These Federal troops were positioned to face the renewed Confederate assault that was sure to come from the approaching troops in A.P. Hill's Corps, Heth's division. Heth's First Brigade under Brigadier General James J. Pettigrew, numbering 2,500 strong, and his Second Brigade commanded by Col. John Brockenbrough (a meager 971 troops) were approaching the southern end of the Union line. But near the railroad cut Stone would have to content first with Confederate units approaching from the north.
These men were of General Robert Rodes' strong division of nearly 8,000. The division was emerging from Oak Hill and from the fields to its east. Rodes deployed his brigades in the following order from his left to right: George Doles' 1,300 east of Oak Hill in the fields north of town; A.S. O'Neal's 1,600 on the eastern slope and crest of Oak Hill; Alfred Iverson's 1,400 on Oak Hill itself; Junius Daniel's 2,100 in the fields along McPherson's Ridge facing the railroad cut and Stone's brigade. Stephen Ramseur's brigade of just over 1,000 men was held in reserve.
Opposing Rodes were the recently deployed troops of General John C. Robinson's division. The first brigade to arrive was that of Brigadier General Henry Baxter, whose unit comprised about 1,200 troops. He was positioned along the Mummasburg Road, with the right side of his line refused parallel to the road facing north and the left side angled west to meet the threat of Iverson. The brigade of Brig. General Gabriel Paul, 1,500, would arrive once the fighting had begun.
