Early in the afternoon, after repulsing the advance of the 8th New York at the Widow Pence farm, Confederate Gen. Isaac Trimble turned against a battery on the Union left, four cannon under Capt. Frank Buell on a wooded knoll supported by the 27th Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Bucktails, and survivors of the 8th New York. He led the 15th Alabama through the swampy ravine to attack from the flank and ordered the 16th Mississippi and 21st Georgia forward once he was heavily engaged, but after spotting additional Federal troops 600 yards to the right, he split the 15th Alabama into two battalions, leaving one under Col. John F. Treutlen to strike Buell's position while he led the other toward the farther height. As Treutlen's men came up the hill, Buell resolved to damage them before losing his guns, and the Alabamians met such intense fire that panic seized the command and it retreated in confusion. Hearing the attack, the 16th Mississippi and 21st Georgia advanced, but the Mississippians pushed ahead and exposed their flank to rapid, destructive fire from the 27th Pennsylvania. The sides exchanged heavy volleys in the woods until the Georgians arrived, and the combined fire of the two Southern regiments drove off the Union infantry, but Buell's cannon escaped after pouring out canister and falling back toward the next Union line, where Trimble then advanced against Union Gen. Henry Bohlen's brigade.