Thomas orders which his stern lieutenant fortunately could not obey.
The rock did not move.

Bragg, an able leader, increased the attack upon Thomas. His generals
gathered around him, and seconded his efforts. Their view was better
than that of the Union commanders, and they knew it was vital to them to
move the rock from their path. Brigades, already victorious on other
parts of the field, came up, and were hurled, shouting their triumphant
battle cry against Thomas, only to be hurled back again.

The resolution of the defenders increased with their success. A sort of
fever seized upon them all. Death had become a little thing, or it was
forgotten. The blood in their veins was fire, and, transported out of
themselves, they rained shells and bullets upon men whom in their calm
moments they did not hate at all.

Dick's regiment had suffered with the rest, but Pennington and Warner and
the colonel were alive, and he caught a few glimpses of Hertford with his
gallant horsemen beating back every attack upon their flank. But nothing
stood out with sharp precision. The whole was a huge turmoil of fire,
smoke, confusion and death. The weight upon them seemed at last to
become overwhelming. In spite of courage the most heroic, and dreadful
losses, the right of Thomas was driven back, his center was compelled to
wheel about, but his left where the Winchester regiment stood with others
held on. Thomas himself was there among them, still cool and impassive
in face of threatened ruin.

About twenty thousand men were around Thomas, and they alone stood
between the Union army and destruction. At all other points it had been
not only defeated, but routed. Vast masses of fugitives were fleeing