Before  a  furious  and  costly  Confederate  charge  the  whole
extreme  Union  right  was  broken  and  driven  from  the
field.  Negley's  shattered  lines  of  blue  abandoned  the
position  and  retreated  to  Rossville  with  the  heavy  bat
teries.  Davis,  with  decimated  Union  lines  under  Carlin
and  Heg,  moved  into  Negley's  position  ;  but  these  were
driven  to  the  right  and  rear.  Onward,  still  onward,
swept  the  Confederate  columns ;  checked  here,  broken
there,  they  closed  the  gaps  and  pressed  forward,  scatter
ing  Van  Cleve's  veterans  in  wild  disorder.  Amidst  the
shouting  Confederates  rode  their  leaders,  Stewart,  Buck-
ner,  Preston,  Kershaw,  and  Johnson.  The  gallant  McCook
led  in  person  a  portion  of  Sheridan's  troops  with  head
long  fury  against  the  Southern  front ;  and  Sheridan  him
self  rode  among  his  troops,  rallying  his  broken  lines  and
endeavoring  to  check  the  resistless  Southern  advance.
The  brave  and  brilliant  Lytle  of  the  Union  army,  soldier
and  poet,  at  this  point  paid  to  valor  and  duty  the  tribute
of  his  heart's  blood.  The  Confederate  momentum,  how
ever,  scattered  these  decimated  Union  lines  and  compelled
them  to  join  the  retreating  columns,  filling  the  roads  in
the  rear.
