“We were relieved by Jenkins’ Brigade, under command of that able and efficient officer, General Bratton, and ordered to the rear and rest.  We had scarcely thrown ourselves upon the ground, when General Bratton requested that a regiment be sent him to fill a gap in the lines, which the enemy had discovered and were preparing to break through.  I was ordered to take the Second Regiment and report to him.  A staff officer showed me the gap, when I double quicked to it, just in time, as the enemy were within forty yards of it.  As we reached the point we poured a well-directed volley into them, killing a large number, and putting the rest to flight.  General Bratton witnessed the conduct of the regiment on this occasion and spoke of it in the highest terms.”

But, meanwhile, Longstreet’s flanking columns were steadily making their way around the enemy’s left.  At ten o’clock the final crash came.  Like an avalanche from a mountain side, Wofford, Mahone, Anderson, and Davis rushed upon the enemy’s exposed flank, doubling up Hancock’s left upon his center, putting all to flight and confusion.  In vain did the Federal commander try to bring order out of confusion, but at this critical moment Wadsworth, his leading Division General, fell mortally wounded.  Thus being left without a commander, his whole division gave way, having, with Stephen’s Division, been holding Fields in desperate battle.  The whole of Hancock’s troops to the right of the plank road was swept across it by the sudden onslaught of the flanking column, only to be impeded by the meeting and mixing with Wadsworth’s and Stephen’s retreating divisions.

At this moment a sad and most regretable occurrence took place, that, in a measure, somewhat nullified the fruits of one of the greatest victories of the war.  One of Mahone’s regiments, gaining the plank road in advance of the other portion of the flanking column, and seeing Wadsworth giving such steady battle to Fields, rushed over and beyond the road and assailed his right, which soon gave way.  Generals Longstreet, Kershaw, and Jenkins, with their staffs, came riding down the plank road, just as the Virginia Regiment beyond the road was returning to join its brigade.  The other regiments coming up at this moment, and seeing through the dense smoke what they considered an advancing foe, fired upon the returning regiment just as General Longstreet and party rode between.  General Jenkins fell dead, Longstreet badly wounded.  Captain Doby, of Kershaw’s staff, also was killed, together with several couriers killed and wounded.

This unfortunate occurrence put a check to a vigorous pursuit of the flying enemy, partly by the fall of the corps commander and the frightful loss in brigade and regimental commanders, to say nothing of the officers of the line.  Captain Doby was one of the most dashing, fearless, and accomplished officers that South Carolina had furnished during the war.  The entire brigade had witnessed his undaunted valor