lines. Wright led a bayonet charge by Wildes' men and received a bloody wound to his face. The small group of Crook's men at Belle Grove, fortified by some of Emory's men, held its position for about 40 minutes until it was flanked. Their action enabled most of the Union headquarters units and supply trains to withdraw to safety. In roughly two hours, Early had driven back five Union divisions, captured over 1,300 prisoners, and taken possession of 18 artillery pieces. With many of Crook's men from the Army of West Virginia and the XIXCorps fleeing in disorder, the Union's VICorps prepared a defense on a series of ridges further north of the Belle Grove plantation on the north side of Meadow Brook. Early, Gordon, and the VI Corps Sometime between 7:00 and 7:30am, Early met Gordon on the east side of the Valley Pike near the road that leads to Belle Grove. At that time, Kershaw and Evans were driving toward the camps of the Union VICorps, and the Confederate divisions of Pegram and Ramseur were aligned along the west side of the pike north of Early and Gordon's meeting place. Early later wrote that at the time of the meeting, "...the 19th and Crook's corps were in complete rout, and their camps, with a number of pieces of artillery and a considerable quantity of small arms, abandoned." He also noted that the position of the Union VICorps on a ridge west of Middletown was "a strong one", and Wharton's division had been driven back. Early and Gordon had conflicting versions of their meeting, but Early took over command and Gordon returned to his division that had been temporarily commanded by Evans. From Gordon's point of view, he wanted to concentrate an attack on the VICorps while Early was satisfied with the day's accomplishments. From Early's point of view, he "rode forward on the Pike to ascertain the position of the enemy, in order to continue the attack." Wharton's Division, plus artillery, followed Early down (northeast) the pike. Acting Union VICorps Commander Ricketts had his men moving to position within 20 minutes of the start of the Confederate offensive. His 3rd Division of Colonel J. Warren Keifer was on the Union right with the 1st Division of Brigadier General Frank Wheaton on its left. Further northeast, the 2nd Division of Brigadier General George W. Getty had marched close to