“Now we go!” cried Pennington in uncontrollable excitement, and the whole right wing seemed to lift itself up bodily and rush forward.  The men, eager to avenge the losses of the morning, began to shout, and their cheers mingled with the mighty tread of the charge, the thunder of the cannon and the rapid firing of thousands of rifles.  They knew, too, that Sheridan’s own eye was upon them, and it encouraged them to a supreme effort.

Infantry and cavalry swept on together in an overwhelming mass.  Cannon and rifles sent a bitter hail upon them, but nothing could stop their rush.  Dick felt all his pulses beating heavily and he saw a sea of fire before him, but his excitement was so intense that he forgot about danger.

The center also swung into the charge and then the left.  All the divisions of the army, as arranged by Sheridan, moved in perfect time.  The soldiers advanced like veterans going from one victory to another, instead of rallying from a defeat.  The war had not witnessed another instance of such a quick and powerful recovery.

Dick knew, as their charge gathered force at every step, that they were going to certain triumph.  The thinness of the Southern lines had already told him that they could not withstand the impact of Sheridan.  A moment later the crash came and the whole Union force rushed to victory.  Early’s army, exhausted by its efforts of the morning, was overwhelmed.  It was swept from the stone fences and driven back in defeat, while the men in blue, growing more eager as they saw success achieved, pressed harder and harder.

No need for bugle and command to urge them on now.  The Southern army could not withstand anywhere such ardor and such weight.  Position after position was lost, then there was no time to take a new stand, and the defeat became a rout.  Early’s army which had come forward so gallantly in the morning was compelled to flee in disorder in the afternoon.  The brave Ramseur, fighting desperately, fell mortally wounded, Kershaw could save but a few men, Evans held a ford a little while, but he too was soon hurled from it.  The Invincibles were driven on with the rest, cannon and wagons were lost, and all but the core of Early’s force ceased to exist.

The sun set upon the Union army in the camps that it had lost in the fog of the morning.  It had been driven five miles but had come back again.  It had recovered all its own guns, and had taken twenty-four belonging to the South.  It was the most complete victory that had yet been won by either side in the war, and it had been snatched from the very jaws of defeat and humiliation.  Small wonder that there was great rejoicing in the ranks of northern youth!  Despite their immense exertions and the commands of their officers they could not yet lie down and sleep or rest.  Now and then a tremendous cheer for Little Phil who had saved them arose.  Huge bonfires sprang up in the night, where they were burning the captured Confederate ambulances and wagons, because they did not have the horses with which to take them away.