The leader fell from his horse, wounded severely, and the troops
advancing to victory became confused. The rumor spread that Longstreet
had been killed. There was no one to give orders, and the charge
stopped. Harry and a half-dozen others who had seen the accident or
heard of it, galloped to Lee, who at once rode into the very thick of the
command, giving personal orders and sending his aides right and left with
others. The whole division was reformed under his eye, and he sent it
anew to the attack.
The battle now closed in with the full strength of both armies. Hancock
strove to keep his place. The valiant Wadsworth had been killed already.
The dense thickets largely nullified Grant's superior numbers. Lee
poured everything on Hancock, who was driven from every position.
Fighting furiously behind a breastwork built the night before, he was
driven from that too.
Often in the dense shades the soldiers met one another face to face and
furious struggles hand-to-hand ensued. Bushes and trees, set on fire by
the shells, burned slowly like torches put there to light up the ghastly
scene of man's bravery and folly. Jenkins, a Confederate general,
was killed and colonels and majors fell by the dozen.
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