was divided with the troops on that part of the field where his
command fought--Brannan's and Wood's divisions--but this supply
was soon exhausted. The troops then gathered what could be found
in the cartridge-boxes of the slain, friend and foe being alike
examined. With the fresh charges of the enemy, the troops were
ordered to use their bayonets and give the rebels cold steel, and
in the final charges the enemy was met and repulsed in this way.

In the breaking up of our right, two brigades of Davis's division,
one of Van Cleve's, and the entire of Sheridan's division was caught
in the whirl and sent adrift from the main command, the enemy in
heavy columns completely controlling all access to Thomas and the
remaining divisions with him, except by way of the Dry Valley road
across the ridge and on to Rossville, thence back on the La Fayette
road to Thomas's left. The troops of Sheridan's and Davis's divisions
were rallied a short distance in the rear of the line, and taking
the Dry Valley road, endeavored to unite with Thomas's command.
They were placed in position on the Rossville road leading to
the battlefield. [Note from Bob: In fact, Sheridan continued to
withdraw his division away from the battlefield.]

Rosecrans was watching on the rear of Davis's right for McCook to
close up his line to the left when Longstreet's men poured through
the gap left by Wood's withdrawal. Seeing that some disaster had
occurred, Rosecrans hurried in person to the extreme right, to
direct Sheridan's movements on the flank of the advancing rebels.
But it was simply impossible to stem the tide and our men were
driven back as the enemy advanced. Leaving orders for the troops
to be rallied behind the ridges west of the Dry Valley road,
Rosecrans endeavored with Garfield, his chief of staff, and a few