Part Nine: The Vortex of Battle
Fighting along the Pike
The Confederates were in position along both sides of the Hickory Pike by 8 AM. Johnson’s Division of Buckner’s Corps had arrived and now occupied the ground to the west of the pike and astride it. Cleburne’s Division, of the same corps, occupied the area just to the east of the pike. Little’s Division of Price’s Corps moved to the east and out of the maelstrom of battle to try and regroup and consolidate with the other division from their corps under Maury. Coming straight at Buckner down the pike were the men of Sherman’s Wing which had been engaged since sunup in driving back Little’s Division and were losing their momentum as a result. But behind them came three fresh brigades from Ord’s Wing then moving into line and preparing to join the battle. West of the pike the two brigades of Davies’s division of McPherson’s Wing were in support and adding their numbers to the attacks along the Hickory Pike. The fight for the control of the railroad would be decided along this line and over the next few hours.
Ord’s men began to come into line and to lay a heavy fire down on the Confederates then just a few hundred yards away. The 25th Tennessee quickly routed rearwards from Johnson’s Brigade leaving yet another hole to fill in the Confederate line. Hovey’s brigade moved south along the pike and struck Johnson’s Brigade a telling blow. Numerous Confederate units fled southward in the face of the Union onslaught and the momentum was clearly in the Union’s favor now that Ord’s forces were joining the battle.
​
The Union attack moving on the Hickory Pike
With the Confederate forces in temporary disarray there was no other option for Buckner than to throw in any units he could from his corps to fill the gaps and attempt to hold the line. Soon brigades were intermixed as regiments rushed forward to form a new front ahead of the attacking Federals. But the line held. The Confederates continued their defense of the Hickory Pike even as the fresh Union brigades came into line.
It was at this point that McArthur noticed a gap in the Confederate lines to the west of the pike and proposed to Grant that it be exploited. By utilizing part of McPherson’s Wing and Ord’s Wing, they might be able to strike the weakened Rebel line and bypass their pockets of resistance in the thick woods along either side of the pike. Once these units were cut-off and isolated by the Union attack around their flanks, they could then be defeated in detail by the troops still arriving from Ord’s Wing. McPherson was in full agreement with this plan and believed it to be “our best opportunity at this time.” Stanley also agreed and felt the effort to break the Rebels in the center should be undertaken. Grant approved the proposal and ordered his generals to make it happen at once.
To the south, Beauregard was also active with his generals. He was just then telling Buckner that “Your boys have performed magnificently, but I fear that the added enemy artillery recently deployed and being used with great effectiveness will eventually put too much pressure on your line and could lead to a severe collapse.”
Beauregard wrote to his commanders that, “I am worried about two things at this point, the gap to the right of Lovell's Division and the increased pressure on Buckner's Corps, especially from the massed artillery the enemy has brought to bear on his front. We can move Buckner back some and alleviate the pain for a moment but that gives up precious ground. The Yanks of course will move forward and re-deploy their artillery and the situation repeats. Not sure we can keep doing that until nightfall. I think LaGrange will have to be abandoned, we have to use Breckinridge's boys to support the threatened areas on Buckner's left and rather quickly I would say.” He then sought more opinions from his officers as the fighting continued along Hickory Pike.
Van Dorn agreed that the best move was to abandon LaGrange in order to shorten their lines. He also agreed that Buckner should fall back and reposition closer to Grand Junction and away from the enemy artillery. He vowed to renew his attack with Tilghman against the enemy flank in order to draw men and effort away from the fighting on Hickory Pike. “All in all, I'm pretty optimistic,” he wrote back to Beauregard. “The Yanks have suffered heavily & have made little attempt so far as I can see to rotate their units out of the line etc. I'm not saying they're incapable of future offensive operations, but they'll be at a disadvantage. I believe one infantry corps is operating against Breckinridge, and these boys too have suffered casualties, and then I think their final infantry corps has been ordered to break through in Buckner's sector, and they're just getting engaged.” Price agreed that LaGrange was now expendable and that the army should shift its left flank closer to its center.
Beauregard now sent out the orders to abandon LaGrange in favor of moving Breckinridge’s forces back towards the center. Tilghman would also be ordered to press his attack in an attempt to confuse and disrupt the Federals offensive plans elsewhere.
​
North Hill
As the battle raged along the other fronts, so too did it continue along the base of North Hill. The Confederates of Price’s Corps remained in their positions opposite Stanley’s Wing which they had been battling since the evening before. Both sides had settled in for a traditional firefight and artillery duel at close ranges as they vied for control of the high ground northeast of Grand Junction. Tilghman’s Division on the Confederate right flank had fallen back after their initial repulse earlier in the morning. But with fresh orders to renew their attack they prepared to once again join the battle.
Tilghman’s men moved forward at 9 AM to put pressure on Stanley’s Federals holding the Union left flank. Crashing into the Federals a second time they enjoyed greater success. The Federals, wearied from almost constant fighting since dawn, were driven back and ten regiments fled northward in a panic as Tilghman’s men charged forward. Four Union guns were destroyed as the Rebels overran their position and threatened to take the high ground on Stanley’s left.
​
Tilghman's attack on Stanley's flank.
Stanley’s flank was wrecked. He rallied whatever units he could and threw them into line to try and hold his left flank but the situation was dire. There were no more fresh troops available to send Stanley – he was on his own.
But just then a “hurrah” exploded to the west and all focus shifted back to the fighting along the Hickory Pike.