Just here one of those providential circumstances occurred which favored us so much, for Wilcox and Lang, who guarded Pickett's right flank, did not follow his oblique movement, but kept on straight to the front, so that soon there was a wide interval between their troops and the main body, leaving Pickett's right fully uncovered.
The rebels came on magnificently.

As fast as the shot and shell tore through their lines they closed up the gaps and pressed forward.
When they reached the Emmetsburg road the canister began to make fearful chasms in their ranks.

They also suffered severely from a battery on Little Round Top, which enfiladed their line.

One shell killed and wounded ten men.

Gibbon had directed his command to reserve their fire until the enemy were near enough to make it very effective.