general?" said Meade. "Can you hold this front?" "Yes, " replied Sickles, "until more troops are brought up; the enemy are attacking in force, and I shall need support. " General Meade then let drop some remark showing that his mind was still wavering as to the extent of ground covered by the Third Corps. Sickles replied,:General, I have received no orders. I have made these dispositions to the best of my judgment. Of course, I shall be happy to modify them according to your views. " "No, " said Meade, "I will send you the Fifth Corps, and you may send for support from the Second Corps. " "I shall need more artillery, " added Sickles. "Send to the Artillery Reserve for all you want, " replied Meade; "I will direct General Hunt to send you all you ask for. " The conference was then abruptly terminated by a heavy shower of shells, probably directed at the group, and General Meade rode off. Sickles received no further orders that day. There is no doubt, I may venture to add, that Sickles' line was too much extended for the number of troops under his command; but his great aim was to prevent the enemy getting between his flank and the Round top alluded to. This was worth the risk, in hi opinion, of momentarily weakening his lines. The contest now going on was of the most fierce and sanguinary description. The entire right wing of the enemy was concentrated on the devoted Third Corps; for the object of Lee, as he states, was "to carry" the ground which Sickles occupied, and which both generals evidently regarded as of the highest importance. While this terrific combat was raging on our left, Lee ordered Ewell "to attack" our right wing and Hill " to threaten" our center, both with the object, as he says in his report, to divert re-enforcement from reaching our left, which, as we have seen, Longstreet was "directed to carry. " Well may General Meade in his report say, "the Third Corps sustained the shock most heroically:" for they fought like lions, against tremendous odds, for nearly an hour before the Fifth Corps, under Sykes, came up, who was immediately put in position by General Sickles to the left of the Third Corps, and General Sykes was desired to relieve Ward's brigade and Smith's battery on the Round Top, and hold the line from thence to Birney's left {First Division, Third Corps
. Strange to say, this movement was not promptly carried out, and there was imminent danger of losing the Round Top, for Longstreet was making desperate exertions to "carry it. " Fearing this result, Sickles sent orders to General Crawford, of the Fifth Corps, to re-enforce Ward's brigade; but he declined to move without orders from his own corps commander, Sykes; but Captain [Alexander] Moore, of Sickles' staff, at length overcame his scruples, and he reached the disputed point just in time to prevent its falling into the enemy's hands. Considering our force unequal to the exigency, Sickles called on the heroic troops of the Second Corps for support, and they gave it with a will. The struggle now became deadly. The columns of Longstreet charged with reckless fury upon our troops; but they were met with a valor and stern fortitude that defied their utmost effort. An alarming incident, however, occurred. Barnes' division, of the Fifth Corps, suddenly gave way; and Sickles, seeing this, put a battery in position to check the enemy if he broke through this gap on our front, and General Birney was sent to order Barnes back into line. "No, " he said; "impossible. It is too hot. My men cannot stand it. Remonstrance was unavailing, and Sickles dispatched his aides to