An advance by Sykes would have kept Longstreet in position.

In all probability we would have cut the enemy's army in two, and captured the long line of batteries opposite us, which were but slightly guarded.

Hancock, lying wounded in an ambulance, wrote to Meade, recommending that this be done.

Meade, it is true, recognized in some sort the good effects of a counter-blow; but to be effective the movement should have been prepared beforehand.
It was too late to commence making preparations for an advance when some time had elapsed and when Lee had rallied his troops and had made all his arrangements to resist an assault.

It was ascertained afterward that he had twenty rounds of ammunition left per gun, but it was not evenly distributed and some batteries in front had fired away all their cartridges.