"Not like Lee to make a concession of defeat like that"

"I don't think it was a concession, sir. It was a Christian act"

Meade grunted, saying nothing for a moment. "Think he'll come again?"

Winfield folded his hands behind his back, looked down, and kicked at the ground for a moment.

"Not like Lee to concede ground, especially after he's given blood for it like this. Here, at this point? I don't think so. His stretcher bearers and doctors down there, they'll talk and tell everyone we're digging in even now. If he couldn't take it at dusk with damn near two divisions, he must know he can't take it tomorrow. He must figure we're bringing more men up."

Winfield looked over expectantly at Meade.

"Your corps and my old boys from the Fifth should be coming up by dawn. That only leaves John Sedgwick out of the fight for tomorrow."

"When can we count on him being up though?" and Henry could sense the slight tone of doubt in Hancock's voice. There were some men who swore by" old "Uncle John," especially the boys who served under him. There were others though, men like Winfield, who thought he was too cautious and too slow when speed was needed.

"His men should be forming to march even now. I expect them no later than mid-afternoon. But you haven't answered my question."

Winfield hesitated again, attention focused on the town, which was ablaze with light.

"Bobbie Lee's like a pit dog. Once he sinks his teeth in, he worries you to death and won't let go. Sank his teeth into us today, and we broke a couple of them off. That will only serve to get him mad and want to jump in and bite again."

"So you think he'll come at us again tomorrow right here."

"I didn't say that, George."

Meade sighed, features sour, and he rubbed his forehead.

"Sir, I do believe there'll be a fight tomorrow. If we had John up, I'd even say go in after them. Dan Sickles came up here a couple of hours back and we talked. He says the right flank of the Rebs is in the air and wants to push up west and north."

"Dan Sickles always wants to go pushing when he should be sitting still, damn the man!" "Just a thought," Hancock replied. "So you think he'll hit again."

"He has to. He damn near won a major victory today and then threw it away by getting too bold at the last second. He needs to retrieve that tomorrow. He knows just how important morale is with his army. Damn it, he seems to run on little if anything else at times other man sheer brass. He'll come at us."

Meade nodded. "Fine men. It will be here."

Winfield said nothing for a moment "I didn't say it would necessarily be here, this place."

"Then what the hell are you saying?"

"Watch the flank. With Lee it's always the flank."

"And you said this was a good position."

‘That I did."

'Then for once let us have him try our flank while we have the location^ Make this hill the center anchor of our line. Artillery up here can dominate everything for a radius of a mile."

Meade looked over at Henry, who nodded in agreement

"We leave Sickles on the left but come midmorning we refuse that line, anchor it back. I remember two hills down there, about two miles from here."

"The Round Tops, locals call it" Henry offered. "The smaller is clear cut excellent artillery ground."

"Fine then. Refuse that flank, pull it back from the crossroads, and anchor it with concealed batteries on those hills. We put Fifth Corps behind the hills as reserve. Winfield, your corps behind this position as reserve covering this hill and that position over mere," and as he spoke he waved toward Culp's Hill.

"This is a good site; the roads coming in are good; we'll have our full strength up by late tomorrow; then let Bobbie Lee try and dig us out."

Winfield was silent.

"Don't you approve?"

"It's an excellent position, sir. But I wonder if Lee sees it that way," Winfield said. "What do you mean?" "This situation, does he see it as too good?"

"Lee's instinct is to attack. He knows we are here," Meade replied sharply. This whole campaign was to bring us out from Washington in order to engage us in the open. Fine, we want it, too. One thing Lee does not understand is that we are in Pennsylvania now, and the boys will fight like hell to defend it. From everything I heard about this evening's fight both of you saw that"

"Yes, they fought like hell," Winfield offered.

"He'll come on, and here's where we dig in. Hunt come dawn, start bringing up the rest of your reserve. I want a firm anchor on the left flank, that hill you mentioned. See what guns you can put on top of the hill to the right of here as well.

"Winfield, I want to meet with all corps commanders in a half hour. There's a house just back down the pike a quarter mile or so; meet me there."

"Yes, sir."

Meade extended his hand. "Winfield, you did well today. Damn well."

"The men did, sir."

Meade grunted and stiffly remounted. Without further comment he trotted off, guidon fluttering behind him.

"I wonder if I should have said more," Winfield said softly.

"Sir?'

"What do you think, Henry?' "About Lee? Tomorrow?" "Yes."

"Remember, I served under him at Fort Hamilton." "I know; that's why I asked."

"A subtle mind, we all know that Something gets him angry though, and he could be bull-headed. We saw that this evening."

He looked down at the town. A distant cry echoed, a high, pleading shriek that died away.

"Goddamn war," Hancock whispered. "When in Christ's name is it ever going to end?'

"Maybe when the last of us is dead."

Winfield looked over at him.

"You didn't answer my question, Henry."

"Nor did you answer Meade's."

Winfield chuckled softly. "Because I couldn't. When it comes to Lee…-I just don't know. I'm certain about the flank. That has always been his way. In fact, he surprised me a bit today with the last attack. I'd have shifted, gone for the low ground between here and the Round Tops. I think he got worked up, thought he could push us and we'd crack. Now he knows we won't

"We whipped him good today. Let's hope it gets him so damn mad that tomorrow he comes straight in across those fields," and he pointed toward the open land west of the hill.

"I think it will be one of two things," Henry finally replied.

"Go on."

"Chancellorsville. Distance is about the same. Swing behind the seminary, head southwest come out below the Round Tops, then cut in. The flank, just like you said. If so, I'll be on that hill, and by God he'll pay."

"Or?"

"Second Bull Run and he'll march fifty miles to get into our rear."

Hancock stood silent hands folded behind his back. He finally looked over at Henry and smiled. "Henry Hunt pray for another Chancellorsville. If Lee tries that on us again, this time we'll bloody him'good."

Henry said nothing. Picking up his cup of coffee, he took a sip and grimaced. It had gone cold. He drank it anyhow. Two hours' sleep was enough. It was time to get down to the rocky hill, Little Round Top, and start digging in.