"Towards four o'clock, the rebels felt strong enough to take the offensive. A brigade with a battery under Earle managed to strike the Federal right on the flank and rear and throw it into utter confusion, which spread rapidly along the whole front. Now came the disastrous end"

This quote is describing a battle in between the Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. At around 4 o'clock, the Confederate forces, led by a brigade and battery under Earle, handled to introduce a surprise attack on the Union's ideal flank and back. This attack triggered the Union forces to become disorganized and confused, and this confusion quickly spread throughout the whole line. This eventually caused the Union's defeat in the fight, which was a disastrous end for them. This quote highlights the significance of surprise attacks in warfare, in addition to the devastating effects of confusion and poor organization on a military force. It also serves as a pointer of the importance of method and strategies in warfare, as the Confederate forces were able to utilize their surprise attack to acquire the upper hand and ultimately win the fight.