Texas Brigade

But Govan's other two regiments then hit the Iowans' flank and the defending Yankees laid down their arms a second time and meekly handed back over to the colonels of the 2nd and 24th Arkansas their recently surrendered swords.

On Govan's right, Claiborne's Middle Brigade, the Texas Brigade, Brigadier General James Smith, hit the gap between 16th and 17th Corps and split the Federal position like firewood.

Advancing through the hole in the enemy lines, the Texans continued forward with a cloud of skirmishers leading the way through the woods toward a fateful encounter with James McPherson.

The 35-year-old commander of the Army of the Tennessee Corps had graduated at the top of the West Point class of 1853 and then served as an engineering instructor at the academy before working on forts and other army installations, literally from sea to shining sea, from New York Harbor to San Francisco Bay.

They get into place on Seminary Ridge by 4:00, and that's whenever the attacks are going to be launched.

As soon as the attacks go forward, the two brigades leading that attack are going to wind up being Law's Alabama Brigade and Hood's Texas Brigade, who's under Jerome Robertson here at Gettysburg.

So as these guys step off, Hood's gonna be out in front, and we have Hood getting hit by the exploding artillery shell somewhere in the Michael Bushman peach orchard just as they come off of Seminary Ridge.

Mm-hmm.

It was the vanguard of James Longstreet's 1st Corps, arriving from Gordonsville just in the nick of time.

At the head of the column was the legendary Texas Brigade, led by Brigadier General John Gregg.

As Robert E. Lee rode out into the clearing, his gray hair bare, his face transformed by a terrifying battle-frenzled fury.

Reining Traveler in besides the Texans, Lee shouted above the din, Who are these men? Texas boys, they yelled back.

He had approximately 2,000 men divided between two brigades.

Colonel William Wolford commanded the Texas Brigade, which included the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas, the 18th Georgia, and Hampton's Legion.

Colonel Evander Law commanded the 2nd Brigade, had the 4th Alabama, 2nd and 11th Mississippi, the 6th North Carolina.

These were experienced troops who had earned Lee's and Jackson's confidence during their fighting.

All right.

Hood's division came out of the West Woods about 7 a.m., crossed the Hagerstown Pike, moved directly toward the smoke covering the cornfield.

William Wolford's Texas Brigade struck towards the western and central portions of the field, while Evander Law's brigade extended the attack towards the East Woods.

The timing could hardly have been better.

Longstreet unleashed his entire corps, 28,000 men arrayed in a two-mile front, sweeping across the fields like an iron tidal wave.

At the head of the charge was the Texas Brigade under John Bell Hood, lunging forward with their terrifying rebel yell and indomitable spirits.

Longstreet's assault rolled up Pope's left flank like an old carpet.

Across Chin Ridge, across the plains of Manassas, the Confederate infantry drove everything before them, overrunning artillery batteries and sweeping the disorganized federal corps towards the Henry House Hill.

Hooker's infantry advanced into the corn, meeting Jackson's veterans at point-blank range.

Whole brigades were mowed down like grass before the scythe as both sides fought in a desperate bid to hold the field of battle.

When the Confederate line began to break under the weight of numbers, Jackson unleashed his ultimate reserve, the Texas Brigade under John Bell Hood.

The Texans, furious at having their hot breakfast of bacon and flour interrupted, charged into the corn with their blood-curdling rebel yell, driving the Federals back to their artillery batteries, but losing over sixty percent of their men in fifteen minutes.