forced to withdraw. Unaware of the disaster to his right, Col. Ronald ordered the Stonewall Brigade forward in the bushy field, routing the vastly outnumbered 3rd Wisconsin in a matter of minutes. About to pursue the retreating Federals, Ronald suddenly learned the right flank of his brigade, held by the 27th Virginia, had fled when they discovered Crawford's men in the woods to their right and rear. Jackson ordered the batteries withdrawn before they could be captured, but Taliaferro and Early's left were hit hard by the Crawford's advance and threatened to break. Confederate counterattack At this dire point, Gen. Jackson rode to that part of the field to rally the men and came upon members of the 27th Virginia, part of what had once been his old brigade. Intending to inspire the troops there, he attempted to brandish his sword; however, due to the infrequency with which he drew it, it had rusted in its scabbard and he was unable to dislodge it. Undaunted, he unbuckled the sword from his belt and waved it, scabbard and all, over his head. He then grabbed a battle flag from a retreating standard bearer and yelled at his men to rally around him. The rallied troops joined with advancing reinforcements from Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill's division to blunt Crawford's advance. Meanwhile, having learned of the collapse of Garnett's position and the rout of the 27th Virginia, Col. Ronald ordered the Stonewall Brigade's remaining four regiments to wheel to the right, bringing their battle line into the western end of the wheat field in Crawford's rear. Under pressure in their front from fresh troops of Brig. Gen. Lawrence O'Bryan Branch's brigade and with the Stonewall Brigade about to cut them off from the rest of the Union army, Crawford's men began streaming back through the wheat field. An advance by the 5th Virginia resulted in the capture of large numbers of Federals, as well as three Union battle flags. "Pen and thought combined cannot do this subject justice,” recalled a captain in the 5th Connecticut. “It was as if the men had deliberately walked into a fiery furnace and I only wonder how many escaped from certain death upon that field.” Crawford ordered his final reserve regiment, the 10th Maine, to hold off the Confederates long enough for the rest of the brigade to withdraw. Standing alone against elements of three Confederate brigades,