Bret Devereaux

The New Yorkers fire down the slope, over the heads of the 124th NY, the "Orange Blossoms." Looking thru his binos, Warren spots the sun flashing off moving barrels and bayonets in the treeline. Rebels. He immediately sends his aides dashing off to find reinforcements

It is now just about 4 PM, and the semblance of quiet is broken by the roar of 36 Confederate cannon opening the attack on the left flank. On the right, Ewell is doing his due diligence and opening a barrage of his own against the US guns on East Cemetery Hill

Longstreet has arranged Hood's division to the south and McClaws' to the north. But as they recon the ground, they find with a shock that the III Corps is not where it was supposed to be. Hood argues to outflank them but Longstreet reminds him of Lee's battle plan

A staff officer from Warren reaches MG Sykes, V Corps commander, who sends an aide galloping off to tell MG Barnes to bring up his division for LRT. The aide meets Col Strong Vincent en route. Upon hearing the peril, Vincent orders his brigade forward, not waiting for orders

Hood now gives the order for the infantry assault, personally charging in with the Texans. Moments later, he is felled with a wound and leaves the field. His large brigades continue the attack on their own. Laws' exhausted Alabamans press into Devil's Den but get distracted

The green-clad sharpshooters - recruited from MN, MI, PA, NH, ME, & VT - are drawing Laws' flank regiments away from their objective of Ward's flank - only 2 will head there. 3 veer off in pursuit of the sharpshooters, who gradually fall back up the wooded slopes of Big Round Top

The Texas Brigade slams into Devil's Den, overlapping Ward's flanks. The 124th NY counterattacks, their commander leading on horseback: "The men must see us this day." He is shot down, the attack falters, then falls back. Smith's battery is now blasting canister into the Texans

On East Cemetery Hill, meanwhile, Ewell's demonstration is coming to grief, as the well-aimed shots of the US gunners dismount gun after gun. The artillery duel roars to a conclusion as the rebels withdraw what they can by hand. Meade's attention is not drawn towards his right