f Sykes, who was doubtfully
struggling to hold his line; but who now, by the aid of the gallant
brigade, was able to hurl the assailants back from his front.

The rebel line being completed, Longstreet, A. P. Hill, and Jackson all
up with their troops, a general advance was made.

The charge was made with great spirit, the rebels rushing over the open
ground and floundering through the swamp under a most writhing fire, but
the position of our forces was still too strong for them. At all points
they were repulsed with terrible slaughter. First on the right, where
Sykes' regulars, supported by Bartlett's brigade, withstood the onset of
Hill, the disordered and disheartened confederates began to scatter in
all directions.

One of the confederate generals reported that had not his men fallen
back themselves he would have ordered it. "Men were leaving the field,"
says another general, "in every direction; two regiments ... were
actually marching back under fire. Men were skulking from the woods in a
shameful manner. The woods on our left and rear were full of troops in
safe cover, from which they never stirred." Such was the effect of the
reception given by the regulars. On our left they met with no better
success. These, too, fell back in disorder. Now a desperate attempt was
made against our center. The tactics with which we afterwards became so
familiar on the part of the rebels were brought to bear. This was in
massing troops against certain parts of our line and making desperate
onslaughts with a view of breaking the line. The forces of Jackson, Hill
and Longstreet threw themselves fiercely against our works, but without
being able to drive our men back. Here it was that the First and Third
brigades of Slocum's division saved the wavering line, and all the fury
of the rebels was spent in vain. General Porter directed Newton's
brigade to its position in the center; Newton leading the Thirty-first
New York and Ninety-fifth Pennsylvania into the woods on one side, and
the gallant Colonel Matheson with the Eighteenth and Thirty-second
entering on the other, both in the face of a destructive fire. The
rebels charged upon the brigade and gallantly the charge was met.
Newton, seeing the rebel line waver before the fire of his men, shouted
"Forward!" and the impetuous regiments cleared the woods and drove the
rebels more than seven hundred yards. But the confederates, reinforced,
pressed hard upon them with overwhelming numbe