t seven o'clock, while
Bragg ordered the attack to begin at daylight.

Rosecrans' movement began on time and for a time was going very
successfully. But about 6.30 A. M. the enemy in force attacked McCook's
right and found that the two brigades were weakly posted, without support,
the remaining brigade of Johnson's division being nearly a mile and a half
to the rear at Johnson's headquarters. The command was not in any way
ready for battle. The horses of some of the batteries were being watered
at the stream and the men of one brigade were cooking breakfast. Kirk's
brigade, the first attacked, tried to make some resistance and called for
help upon Willich's brigade, but Willich was absent at headquarters and
his brigade was without a commander and made no effort to support Kirk.
Both brigades were quickly rolled up. Baldwin's brigade, in reserve, was
moved up, but was too far distant, and the rout of the other two brigades
was complete before assistance could be rendered. The weight of the attack
then fell upon Baldwin, whose brigade, with Simonson's Fifth Indiana
Battery, succeeded in checking the assailants and inflicting heavy loss,
but was soon forced to retire to avoid being surrounded.

Meanwhile a severe attack had been made all along McCook's front, and
after the rout of Johnson's division the flank of Davis's division was
exposed. The enemy's attack was repulsed, but he soon reformed, brought up
his reserves and renewed the attack. The attack was again repulsed.
Davis's division now formed almost a right angle with Sheridan's, and the
rebels directed the next attack on the vertex of the angle. Davis's
division was driven out of its position, being greatly overlapped, and
Sheridan had to withdraw his right, gaining time to do so by charging with
Robert's brigade. His new line was at right angles to his first position.
Here he held on desperately, trying to reform the broken division to his
right. After repulsing several attacks, his ammunition was exhausted and
he was forced to fall back, as was also Negley, whose division had been
heavily engaged in front and afterward on the right flank.

Word had been sent to Rosecrans soon after seven o'clock that McCook's
corps was heavily pressed and needed assistance. But he did not realize
the extent of the disaster, and it was not until informed by a second
messenger that the right wing was being driven that he realized the true
state of affairs. He found then that he