▁Maj . ▁Gen . ▁Philip ▁Sher idan ' s ▁division ▁of ▁McC ook ' s ▁corps . ▁March ing ▁north ▁from ▁Lee ▁and ▁Gordon ' s ▁Mill , ▁Sher idan ▁took ▁the ▁brig ades ▁of ▁Col s . ▁Luther ▁Brad ley ▁and ▁Bernard ▁La ib old t . ▁Brad ley ' s ▁brig ade ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁lead ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁push ▁the ▁heavily ▁out number ed ▁brig ades ▁of ▁Robert son ▁and ▁Ben ning ▁out ▁of ▁V ini ard ▁field . ▁Brad ley ▁was ▁wounded ▁during ▁the ▁attack . ▁ ▁By ▁ 6 ▁p . m ., ▁darkness ▁was ▁falling , ▁and ▁Bra xt on ▁B rag g ▁had ▁not ▁abandoned ▁his ▁idea ▁of ▁pushing ▁the ▁Federal ▁army ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁He ▁ordered ▁Maj . ▁Gen . ▁Patrick ▁Cle bur ne ' s ▁division ▁( H ill ' s ▁corps ) ▁to ▁join ▁Pol k ▁on ▁the ▁army ' s ▁right ▁fl ank . ▁This ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁battle field ▁had ▁been ▁quiet ▁for ▁several ▁hours ▁as ▁the ▁fighting ▁moved ▁progress ively ▁south ward . ▁George ▁Thomas ▁had ▁been ▁cons olid ating ▁his ▁lines , ▁withdraw ing ▁slightly ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁to ▁what ▁he ▁considered ▁a ▁superior ▁def ensive ▁position . ▁Richard ▁Johnson ' s ▁division ▁and ▁Abs alom ▁B air d ' s ▁brig ade ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁rear ▁of ▁Thomas ' s ▁west ward ▁migration , ▁covering ▁the ▁withdraw al . ▁At ▁sun set ▁Cle bur ne ▁launched ▁an ▁attack ▁with ▁three ▁brig ades ▁in ▁line —