As the Federal skirmishers began to ascend Matthews Hill, Wheat ordered his pickets to open fire. Reacting quickly, the startled Rhode Islanders dropped to the ground and returned fire as best they could. After about five minutes of this, Colonel Hunter ordered Slocum to take the hill.

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In the face of this full-blown regimental attack, the first seen on American soil in more than 40 years, the Guerrillas were able to hold out for only a few minutes. As the Rhode Islanders closed in, Wheat ordered Buhoup to fall back down the slope and re-form to the left of the Tiger Rifles, who were still sheltered in the culvert. Wheat would now be forced to fight a reverse-slope defense.

At 9:30, Hunter, Slocum and the men of the 2nd Rhode Island swept across the top of Matthews Hill, seizing it for the Federals. At that moment, Evans’ entire line, including Davidson’s guns, let them have it. “A perfect hail storm of bullets, round shot and shell was poured into us,” remembered Private Sam English of the 2nd Rhode Island, “tearing through the ranks and scattering death and confusion everywhere.”

The Rhode Islanders somehow held on to their newly won position. This enabled Hunter to bring up the next unit in his line of march, Captain William Reynolds’ battery of six rifled guns. Under intense enemy fire, Reynolds’ guns were rushed forward into battery on the east side of the Manassas-Sudley Road, linking up with the 2nd Rhode Island’s right flank. For almost an hour, the two sides blazed away at each other at close range. Hunter and Slocum, the 2nd Rhode Island’s division and regimental commanders respectively, were wounded during the exchange.

By 10 a.m., Matthews Hill was enveloped in thick smoke; visibility was cut to a mere 50 yards. The Federals, silhouetted atop Matthews Hill, made a much better target than the Confederates did, masked as they were by the culvert and the cornfield. Wheat sensed that the Federals were ready to break and thought that another push would drive them from the hilltop.

Wheat ordered his men to leave their position and move up the hill, guiding to the left and sweeping diagonally over the fence and into the smoke-covered cornfield, which would mask their forward movement. Wheat’s timing and sense of the situation were off, however. He should have launched his counterattack soon after the 2nd Rhode Island crested the ridge. That was the time when they were the most vulnerable. Now, a little after 10:15, almost an hour later, the Rhode Islanders were much better ensconced.

In small groups, the Tigers made their way slowly but surely through the hazy cornfield as Federal shot and shell buzzed over their heads. About 50 yards from the Federal line, to the right-front of the 2nd Rhode Island, the Tigers began to emerge from the cut-up stalks of corn. After a few more minutes, once the officers were able to concentrate their men as best they could, Wheat ordered a charge. The Tigers bolted from the shrouded cornfield, firing their last round, and ran full-bore at the Federal line. Some slung aside their rifles and brandished their bowie knives in preparation for close-quarter combat. To one member of the 2nd Rhode Island, the charge “seemed to me to be the most terrible moment of this terrific contest.”

When the Tigers were within 20 yards of the Federal line, the 2nd Rhode Island gave a hideous scream and racked the Confederates with musketry. The lone volley was so powerful, well-timed and decisive that Wheat’s charge was stopped cold, and most of the Tigers careened off to the left, retreating down the hill toward Sloan’s position. “Never will I forget,” proclaimed one of Reynolds’ artillerymen, “how [Wheat's] rebel flag looked as it bobbed out of sight under the hill.”

The situation was now critical for Evans. His relatively stable right, once held by Wheat, was gone. His precarious left, held by Sloan, was being systematically slaughtered by Union cannons. Worse yet, the enemy, after much delay, was bringing up reinforcements for the 2nd Rhode Island. On the other side of the road, above Wheat’s new position, Colonel Andrew Porter was bringing up his brigade. A full Union division, about 5,000 men, now faced Evans’ 1,100 Confederates.

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