Reports of Confederate activity to the east also reached Pierce’s brigade, but Pierce dismissed them, believing that the Rebels there were merely stragglers driven by Crawford’s advance. Nonetheless, Mott directed Pierce to strengthen his picket line toward the woods. While this was being done, the sound of firing sharply increased. Pierce ordered a change of front for his main battle line, turning toward the timber where the threat was now obviously more than a few stragglers. Before this could be accomplished, however, a strong Confederate force burst through the woods, overlapping the Union skirmish line on both ends and driving it back.

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The attacking column, two full brigades commanded by Mahone, struck Pierce’s main line from the right flank and rear, capturing two cannons and throwing the Union brigade into a confused retreat toward the Plank Road. At the sound of Mahone’s attack, by prearrangement the Confederate forces all around the perimeter of the Union position launched their own assaults. Heth pressed against Egan’s line along Hatcher’s Run with three brigades of infantry and cavalry. The 12th New Jersey found itself simultaneously engaged in front by Heth’s attack and in the rear by Mahone. Hampton sent Butler’s division east, while Fitzhugh Lee attacked up the Boydton Plank Road against Gregg’s cavalry. A second Reams’ Station seemed to be in the making.

Butler’s attack stalled under fierce Union fire. Two of Hampton’s sons served on their father’s staff. One was shot, dying within minutes, his father at his side. Almost immediately, Hampton’s other son was seriously wounded. Lee’s attack along the Plank Road made only slow progress, resisted tenaciously by Gregg’s dismounted cavalry. Heth’s attack across Hatcher’s Run was quickly repulsed; Smyth later singled out for praise the 8th New York Heavy Artillery and 164th New York Infantry, two of the regiments forbidden to carry flags.

Mahone’s initial success proved to be a trap. The hard-driving Virginian quickly pushed forward, only to find himself with Union troops arrayed against him on three sides. Hancock rallied his soldiers along the Boydton Plank Road to halt Mahone’s thrust. McAllister’s brigade, with support from some of Smyth’s men, charged down from the high ground to the north into the Confederate right flank, while de Trobriand’s brigade beyond the Plank Road faced about and attacked Mahone’s front.

Hancock himself went forward to lead the charge. Even part of Gregg’s cavalry division joined in a counterattack on the Rebel left. Along the Boydton Plank Road, one of Hancock’s staff officers led a charge of the 36th Wisconsin–the third disgraced and flagless regiment–and captured more prisoners than the regiment had men. Most satisfying to them, they also took a Confederate battleflag. Mahone’s force collapsed under the multiple assaults and fled back into the woods, losing several hundred prisoners. The triumphant Federal soldiers recaptured their two artillery pieces taken only minutes earlier.

With Mahone’s attack decisively crushed and repelled, Hancock sent reinforcements to Gregg. As darkness fell, Lee gave up the fight and withdrew, ending the Battle of Boydton Plank Road. By a narrow margin, the II Corps had escaped catastrophe.

Meade sent word to Hancock during the early evening that two divisions of the IV Corps had been ordered to join him and that, if Hancock so desired, he could renew his attack on the Confederate lines in the morning. If Hancock thought it best not to attack, he was authorized to withdraw his forces at any time.

Hancock the Superb deliberated only briefly before advising Meade: ‘I have to say that if I had two fresh divisions and ammunition for my own command, I would attack tomorrow morning, but I consider the chances of these things being here at an early enough hour to be uncertain and the risk considerable. I think the circumstances indicate falling back to be the proper course. I have a frail hold on the roads between me and the Fifth Corps, and if any accident should prevent my receiving the ammunition and troops at an early hour, the result would be a disaster, as the enemy have hemmed me in and pressed me closely. [I] will, therefore, withdraw rather than take the responsibility of disaster. At the same time I regret it, as I have resisted successfully so far.’

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