[622] seen Sykes hastening to throw four brigades of this latter corps into the fight; the other five brigades, under Ayres and Crawford, are on the way to join them. From the left his position fortunately approaches the extreme Federal right, which in its turn is stripped for his benefit. At five o'clock Williams' division has moved from the banks of Rock Creek, and is following in the tracks of the Fifth corps; half an hour later a despatch to Geary also puts him in motion with the brigades of Kane and Candy, leaving only Greene's brigade to cover the front which was lately occupied by the Twelfth corps. Humphreys has long since sent Burling to the left; Sickles takes away from him two more regiments, and borrows one from De Trobriand, in order to reinforce the position of the orchard, which the enemy's artillery and Barksdale's skirmishers are riddling with balls. The Second corps has furnished Caldwell's division to defend the line occupied by Ward and De Trobriand. The latter, by making so long a resistance, have thus enabled Meade finally to place on his left much more numerous forces than those of the assailants.
In fact, Hood's division has for a long time alone sustained the burden of the attack. It is exhausted. Robertson has been wounded, together with all the superior officers of his brigade; Benning, menaced in flank by Caldwell, dares not go beyond the summit of Devil's Den; McLaws, who has been in position since four o'clock, has as yet only brought into action in front of the orchard two of his brigades to support Hood, and one of them only within the last quarter of an hour. The other two have not attacked the orchard, expecting that the defenders of this position had either been turned or that Colonel Alexander's artillery had broken their lines by his fire. It is six o'clock, and Hill, in order to follow, is waiting in vain for the troops posted on his right to take up the line of march: the large open space which separates him from the enemy will not permit him to advance except by a collective movement, when his right flank would be protected. Besides, as we have stated, McLaws, who is to follow Hood's movement, must, on the contrary, according to Lee's orders, determine that of Anderson;1 and the
