E 473 .54 — H84 FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY Copy 1 OF THE GREAT BATTLE of SHILOH HELD AT PITTSBURG LANDING, TENN. APRIL 6, 1912 BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SURVIVORS ORATION BY SAMUEL M. HOWARD -OF- GETTYSBURG, SOUTH DAKOTA Copies may be obtained by addressing S. M. Howard, Gettysburg, S. D. Fifteen Cents Each FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT BATTLE of SHILOH HELD AT PITTSBURG LANDING, TENN. APRIL 6, 1912 BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SURVIVORS ORATION BY SAMUEL M. HOWARD OF GETTYSBURG, SOUTH DAKOTA Copies may be obtained by addressing S. M. Howard, Gettysburg, S. D. Fifteen Cents Each THE BATTLE OF SHILOH Mr. Commander and Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen: This National Association of the Survivors of the Battle of Shiloh was formed at Denver, in 1905, for the purpose in part, — and in no small part, — of paying dutiful tribute to the memory of our fallen Comrades whose tongues can lisp no more. In the religious performance of this most sacred duty, it must be remembered, we can never add to the grandure of their respective crowns of glory. But, nevertheless, we have inaugurated a dutiful and patriotic custom which, let us hope and trust, will be continued onward hereafter till Time shall be no more. Retrospective Prior to the movement up the Tennessee River, the enemy had taken time by the forelock and had established a strong defensive line of fortifications, stretching from Columbus, on the Mississippi, eastward through Fts. Heiman, Henry and Donelson to Bowling Green and thence onward to the East, protecting their lines of railway lead- ing from Columbus, Hickman and Memphis to Bowling Green and onward to Virginia; and he had likewise established the military head- quarters for this region at Bowling, Ky. But our military successes at Fts. Heiman, Henry and Donelson, together with the evacuation of Nashville, had completely severed this line of defense and compelled the enemy to fall backward ^to the Corinth line of railway, stretching from various points on the Missis- sippi eastward to Corinth and onward to the Atlantic. From this military situation, it may readily be seen that the paramount reason for this movement onward from Ft. Henry to this point, was to capture Corinth, sever in twain this new line of defense, disrupt the en^tire railway system centering at Corinth, and open the way to the further unprotected vitals of the enemy. And this is precisely what led onward to the great conflict here. My Comrades: Just one-half a century ago today and tomorrow, upon the environments which here surround us, five Divisions of the Army of the Tennessee, commanded respectively by Generals John A. McClernand, W. H. U Wa/llcTCu, '.Stephen A. Hurlbut, William T. Sher- man and B. M. Prentiss, allimder Gen. U. S. Grant, waged here the bloodiest great battle of modern times, resulting in the aggregate loss of at least 23,731 men in killed, wounded and missing, clad either in the blue or the gray, all of whom were then and there at the very sunrise of manhood, with all that that implies. Of this enormous 'oss, at least 3,477 were killed outright, whilst some 1,500 more were mortally wounded, and died of their wounds within a few days after the battle; and each and all of whom, practically speaking, at this very moment are quietly sleeping in patriot graves within this National Olfi • uthor 5E; iii;i THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 3 Military Park, everywhere guarded, let us fondly hope, by angels from the Throne on High. The Whippoor-will is calling From its perch on splintered limb, And his plaintive notes are thrilling, As objects are becoming dim. The struggling rays of starlight Are silvering o'er each shrub and tree, Beside the graves of Shiloh's dead, Within the Woods of Tennessee. The leaves are gently rustling. No longer stained with red. As when, for fallen Comrade, They formed the lowly bed From which, with fervent prayer. He sought in vain to flee From torture worse than death. Within the Woods of Tennessee. In frightful numbers here reposing Within their long remembered graves Upon the bluff, upon the hillside. Where Old Glory always waves. Their memories must remain For yourselves and for me. The dearest 'heritage of all, Within the Woods of Tennessee. In order for all fully to understand the vast importance of the great battle contested here, it is necessary to recall, briefly as may be, the whole military situation which then prevailed throughout this distracted land, lest it be overlooked and forgotten. It should be well remembered and kept constantly in mind that, at all times subsequent to the first battle at Bull Run, and prior to the great conflict here, the lowering clouds of National adversity en- rJirouded our whole beloved land; and that men and women, every- where filled with dire distrust, with bated breath and colorless lips were whispering, each to each,— "The foe! He comes! He comes!" And these, my Comrades, and such as these, were the sorrowful surroundings which everywhere prevailed at the date of the fearful struggle here. "But whence came it all," some one