The attack of the Confederates was made, “as Jackson usually did, in heavy columns” (Sickles), and was vigorous and effective.  According to their own accounts, the onset was met with equal cheerful gallantry.  While Archer occupied Hazel Grove, McGowan and Lane assaulted the works held by Williams, carried them with an impetuous rush, and pushed our troops well back.  This rapid success was largely owing to a serious breach made in the Union line by the decampment of the Third Maryland Volunteers, a full regiment of Knipe’s brigade, which held the right of Williams’s division on the plank road.  The regiment was composed of new men, no match for Jackson’s veterans.  They stood as well as raw troops can, in the face of such an onslaught; but after a loss of about a hundred men, they yielded ground, and were too green to rally.  Into the gap thus made, quickly poured a stream of Lane’s men, thus taking both Berry’s and Williams’s lines in reverse.  The Second Brigade was compelled to change front to meet this new attack:  Mott was instantly thrown forward to fill the interval; and after a desperate hand-to-hand struggle he regained the lost ground, and captured eight stands of colors and about a thousand prisoners.  This separated Archer from the main line, and took in their turn McGowan and Lane in reverse, precipitately driving them back, and enabling our columns to regain the ground lost by the fierceness of the Confederate inroad.  This sally in reverse likewise carried back Lane and Heth, the entire corps having suffered severely from the excellent service of the Federal guns.  But the effect on Williams’s division of this alternating gain and loss, had been to cause it to waver; while having for an instant captured our works, was encouragement to our foes.

On the north of the road, Pender and Thomas had at first won equal fortune against Berry’s works, but their success had been equally short-lived.  For the falling-back of Jackson’s right, and the cheering of the Union line as its fire advanced in hot pursuit, gave at the same moment notice to the Confederate left that it was compromised, and to our own brave boys the news of their comrades’ fortune.  Pender and Thomas were slowly but surely forced back, under a withering fire, beyond the breastworks they had won.  A second time did these veterans rally for the charge, and a second time did they penetrate a part of our defences; only, however, to be taken in flank again by Berry’s right brigade, and tumbled back to their starting-point.  But their onset had shown so great determination, that Ward was despatched to sustain Berry’s right, lest he should be eventually over-matched.

The Federal line on the north of the plank road had thus doggedly resisted the most determined attacks of Jackson’s men, and had lost no ground.  And so hard pressed indeed was Pender by gallant Berry’s legions, that Colquitt’s brigade was sent to his relief.  Pender’s men had early expended all their ammunition, word whereof was sent to Stuart, but merely to evoke renewal of that stubborn officer’s orders to hold their ground with the bayonet, and at all hazards.  And such orders as these were wont to be obeyed by these hardened warriors.