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31 - Lang's Charge
Around midday of July 7, Lang called together his 12 regimental commanders. The knot of officers crept to the edge of the hill, across from the target area. Lang laid out his plan of attack. He would use coup de main tactics, incorporating speed and shock to gain the enemy works. He also called for a compact column five regiments deep, a formation reminiscent of the ancient hoplite phalanx. In the next two hours, the chosen Confederate units went into position.
At exactly two o'clock in the afternoon, at the western end of Lee's line, a targeted bombardment of the Union positions opposite began. The rebels' entire artillery reserve was involved. Longstreet fired heavily and began to deploy brigades in the open field of vision of the Yankees and sent out skirmishers to engage their counterparts. Everything seemed to indicate an attack in that area. Meanwhile, Lang's regiments in the selected formation slowly and deliberately climbed the ridge, lay down and waited just below the summit.
At 2:15 p.m. Colonel David Lang silently drew his sword from its sheath and pointed forward. Moments later, nearly 4,500 Confederate infantrymen sprang to their feet, climbed the last steps upwards and sprinted across some 200 yards of slightly vegetated high ground toward the link between VI. and V. Corps. Although a sheet of flame burst from the Union line, and the leaden hail swept the ground over which the column was advancing, in less than two minutes, the Rebel tide swept over and into the Yankee works occupied by Brigadier General James Barnes' First Division.
The men of the Florida brigade fired a salvo directly in the face of Sweitzer's 3rd Brigade. Shocked Federals threw down their rifles and surrendered or simply melted away to the rear. Scores of them were pointed toward the elevation and told to make their way toward the Confederate lines. The brigade was for all purposes finished as a fighting force. Behind the Floridians, the wild Mississippians from the 11th followed and threw themselves onto the now open flank of Tilton's 1st Brigade while the 26th North Carolina went into line of battle to the right to rake the exposed end of the VI. Corps line with heavy musketry. Barnes, who had recovered quickly from the initial surprise, did the only right thing and told Tilton to disengage and reposition at right angles together with the men of Strong Vincent's 2nd Brigade. The task proved to be difficult as the Mississippians would not let them simply leave. Even more men had to surrender before the two-brigade-line was realigned. As Lang's third, fourth and fifth line went into combat, the battle turned into a deadly hand-to-hand conflict. It was a scene of utter horror and pandemonium, with the bayonet used freely. Men thrust and threw bayonet-tipped muskets at one another, pinning them to the ground.
The locally concentrated superior Confederate numbers began to show, however, and Tilton as well as Vincent were forced back. Their lines had reached their breaking point and the mass of Union soldiers streamed in a northern direction. At that point, Heth's and Pender's divisions finally began to engage the rest of V. Corps at long range and therefore prohibited any reinforcements from Ayres' and Crawford's divisions to be sent down the line in support.
Barnes' whole division was reduced to a single understrength regiment that had been held in reserve, the 20th Maine Infantry. To buy additional time, Barnes ordered the regimental commander, Colonel Lawrence Chamberlain, to fix bayonets and charge the battle line, that by that time was being formed by Lang on the crest. Without hesitation Chamberlain gave the order and the 20th Maine went forward with a wild cheer. Because the Confederates were slowly being pressed from the south by more and more VI. Corps troops arriving, only the tiny Florida brigade, less than two times the size of Chamberlain's unit, was able to confront the charge. Colonel Lang's personal brigade delivered a solid volley and than countercharged, meeting the Maine men half way. The following struggle lasted for almost fifteen minutes and essentially wrecked both formations. While Chamberlain blunted the Floridians forward movement, around two thirds of his men, with them his younger brother Tom, were killed and wounded. Lang's men sustained around fifty percent casualties.
For all of the weaknesses that the Federal line presented in that area, one advantage was still its interior lines, which allowed faster movement inside of the position. Federal forces, mostly from French's recently arrived Harpers Ferry garrison, began arriving en masse within thirty minutes of the initial breakthrough. Confederate reinforcements did not materialize as Hill's men were unable to overcome the obstacles of the ground infront of them. Reluctantly, Colonel David Lang called for his men to withdraw.
Had they stayed, they would have become Union prisoners, so Lang and his men gave up the field. His hour or so of fighting had breached the Federal lines and secured some 1,000 prisoners of war, while more than 800 additional Yankees were killed and wounded. David Lang was visibly upset after the attack that his men had been driven back. His column lost some 1,000 men in the assault, more than one third of which had been with the Florida Brigade. At the end of the day, the Star Spangled Banner still flew atop the Pipe Creek line. Lee had been repulsed.
Flag of the 2nd Florida Infantry, CSA.
