birney scrambled to find reinforcements. he sent the 40th new york and 6th new jersey from the wheatfield into plum run valley to block the approach into ward's flank. they collided with benning's and law's men in rocky, broken ground that the survivors would remember as the "slaughter pen". (plum run itself was known as "bloody run"; plum run valley as the "valley of death".) col. thomas w. egan, commanding the 40th new york, was called on by smith to recover his guns. the men of the "mozart" regiment slammed into the 2nd and 17th georgia regiments, with initial success. as ward's line along houck's ridge continued to collapse, the position manned by the 40th became increasingly untenable. however, egan pressed his regiment onward, according to col. wesley hodges of the 17th georgia, launching seven attacks against the confederate positions within the boulders of slaughter pen and devil's den. as the men of the 40th fell back under relentless pressure, the 6th new jersey covered their withdrawal and lost a third of its men in the process.