The battle of "Three Crossings" Pennsylvania,    Page 3

As Longstreet returned to his right flank he observed that the bridge building was nearly completed despite some weak Union attempts to upset it. "Lieutenant  Collingsworth" Will you be so kind as to inform Colonel Nichols at the bridge that I want him to put his men across at the first possible moment" "and also mention to that artillery commander as you pass to fully support the crossing of our men!"

With those orders the 2nd phase of Longstreet's attack commenced with Rebs pouring over the bridge on the right flank.

The 1st Louisiana Zouaves stood up to a man and shouted "None before us!" and charge over the bridge. Longstreet laughed as he watched young Colonel Joshua M. Williams who command all the Louisianans in "Nichols" brigade spur his horse to keep up with his eager men crossing the bridge. "God speed you and keep you safe Colonel" he whispered. His laughter grew as he saw that just before the 1st Louisianans got to the bridge another unit beat them there! The Louisiana "Tigers" "Boy I would not want to be a Union man with those boys headed towards me, one happy as the Devil and one mad as Hell!" 

While all this was happening on the CSA side the Union was fighting a desperate holding action while frantic union officers tried to collect and rush more units into the fight.

ANOTHER OF THOSE RARE "COLORED" PHOTOGRAPHS

It is speculated that the photographer was killed later in the battle and these were developed later by his assistant and wife, but this is unconfirmed.

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