ar. In the
advance Colonel Cross was killed, and the front line being enfiladed
in both directions, was soon so cut up that the rear line came
forward in its place. Zook was killed, but Brooke made a splendid
charge, turning Kershaw's right and driving Semmes back through
the supporting batteries. Sweitzer's brigade then came up a second
time to aid Brooke, but it was useless, for there was still another
line of batteries beyond, and as the Peach Orchard by this time
was in possession of the enemy, Brooke's advanced position was
really a disadvantage, for both his flanks were turned. Semmes'
brigade, together with parts of Benning's and Anderson's brigades,
rallied behind a stone wall, again came forward, and succeeded in
retaking the knoll and the batteries they had lost. Caldwell,
under cover of our artillery, extricated his division with heavy
loss, for both Zook's and Kelly's brigades were completely
surrounded.

Then Ayres,* who had been at the turning-point of so many battles,
went in with his fine division of regulars, commanded by Day and
Burbank, officers of courage and long experience in warfare. He
struck the enemy in flank who were pursuing Caldwell, and who would
have renewed the attack on Little Round Top, doubled them up, and
drove them back to the position Caldwell had left; but his line,
from the nature of things, was untenable, for a whole brigade with
ample supports had formed on his right rear, so that nothing remained
but to face about and fight his way home again. This was accomplished
with the tremendous loss of fifty per cent. of his command in killed
and wounded. His return was aided by the artillery on Little Round
Top, and by the advance of part of the Sixth Corps. When the troops
were all gone, Winslow's battery still held the field for a time,
and withdrew by piece.

[* General Ayres, whose service in the war commenced with the first
Bull Run and ended at Appomattox, may almost be called an impersonation
of the Army of the Potomac, as he took part in nearly all its
battles and minor engagements.]

The enemy, Wofford's, Kershaw's, and Anderson's brigades, now
swarmed in the front of our main line between the wheat-field and
Little Round Top. General S. Wiley Crawford, who commanded a
division composed of two brigades of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps,
was ordered to drive them farther back. This organization, which
at one time I had the honor to command, were veterans of the