12:20 pm – Capt. Randolph, commanding the Third Corp Artillery Brigade, leads 4-guns of Smith’s battery (4th NY) to the high ground behind the Triangular Field stone wall at Devil’s Den “DD”). The two other guns of the battery are positioned to the northeast in the Plum Run valley.

12:15-12:35 pm – After a brief stop in the Wheatfield the bulk of Ward’s brigade (Birney’s division, Third corps), comprised of the 20th IN, 86th NY, 124th NY, 99th PA and 4th ME, shifts to the south and takes position on and near DD ridge. (Editor’s note: See the Rose Woods time line for subsequent actions involving the 20th IN and 86th NY).

3:25 pm – Confederate shelling from Warfield Ridge aimed at Smith’s battery causes the 124th NY to shift its left companies to the right into the shelter of Rose Woods. The decimation of trees and limbs proves more problematic, and after about 30 minutes the detached section returns to its original position.

3:55-4:05 pm – The 4th ME deploys three groups of skirmishers and then shifts from the top of the DD ridge to a blocking position straddling Plum Run in the valley below.

4:15-4:25 pm – The 2nd US Sharpshooters (Ward’s brigade, Birney’s division, 3rd Corp) have been deployed on a skirmish line nearly half a mile long, 600 yards to the SW of DD since early afternoon. As Hood’s division (Longstreet’s Corp) advances around 4:00 pm these sharpshooters sporadically engage as they withdraw. Four separate groups eventually form. The two northern groups end up in the fighting mix on and around DD. As Robertson’s (Hood’s division, Longstreet’s Corp) right wing pushes east, the northern most unit withdraws and intermixes with the line formed by the 124th NY and the 86th NY.

4:20-4:25 pm – The right wing of Robertson’s brigade is comprised of the 3rd AR and the 1st TX. As it approaches DD, the 3rd AR slides north into Rose Woods; but the 1st TX, after pausing to reform at the west wall of the Triangular Field, heads straight for Smith’s battery and the supporting 124th NY at the crest of the ridge formed by DD.

4:30-4:35 pm – As the 1st TX continues to engage Smith and the 124th NY, the 3rd AR to the north in Rose Woods is falling back. The left of the 1st TX becomes uncovered and they dispatch Company G to guard that flank. Its not enough and the regiment falls back to the west wall of the Triangular Field.

4:30-4:35 pm – The 99th PA, originally on the far right of Ward’s brigade moves SW to a supporting position behind Ward’s other regiments at the high point on the DD ridge.

4:35 pm – The 44th and 48th AL regiments (Laws’ brigade, Hood’s division) have shifted from the extreme right of the Confederate line to the center and ended up astride of Plum Run SW of the tip of the DD ridge. They form, 44th AL on the right, 48th AL on the left in front of the 4th ME’s skirmishers and main body. One of the 2nd US Sharpshooter units has fallen back into this sector as well. When the 44th AL comes within 50 yards of the 4th ME it is briefly halted by a deadly volley.

4:40-4:45 pm – The 1st TX, and the 3rd AR to their left, charge Ward’s line and Smith’s battery again. This time the 124th NY counter charges over the eastern wall of the Triangular Field and pushes the 1st TX back, getting to within 100 feet of the Triangle’s SW wall.

4:40-4:50 pm – The 44th AL divides with the left unit heading straight up the slope towards the flank of Smith’s battery. They clash with detached Company F of the 4th ME, capturing most of that unit. The right section works its way thru the boulders in the Plum Run gorge, to the left of the 48th AL, both headed straight at the 4th ME. The 4th ME reacts quickly. Warned by skirmishers, it pulls back, away from the 48th AL blasting it from the woods and away from the threat to its R flank now posed by the oncoming 44th AL.

4:45 pm – One of Smith’s guns is disabled, limbers up, and begins a slow move NNE up the ridge line to the rear. Its departure leaves Smith with 3 active guns on the crest of DD.

4:50-4:55 pm – The charging 124th NY surges against the 1st TX multiple times before running up against a newly arrived second line of fresh Confederates in the 20th GA (Benning’s brigade, Hood’s division). The 20th GA intermixes with the struggling 1st TX and together they push the 124th NY back.

