Lee hoped this would detain me a few days longer and give him an opportunity of escape.

The plan was well conceived and the execution of it very well done indeed, up to the point of carrying a portion of our line.
Gordon assembled his troops under the cover of night, at the point at which they were to make their charge, and got possession of our picket-line, entirely without the knowledge of the troops inside of our main line of intrenchments; this reduced the distance he would have to charge over to not much more than fifty yards.

For some time before the deserters had been coming in with great frequency, often bringing their arms with them, and this the Confederate general knew.

Taking advantage of this knowledge he sent his pickets, with their arms, creeping through to ours as if to desert.

When they got to our lines they at once took possession and sent our pickets to the rear as prisoners.