The right wing of the Union line crumbled under Confederate guns, causing a "general stampede" as other regiments began a disorderly retreat through the 57th, causing some of the unit to begin to lose its cohesion. Karpeles attempted to rally standing on a tree stump and entreating men who were retreating to re-form and make a stand, an action that could be seen as far back as the brigade command, as remembered by Brigadier General James S. Wadsworth. The action motivated about 34 men of the 57th to rally around Karpeles, followed by men of other retreating regiments from Pennsylvania and New York. He later recounted the action for Captain John Anderson, a company commander who wrote a book of the campaign. "We succeeded in forming these men into a fighting line and ordered them to advance on the approaching rebels, and by a rapid discharge of firearms managed to check the enemy." In the confusion of the battle, Confederate forces advanced past the rallied line, and passed it again in a retreat. A band of about 20 held this line through sunset, where it crawled back to Union lines during a lull in the battle.