Chapter 31 - Lang's Charge
Around midday of July 7, Lang called together his 12 regimental commanders. The knot of officers crept to the edge of the hill, across from the target area. Lang laid out his plan of attack. He would use coup de main tactics, incorporating speed and shock to gain the enemy works. He also called for a compact column five regiments deep, a formation reminiscent of the ancient hoplite phalanx. In the next two hours, the chosen Confederate units went into position.
At exactly two o'clock in the afternoon, at the western end of Lee's line, a targeted bombardment of the Union positions opposite began. The rebels' entire artillery reserve was involved. Longstreet fired heavily and began to deploy brigades in the open field of vision of the Yankees and sent out skirmishers to engage their counterparts. Everything seemed to indicate an attack in that area. Meanwhile, Lang's regiments in the selected formation slowly and deliberately climbed the ridge, lay down and waited just below the summit.
At 2:15 p.m. Colonel David Lang silently drew his sword from its sheath and pointed forward. Moments later, nearly 4,500 Confederate infantrymen sprang to their feet, climbed the last steps upwards and sprinted across some 200 yards of slightly vegetated high ground toward the link between VI. and V. Corps. Although a sheet of flame burst from the Union line, and the leaden hail swept the ground over which the column was advancing, in less than two minutes, the Rebel tide swept over and into the Yankee works occupied by Brigadier General James Barnes' First Division.
The men of the Florida brigade fired a salvo directly in the face of Sweitzer's 3rd Brigade. Shocked Federals threw down their rifles and surrendered or simply melted away to the rear. Scores of them were pointed toward the elevation and told to make their way toward the Confederate lines. The brigade was for all purposes finished as a fighting force. Behind the Floridians, the wild Mississippians from the 11th followed and threw themselves onto the now open flank of Tilton's 1st Brigade while the 26th North Carolina went into line of battle to the right to rake the exposed end of the VI. Corps line with heavy musketry. Barnes, who had recovered quickly from the initial surprise, did the only right thing and told Tilton to disengage and reposition at right angles together with the men of Strong Vincent's 2nd Brigade. The task proved to be difficult as the Mississippians would not let them simply leave. Even more men had to surrender before the two-brigade-line was realigned. As Lang's third, fourth and fifth line went into combat, the battle turned into a deadly hand-to-hand conflict. It was a scene of utter horror and pandemonium, with the bayonet used freely. Men thrust and threw bayonet-tipped muskets at one another, pinning them to the ground.
The locally concentrated superior Confederate numbers began to show, however, and Tilton as well as Vincent were forced back. Their lines had reached their breaking point and the mass of Union soldiers streamed in a northern direction. At that point, Heth's and Pender's divisions finally began to engage the rest of V. Corps at long range and therefore prohibited any reinforcements from Ayres' and Crawford's divisions to be sent down the line in support.
Barnes' whole division was reduced to a single understrength regiment that had been held in reserve, the 20th Maine Infantry. To buy additional time, Barnes ordered the regimental commander, Colonel Lawrence Chamberlain, to fix bayonets and charge the battle line, that by that time was being formed by Lang on the crest. Without hesitation Chamberlain gave the order and the 20th Maine went forward with a wild cheer. Because the Confederates were slowly being pressed from the south by more and more VI. Corps troops arriving, only the tiny Florida brigade, less than two times the size of Chamberlain's unit, was able to confront the charge. Colonel Lang's personal brigade delivered a solid volley and than countercharged, meeting the Maine men half way. The following struggle lasted for almost fifteen minutes and essentially wrecked both formations. While Chamberlain blunted the Floridians forward movement, around two thirds of his men, with them his younger brother Tom, were killed and wounded. Lang's men sustained around fifty percent casualties.
For all of the weaknesses that the Federal line presented in that area, one advantage was still its interior lines, which allowed faster movement inside of the position. Federal forces, mostly from French's recently arrived Harpers Ferry garrison, began arriving en masse within thirty minutes of the initial breakthrough. Confederate reinforcements did not materialize as Hill's men were unable to overcome the obstacles of the ground infront of them. Reluctantly, Colonel David Lang called for his men to withdraw.
Had they stayed, they would have become Union prisoners, so Lang and his men gave up the field. His hour or so of fighting had breached the Federal lines and secured some 1,000 prisoners of war, while more than 800 additional Yankees were killed and wounded. David Lang was visibly upset after the attack that his men had been driven back. His column lost some 1,000 men in the assault, more than one third of which had been with the Florida Brigade. At the end of the day, the Star Spangled Banner still flew atop the Pipe Creek line. Lee had been repulsed.
Flag of the 2nd Florida Infantry, CSA.
- Lothar
- Word Count: 920