He saw that the First Corps was contending against large odds and sent back for the Eleventh Corps to come up at double-quick.

Upon assuming command of the Left Wing he turned over his own corps to Major-General Carl Schurz, who then gave up the command of his division to General Barlow.

Howard notified General Meade of Reynolds' death, but forgot to take back or modify the false statement he had made about the First Corps, now engaged before his eyes, in a most desperate contest with a largely superior force; so that General Meade was still left under the impression that the First Corps had fled from the field.
Howard also sent a request to Slocum, who was at Two Taverns, only about five miles from Gettysburg, to come forward, but Slocum declined, without orders from Meade.

He probably thought if any one commander could assume the direction of other corps, he might antagonize the plans of the General-in-Chief.
Upon receiving the news of the death of General Reynolds and the disorder which it was supposed had been created by that event, General Meade superseded Howard by sending his junior officer, General Hancock, to assume command of the field, with directions to notify him of the condition of affairs at the front.

He also ordered General John Newton of the Sixth Corps to take command of the First Corps.
The head of the Eleventh Corps reached Gettysburg at 12.45 P.M., and the rear at 1.45 P.M.