enquires. Let me tell you truly, and once for all. You must remember that, on the 21st clay of the preceding July, the first great pitched battle of all the war had been waged at Bull Run, in Virginia, from which great conflict the greater part of Mc- Dowell's whole army had fled like frightened deers before the blood- hounds' heavy bay; and it may be safe to say that, if the world were 4 THE BATTLE OF SHILOH only large enough, so they could have fled farther and farther away, their flight would not have ended yet. Mark well the critical situation which then prevailed at and around Washington, at the time of this disgraceful defeat at Bull Run. It is believed to be perfectly safe to say that, if the great Napoleon, instead of Beauregard and Joseph E. Johnston, had been in command of the enemy at the close of that battle, he would have seized Washington and the groat cities of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, without the delay of a single moment; that the great conflict would have been then and there concluded; that thereby America would have been severed in twain, and that the Great Republic would have ceased to exist. Bear well in mind, my Comrades, these were the times which tried the souls of men. "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot," to employ the words of another, now souglit safety either in Canada or elsewhere. Consternation reigned supreme. From the bitter ashes of Bull Run, instead of from the sea, arose the mists and clouds of gloom alone which covered our whole beloved land like a pall spread o'er the departed. And this consternation, distrust and gloom was helped and assisted onward by the declarations of the far South that one Southern soldier would easily put to flight at least ten from the Border and the North, and proclaimed the same from every house-top. And, as if to add fuel to the wide-spread flames of distrust, the deplorable result at Bull Run seemed to have proven this boasting true. But nevertheless, my Comrades, peering through all this overhang- ing gloom, one straggling ray of sunlight wended its way: The loyal and hardy sons of the Great Northwest never yet had fled in disgrace from any field of battle; and why should they do so now? And therein rested the faltering hopes of all. And these, I pray you to remember, were the ominous surroundings whicli everywhere prevailed onward till the date of the conflict here. Bear well in mind also that, in the West, the Mississippi River then constituted, more than now, tlie great highway of communication and traffic from the Great Lakes, on the North, to the Gulf of Mexico, on the South. And hence, at the very outset of the war, the control of this river became a matter of the utmost importance. Fully realizing this, the Richmond government had lost no time in seizing Colum.bus, in Kentucky, twenty-five miles below Cairo, and had there erected the most formidable fortifications for defense and had there mounted a very large number of great guns and provided an ample garrison. As soon as everything was here complete, inclusive of a hastily provided fleet of gun boats, the enemy at once proclaimed it to be the "Gibraltar of the Mississippi," and impregnable. More than this, it was with great impatience that they awaited our attack thereon. But they waited in vain. Columbus was never assailed. And h't me tell you why. Bear well in mind that Memphis is located beside the Mississippi. 2f>0 miles below Cairo, and 2?5 miles below Columbus; and that, from THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 5 a point less than 100 miles due east from Memphis, the Tennessee River, for some 225 miles runs parallel to the Mississippi, but in the opposite direction and empties into the Ohio at Paducah, almost due East from Cairo; and also, that these two rivers constitute parallel highways from the Ohio River southward to the latitude of Memphis. You will doubtless still remember that, at the time Gen. Grant started up this river, in addition to his force at Cairo, we also had another army located near Louisville, known as the Army of the Ohio; and that Louisville is situated but a little more than 200 miles farther east than Cairo. And hence it came that Gen. McClellan, — then in command of all our forces, — saw that armies operating south- ward from Cairo and southward from Louisville, would be operating too far apart to support each other; but if the same were thus operat- ing southward from Paducah and Louisville, each would then be in supporting distance of each. And doubtless, this situation led to the abandonment of the Mississippi route, for the time being, and the substitution of the Tennessee River route. The Tennessee River Route Hence it was determined not to assail Columbus from the North, but to adopt the Tennessee River route to the vitals of the enemy, and thereby flank him out of his Gibraltar at Columbus. And ac- cordingly, commencing early in January, 1862, Gen. Grant moved his forces from Cairo to Paducah, preparatory for assaulting Fts. Henry and Heiman, on the Tennessee, and Donelson, on the Cumberland, only twelve miles away. We captured Fts. Henry and Heiman on February 8, and Ft. Donelson, with 15,000 