half past nine
As the fog lifted , he saw how his right overlapped the Union left , and how the Rossville road was thus left open , and Breckinridge and Cleburn were given orders to advance without delay . In the meantime Thomas had ordered Negley to reënforce Baird . But only one division could be spared , which was rushed to the scene with all possible speed , and that was all the support the left flank received . At half past nine the battle was on , Breckinridge and Cleburn coming swiftly onward with a ringing yell , to meet a sturdy resistance from Baird and Beatty 's division of Negley 's brigade . The contest was fierce from the very opening , and for a while it looked as if the left flank would be completely annihilated and Baird 's command made prisoners . But regiments and divisions under Johnson , Stanley , and Vandever were hurried to the scene , and , suffering heavily , Breckinridge was thrown back , with two generals killed and his chief of artillery mortally wounded . By this time the battle had extended down the line , and now Cleburn , Walker , Cheatham , and others became involved .