Lilly’s battery of four rifled guns opened fire with long-range canister and percussion shells. Captain William Fowler’s Alabama battery returned fire. One of the Rebel battery’s first shells landed near Lilly’s No. 2 gun, ricocheting and hitting the corner of the Alexander house and bouncing back among members of the battery. Private Sidney Speed alertly ran over, picked up the live shell and hurled it over the log house, where it exploded harmlessly.

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For the next several hours, Wilder’s men traded fire with the 30th and 34th Mississippi, who had taken positions in a cornfield on the east side of the creek. The Confederates continued to charge the bridge, only to be driven back by Company A, reasonably secure in their lunette.

For almost five hours, Wilder’s brigade held off the Rebel attack. But eventually Confederate units began to find places where they could cross without opposition. With Minty withdrawal from Reed’s Bridge, the Southerners gained a secure foothold on the west side of the creek. At 4 p.m., Wilder reported the crossing of the enemy: “The enemy are crossing [infantry and cavalry] Chickamauga Creek at Alexander’s and Byram’s Ford below. Colonel Minty has fallen back toward Roseville; has two of my regiments. Colonel Minty reports cannonading toward Cleveland last night. This forenoon a column of dust arose in Napier Gap; three hours in passing. A large camp fire is now seen at Napier’s. The column that attacked me came through Napier’s Gap; another column came from the direction of Peeler’s. Colonel Minty reports infantry flanking him on both flanks.”

Wilder’s men were being pressed from all sides. Time was rapidly approaching when they could no longer hold their position and would have to withdraw. Wilder had already received word from Minty that he was being forced to withdraw from Reed’s Bridge. With Minty gone, the Confederates began streaming across Chickamauga Creek and heading south towards Alexander’s Bridge and Wilder’s left flank.

At 5 p.m., Lilly’s battery fired its last rounds, limbered up its guns and withdrew. The 17th Indiana covered their withdrawal, and the 98th Illinois slowly fell back, fighting as they withdrew. After these units started withdrawing, the men of Company A realized they would soon be surrounded and captured if they did not try to escape. The men knew that they could not all leave at once, so they decided to let two men at a time slip away. Sergeant Joseph A. Higinbotham, in running 30 yards, was shot five times–in the head, face, right arm, left side and right leg. Remarkably, he recovered from his wounds, but later died at Corinth, Miss, in January 1864. In all, the company lost two wounded, as well as 31 of their 37 horses killed.

Wilder’s brigade fell back about three miles before stopping and setting up a new defensive line. There they threw up breastworks of fence rails, rocks and trees. The horses were sent to the rear, and the brigade prepared to meet another onslaught from the Confederate army. The 72nd Indiana and 123rd Illinois rejoined the brigade and were placed in line on the left. Minty’s brigade took up positions to the right of Wilder’s brigade.

Five Confederate brigades moved down the west bank toward Lee and Gordon’s Mill. Marching as fast as they could, they ran right into Wilder’s brigade. The Southern skirmish line was halted immediately by the deadly fire of the Lightning Brigade’s Spencer rifles.

Captain Joseph Vale of Minty’s command found General Crittenden, accompanied by General Wood and Wilder, at the Viniard house. He reported that Minty had been engaged since 7 a.m. Crittenden asked the captain: “Who is it that is coming? What have you been fighting out there?” Vale responded, “Buckner’s corps, Hood’s division of infantry and artillery, and some of Forrest’s cavalry.” Crittenden refused to believe the report, saying, “Wilder has come in with the same outlandish story; there is nothing in this country except Pegram’s dismounted and Forrest’s mounted cavalry, with a few pieces of artillery.”

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