part 1
John Dynia
At about 4 PM General Gouverneur K Warren, finding that the IIIrd Corps had
left Little Round Top unoccupied had sent for a Division to hold the
position. As Confederate troops closed in on the area however only Vincent'
s Brigade of the Vth Corps was in position. Colonel Strong Vincent,
commanding the Brigade had preceded his troops and had chosen their
positions very carefully. This reconnaissance allowed the Brigade to take
up its defensive positions quickly and allowed the men a few moments to
improve upon the natural cover that they found. Soon the sounds of battle
in their front increased and the skirmishers came tumbling back into the
lines.
Law's and Robertson's Brigades of the Army of Northern Virginia had become
impossibly entangled in their advance. That, and the fact that Law's
Brigade had no immediate commander after Law had succeeded Hood as Division
Commander led to confusion. The 44th and 48th Alabama had made the pivot
to the North at the base of Big Round Top which allowed them to hit the left
flank of Ward's line on Houck's Ridge. The 4th and 5th Texas of Robertson's
Brigade were between those two regiments and the other three that made up
Law's Brigade. The Texans were nowhere near where the attack had planned
for them to be; their sister regiments were engaged on Houck's Ridge and in
the Rose Woods. They skirted the lower slopes of Big Round Top where,
debouching from the woods, they found themselves facing a Union battle line
placed partway up the southern slopes of Little Round Top. They, along with
the 4th Alabama were soon hotly engaged.
Vincent's Brigade had arrived scant minutes before. The Southern attack
centered on the middle of Vincent's line, the 44th New York and the 83rd
Pennsylvania. The Southern soldiers found that they could make little
progress against the Union line. The terrain, broken ground with
underbrush, broke up their formations, as did the heavy Union musketry. The
4th and 5th Texas and possibly the 4th Alabama fell back into the woods to
regroup. Upon regrouping they advanced again, pouring out a murderous fire
while taking casualties themselves.
Meanwhile Law's two missing Alabama regiments, the 15th and 47th, were
finally on the move again. Although ordered by Law to pivot to the North at
the base of Big Round Top, Oates of the 15th Alabama, in command of his own
and at least supervising the 47th had pursued a number of Union
Sharpshooters from the 2nd USSS up the steep hill. An aide had found them
resting at the top of Big Round Top. Colonel Oates of the 15th suggested
that his men could take up defensive positions and fortify Big Round Top.
The aide however reminded Oates that the orders were to advance. The 15th
and 47th formed column in the woods and advanced down the slope to the
North, to Little Round Top. The 47th was in the lead, probably in column of
Companies. Shortly after reaching the base of Big Round Top it contacted
Vincent's line.
Until the arrival of the 47th Alabama the pressure on Vincent's line had
been largely on the two center regiments, the 44th New York and the 83rd
Pennsylvania. Along with the newly arrived 47th Alabama came a renewed
effort by the two Texas regiments along with the 4th Alabama. The pressure
on Vincent's line became general, seemingly spreading from the center to
both flanks.
Meanwhile General Warren, having acquired Hazlett's Battery (D Battery, 5th
U.S.,) and unaware that Vincent's Brigade was in position, set off again in
search of Infantry to hold the hill. He found Weed's Brigade of the Vth
Corps, a Brigade that he himself had formerly commanded. Brigadier General
Stephen Weed was away at the moment and command had fallen on Colonel
Patrick O'Rorke of the 140th New York. "Paddy, give me a regiment," Warren
said as he hurriedly explained the situation.
"We have orders to support the IIIrd Corps," O'Rorke replied.
"Never mind that, bring your Regiment up here and I will take the
responsibility," was Warren's response. With that exchange the 140th New
York set off for Little Round Top.
By now the Confederates were engaging all four regiments of Vincent's line.
The main problem for the South, apart from the terrain, was that no single
officer was in command. Law was off commanding the division and Robertson
was commanding the rest of his brigade's attack in the Rose Woods. While
Oates of the 15th Alabama had some authority over the 47th Alabama, he
apparently had none over the rest of the Brigade. Colonel Powell of the 5th
Texas was ranking officer of the Texas troops from Robertson's Brigade but
it is unclear if he took any command over the 4th Texas. Of course, given
the woods, steep hillsides and the broken boulders it would have been
difficult to coordinate the efforts of the five regiments. Adding in the
smoke and slaughter and it may have been impossible. Soon Powell was down,
wounded. His Lt. Colonel, in search of him for orders found him just a few
moments before he himself was wounded. Command of the 5th Texas fell on
Major Rogers.
Across the way Colonel Strong Vincent was a busy man. He kept his aides
very active, some watching the flanks for threats, while others were sent
for ammunition. Another was sent for reinforcements.
On the top of Little Round Top Hazlett's Battery was going into position.
Lt. Hazlett and Captain Martin, commander of the Vth Corps' artillery had
decided that while the top of the hill was lacking as an artillery platform
(the slope was too steep to allow the guns to defend themselves) the morale
effect of emplacing the battery outweighed the disadvantages. The slope on
the backside of the hill was also too steep to allow the horses to move the
guns all the way to the crest of the hill. The 10 pounder Parrott Rifles
were manhandled up the hill. Purportedly even General warren helped. There
was no flat place to park the limbers and caissons so relays were set up to
carry ammunition and water up to the crest. One by one the guns went into
action.