the trains that had been there, the Confederates began to prepare defenses at Cumberland Church. As Humphreys's men approached, Gordon's men caught up with Mahone's and the entire effective Army of Northern Virginia was near Cumberland Church. Historian William Marvel stated that with artillery, about 12,000 effective Confederate men held the position at Cumberland Church. They immediately began to prepare a line of thin breastworks in a fish hook formation when they reached the hill. Mahone's division held the right of the line with Poague's battery on its right. Gordon's corps got in line to the right of Poague and Longstreet's corps moved into position next to Gordon. Some of Major General Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry moved to protect Mahone's left flank. Other Confederate cavalrymen were in the rear supported by Major General Henry Heth's division. Humphreys had about the same number of men, 12,000, but did not have the high ground, fortifications or interior lines of communication that the Confederate defenders had. A heavy Union skirmish line moved forward but Miles and de Trobriand found they were unable to make a successful flank attack against Mahone along the Jamestown Road. When Humphreys realized that the Confederates held a strong position in force, he recalled Barlow's division, which had been marching along the South Side Railroad following Gordon's corps toward Farmville and to guard against a Confederate move toward Danville, to rejoin the other II Corps divisions. At the same time, Humphreys sent a message to Army of the Potomac commander Major General George Meade telling him that Lee's entire army was at Cumberland Church and suggesting that a corps should come up from Farmville and attack the Confederates from the other side. Neither Humphreys nor Meade yet knew that the Confederates had destroyed the bridges at Farmville and infantry could not ford the swollen river there. After the initial Union foray was repulsed, Miles moved to his right and tried again to get his men around Mahone's left flank. Humphreys heard gunfire from the direction of Farmville and saw the Confederates shorten their right flank, so he thought the VI Corps had crossed the river and were starting their attack. He had Miles send Colonel George W. Scott's brigade to turn the Confederate left flank. Scott's men had to move uphill through some rolling hills, valleys and ravines to reach the Confederate fortifications. Despite heavy fire, including canister, and the