The enemy had come out in full force to cut his way out and make his escape.

McClernand's division had to bear the brunt of the attack from this combined force.
His men had stood up gallantly until the ammunition in their cartridge-boxes gave out.

There was abundance of ammunition near by lying on the ground in boxes, but at that stage of the war it was not all of our commanders of regiments, brigades, or even divisions, who had been educated up to the point of seeing that their men were constantly supplied with ammunition during an engagement.

When the men found themselves without ammunition they could not stand up against troops who seemed to have plenty of it.

The division broke and a portion fled, but most of the men, as they were not pursued, only fell back out of range of the fire of the enemy.