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13. Pender's Clash with Doubleday on Seminary Ridge
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CHAPTER 13 Pender's Clash with Doubleday on Seminary Ridge KING NUMBERS WAS FINALLY ASSERTING HIMSELF. PETTIGREW, aided by Brockenbrough and Daniel, had at last succeeded in pressing the stubborn Doubleday off McPherson and Oak Ridges, but at fearful cost to the Southern invaders. Itwas only when Heth's division had been terribly cut up that Hill decided to throw the four fresh brigades of Major General William D. Pender's Third Division into the conflict . Heth himself had been wounded in the head, his life having been saved by a wad of folded paper-previously placed inside the sweatband of his oversized hat-which had deflected a hostile bullet. Doubleday saw that the overbearing numbers of fresh Confederate soldiers would inevitably drive his depleted First Corpsmen from the field unless timely reinforcements were forthcoming. Therefore, at about 4:00 p.m., he sent his adjutant general, Halstead, to Howard for reinforcements. But when Halstead told Howard of Pender's approaching lines, "Howard [at first] insisted that Halstead mistook rail fences for troops in the distance." Howard refused then to issue orders for a retreat and wowd not send additional troops to Doubleday , but instead dispatched Halstead to look for Buford-who had fallen back towards Cemetery Hill-for cavalry support.1 Once again Howard's unrealistic, imperious attitude and erroneous views were to endanger the embattled Nationals falling back from McPherson Ridge onto Seminary Ridge, while his own Eleventh Corps troops were reeling backward in total defeat through the streets of the town. The unbloodied troops that Hill had selected to clinch the contest 117 were now being moved into their jump-off positions. Pender-one of Lee's ablest division commanders-deployed Brigadier General James H. Lane's Second Brigade on the Confederate right, Colonel Abner Perrin's First Brigade in the center, and Brigadier General Alfred M. Scales' Fourth Brigade on the left near the Chambersburg pike. Brigadier General Edward L. Thomas' Third Brigade was held in reserve behind the other three, where it supported the massive Confederate artillery array on Herr Ridge.2 Thomas was to remain out of the action throughout the day, even when the Confederate batteries moved forward from Herr Ridge to McPherson Ridge in the rear of the infantry which was engaged with Doubleday. The deployment of Lane's brigade, on the Confederate right, was as follows from right to left: the 7th North Carolina (Captain J. McLeod Turner), the 37th North Carolina (Colonel W.M. Barbour), the 28th North Carolina (Colonel John W. Barry), and the 33rd North Carolina (Colonel C.M. Avery).s The 7th North Carolina on the extreme right changed front to the right and faced southward against Gamble's Union cavalry brigade.4 Lane had present 1,355 effectives .5 It should be noted that when Pender moved forward across Willoughby Run against Doubleday's lines, at about 3: 30 p.m.,6 Lane's brigade of his division overlapped Doubleday'S left flank "for a quarter of a mile." 7 This was unavoidable on Doubleday's part because , even after extending Biddle's left wing as far as possible to the south, the Union line was extremely thin, due to lack of numbers. The Confederate threat to his left-rear was a prime factor in eventually compelling Doubleday to yield the field later in the afternoon. On Lane's left, Perrin's brigade deployed as follows from right to left: the 1st South Carolina (Provisional Army) commanded by Major C.W. McCreary, the 14th South Carolina (Lieutenant Colonel Joseph N. Brown), the 13th South Carolina (Lieutenant Colonel B.T. Brockman ), and the 12th South Carolina (Colonel John L. Miller).8 Although the brigade's 1st South Carolina Rifles (Captain William M. Hadden) was detached on train duty and did not participate in this battle, Perrin nonetheless mustered 1,600 effectives for action.9 On Perrin's left, Scales deployed his brigade from right to left as follows: the 16th North Carolina (Captain L.W. Stone), the 22nd North Carolina (Colonel James Conner), me 34th North Carolina (Colonel William Lee Lowrance), the 13th North Carolina (Colonel J.H. Hyman), and the 38th North Carolina (Colonel W.J. Hoke).l0 lIS [44.220.131.93] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 15:26 GMT) The 38th was to the left (north) of the Chambersburg pike, the other regiments to the rightY The brigade numbered 1,2S0 effectives.12 Scales was aided on his left somewhat by the remnants of...