's aid, and every attempt of McClellan to
take Sharpsburg failed.
Dick, fighting with his comrades on the north, knew little of what was
passing on the peninsula in the south, but he became conscious after a
while that the appalling fury of the battle around him was diminishing.
He had not seen such a desperate hand-to-hand battle at either Shiloh or
the Second Manassas, and they were terrible enough. But he felt as the
Confederates themselves had felt, that the Southern army was fighting for
existence.
But as the day waned, Dick believed that they would never be able to
crush Jackson.
Pages:
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295