Hey everyone, thanks for downloading the 199th episode of our Civil War Podcast.

I'm Rich.

And I'm Tracy, hello y'all, welcome to the podcast.

As y'all recall at the end of the last episode on the southern end of the battlefield, after

the Federal's capture of Burnside Bridge, the advance of the 9th Corps had put the Confederate

right flank in immediate danger of collapse and threatened the Army of Northern Virginia

with final disaster.

Yep, but then, in a scene that couldn't have been scripted any better by Hollywood, AP Hills

Division of Confederates arrived on the scene from Harper's Ferry.

And Hills men were coming onto the battlefield at precisely the right place and at the last

possible moment to save Robert E. Lee's bacon.

AP Hills had left Harper's Ferry that morning with about 3,300 men, but straggling caused

by the relentless pace of the 17 mile forced march and the delayed arrival of Hills trailing

brigades meant that the actual number of troops he actually put into action at the moment

of the crisis was probably around 2000.

But they were all combat hardened veterans and in addition their impact was multiplied

by the elements of position and surprise.

Exactly.

Hills veteran Confederates came onto the field at just the right spot to hit the vulnerable

left flank of the Federal 9th Corps.

On this flank were three regiments of Colonel Edward Harland's brigade, the 8th and 16th

Connecticut and the 4th Rhode Island.

...