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o The Union assaults were just uncoordinated and sporadic
enough to enable Lee to play this dangerous game successfully,
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attack after another.x Around the road, nearly 6,000 men lay dead or wounded, and the
Confederate forces were severely depleted. The formations were
shattered, and the defense was reduced to clusters of men still
clinging stubbornly to bits of ground. Not only were the Confederates
running low on men, but ammunition was scarce, as well.x McClellan had a body of 14,000 men waiting less than a mile from
the road who easily could have been ordered forward to exploit the
vulnerable Confederate center. As always, however, he was fearful
of imaginary Confederate legions and instead gave orders to the
generals commanding his reserves to hold their positions.x Nevertheless, by early afternoon, the irresistible pressure of the
Union attacks had pushed the Confederates back from their initial
positions in the north and the center. Although forced to give
ground, the southern lines had not broken, and the failure to commit
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to lose momentum. The focal point of the battle now shifted to the
Union left.x The Union commander in this sector was General Ambrose
Burnside. His 12,000 men were positioned on one side of a steep-
banked stream spanned by a stone bridge. The Confederate units
facing him were well-situated on high ground overlooking the
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and other obstacles. By midafternoon, Burnside had crossed the
narrow bridge and was pursuing the Confederates.x Lee had nothing left to counter this fresh tide of attackers, and the
battle was once again on the verge of a Union victory. But at this
crucial moment, the last remaining major division of Lee’s army
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