At 4:00 that afternoon Longstreet's Corps was in position with Major General Lafeyette McLaw's division on the left and Major General John Bell Hood's division on the right. Brigadier General Evander McIvor Law, a brigade commander on Hood's right, sent out scouts to determine the enemy's position. Law's scouts reported back saying that the Federal line ended on the base of Big Round Top and the hill was unguarded, from its summit the entire Federal line could be threatened with just a few pieces of artillery. Also they reported, behind that hill were the supply wagons of the enemy, they were unprotected and an easy valuable target. It would be much easier to turn the Union Army's line than to attack it frontally. Law sent word to Hood saying as much and Hood passed the intelligence onto Longstreet. Which sounds much like what Longstreet had said to Lee the night before. Longstreet replied three times to Hood in their communiqués saying nearly the same words each time, "General Lee's orders are to attack up the Emmitsburg Road." Longstreet had refused Hood's suggestion, as had Lee his.

Law's brigade marched further than any other on that hot dry day. Their canteens were empty as they stood in line waiting for the order to go in. 22 men were selected from the 15th Alabama Regiment to collect all the canteens and go to the rear and get water. The order to advance was given before the canteens for the regiment returned. One of the regimental Colonels said years later that, "Orders are orders, there's no use asking a General to wait until we get our canteens." The water bearers for the 15th Alabama Regiment never returned to their fellows. Some accounts say that they got lost in the battle and were captured along with the canteens.

Colonel William C. Oats's 15th Alabama Regiment and Lt. Colonel M.J. Bulger's 47th Alabama Regiment advanced up the side of Big Round Top, viewed in the above picture. I walked up this hill on a winding deteriorating asphalt path. There are rocks larger than cars and trees every where. It wasn't that easy on the path, let alone without going straight up the hill and I had a water bottle in tow.