4:50-4:55 pm – The 4th ME disengages and withdraws 150 yards NNE halting east of the back slope of DD ridge. There they immediately reform and storm up the slope to the west to reclaim Smith’s three remaining guns that have been abandoned. They surprise the 44th AL which pulls back to the SW, and then engage the simultaneously advancing 20th GA. Meanwhile, the 48th AL, their 4th ME frontal foe having pulled back, and taking heavy flanking fire from the 16th MI and 44th NY (Vincent’s brigade, Barnes’ division, Fifth Corp) on LRT, pulls back to the relative safety of the Round Top saddle woods from whence they came.

4:55-5:05 pm – The 2nd GA, on the far right of Benning’s brigade, advances to the NE thru the boulders amongst which Plum Run meanders, its left flank crowding DD’s wall of rock atop of which fierce fighting rages. They are surprised and briefly halted by sudden fire from Smith’s hidden rear section 350 yards up the valley.

5:00-5:05 pm – The 99th PA charges down the ridge line of DD in support of the 4th ME and together, with help from some intermixed 2nd US Sharpshooters, push the Confederates off the crest and nose of DD. The Union briefly regains control of DD.

5:05-5:10 pm – The 20th GA and the left of the 1st TX counter charge capturing Smith’s battery and pushing back the 4th ME; while the 44th AL, and 17th GA (Benning’s brigade) engage and push back the 99th PA. This action triggers the beginning of the overall withdrawal of Ward’s brigade to the NNE.

5:05-5:15 pm – As the 2nd GA continues to advance up the Plum Run Valley, still under fire from Smith’s rear section, the 6th NJ (Burling’s brigade, Humphrey’s division, Third Corp) advances down the Houck Ridge slope closing the range for more effective fire against the Confederates but in doing so they inadvertently block the line of fire for Smith.

5:10 pm – The 40th NY (DeTrobriand’s brigade, Birney’s division, Third Corp) charges down the Plum Run Valley, coming abreast of and then passing by the 6th NJ. They push back the 2nd GA which in turn, aided by the 17th GA, fends off a number of pushes by the 40th NY.

5:20 pm – When the 48th AL, from the cover of the woods, joins the firing on the 40th NY; and all but the 6th NJ of the Union units has pulled back on their right, the 40th NY withdraws from the short but vicious fight.

5:35 pm – Three of Benning’s four regiments, the 20th GA, 17th GA, and 2nd GA, along with the 44th AL are now in control of DD, in possession of 3 of Smith’s guns, and take up defensive positions. Their sharpshooters now fire freely on the Vincent’s defenders on LRT; history giving them credit for killing Weed and Hazlett with long range rifle fire.

6:10 pm – As Burbank’s brigade (Ayres’ division, Fifth Corp) crosses the Plum Run Valley enroute to Houck’s ridge well to the north of DD, rifle fire from the Confederate regiments in DD harasses Burbank’s left. He dispatches a skirmish line from the 17th US Regulars to deter the firing.

6:20 pm – The 15th GA and 1st TX, heavily engaged at the beginning of the DD fighting, and then fighting along the ridge line all the way north to the Wheatfield, eventually withdraws all the way back to the northern wall of the Triangular Field in the face of Caldwell’s division’s (Second Corp) advance through the Wheatfield and Rose Woods. The 15th GA subsequently joins the Confederate counter attack against Caldwell, leaving the shelter of the wall a short while later while the 1st TX stays put.

8:10 pm – With fighting to the north in the Wheatfield and Rose Wood’s all but done for the day, the 15th GA once again returns, in the growing darkness, to the north wall of the Triangular Field. They take up position to the left of the 1st TX with which they have closely fought for the entire afternoon and evening.

8:20 pm – Two companies of the 1st TX are detached from the regiment to haul Smith’s three captured guns to the Confederate rear. The balance of the regiment adjusts it position to align with and support the left flank of the 20th GA and faces McCandless’ brigade (Crawford’s division, Fifth Corp) line and its skirmishers well to the north along Houck’s Ridge. The 15th AL also shifts from the N stone wall to a support position behind the three other regiments of Benning’s brigade.

8:40 pm – The 3rd AR, which has earlier withdrawn to the west edge of Rose Woods with Anderson’s brigade, moves to the Triangular Field’s east wall and takes up a supporting position behind that wall and the bivouacked regiments on the DD high ground.