prisoners of war, on the 16th, and then came on here, where Gen. Hurlbut's Fourth Division landed and established camps on the 16th day of March, 1862. Although the capture of Fts. Henry and Donelson constituted im- portant victories for the Union cause, yet in the eyes of the South they settled little or nothing; for the enemy vauntingly proclaimed from every housetop: "It was the gunboats that captured Fts. Henry and Donelson. Just wait till we get you out on the open battlefield ar;ain, and we will hand you another Bull Run." And many people paid much heed to this. But nevertheless, and notwithstanding this boasting, the Richmond cabinet now became seriously alarmed at this successful invasion of the Southland by the victorious army of the West; for at this point, bear well in mind, we were within a single hour's march of the sacred soil of Mississippi, the home of Jefferson Davis, the acknowledged leader of the would-be Southern Confederacy. And the Richmond cabinet fully realized this impending peril to its cause, and at once re.=olved to hurl us backward to the Ohio and beyond. Knowing that Albert Sidney Johnston was then the senior Rebel officer in the field; that he had won his spurs in the war with Mexico; that he had successfully commanded the toilsome expedition against the Mormons at Salt Lake in 1857, the very last military movement made by our army prior to this war; and that he was then believed 6 THE BATTLE OF SHILOH to be the briglitpst military genius in all America, Jefferson Davis resolved at once to hasten him on to Corinth. Hence came the forma- tion of the Department of the Mississippi, of which Gen. Albert Sidney .Tc'hnston formally assumed command on the 29th day of March. It was .then well known that all was quiet on the Potomac; and hence, that there was no pressing need for his services there. Thereupon, Gen. Johnston established his headquarters at Corinth and proceeded to concentrate there a mighty army for the purpose of inflicting another Bull upon the Union cause, just as had been so successfully inflicted upon the army of the Potomac in the preceding July. The capture of Corinth, by far the most important railroad center in all the Southwest, being the main object and incentive for all this movement up these rivers, of course it became necessary to establish a military base somewhere on this river, and it was important that such base should be as accessible to Corinth as possible. It soon be- came known that Snake and Lick Creeks empty into the Tennessee liero; that they run through deep defiles, which are impassable for artillery in the spring of the year; that their mouths are situated but little more than two and one-half miles apart; that they afforded great natural protection for a base here, and that there were two good roads leading from here to Corinth, it was decided to establish that base here. And these are the reasons which led to the location of our army here. As previously stated, Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut's Fourth Division, Army of the Tennessee, landed here on the 16th day of March, ]8(;2; and on the next day thereafter, established camps just beyond the inter- section of the Hamburg and Savannah and the Eastern Corinth roads, with Gen. Hurlbut's Headquarters located in a large log house which then stood about 75 yards south of where the Hurlbut Headquarters monument now stands. The First Division, commanded by Gen. John A. McClernand, the Second Division, commanded by Gen. W. H. L. Wallace, the Fifth Division, commanded by Gen. W. T. Sherman, the Sixth Division, com- manded by Gen. B. M. Prentiss, each and all landed here immediately thereafter and went into camps farther out from the Landing, stretch- ing from Snake Creek, on the North, to Lick Creek, on the South, and from the River, on the East, to Owl Creek, a branch of Snake Creek, on the West. The Third Division, commanded by Gen. Lew Wallace, disembarked April 1.3th at Crump's Landing, less than five miles below. Gen. Charles F. Smith, — then generally known as "Paducah Smith," was then in command of all the forces engaged in this move- ment, and established the headquarters thereof at Savannah, on the opposite side of the River and ten miles below. These six Divisions then substantially constituted the Army of the Tennessee, — the only Army, either North or South. East or West, which was never defeated and never turned its back to the foe, — and was halted here for the purpose of awaiting the arrival of the Army of the Ohio, then marching through from Nashville for the purpose of THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 7 uniting these two armies at this point; whereupon Gen. Halleck, then in command of this military department, with headquarters at St. Louis, intended to come on, assume command of all, and lead the advance on Corinth. Bear well in mind always, that Gen. Grant had nothing whatever to do with the location and disposition of our army iiere; for shortly after his capture of Ft. Donelson, Gen. Halleck had become dissatisfied with Grant for going to Nashville, outside of his Department, without permission; that thereupon, Halleck had relieved Grant from his com- mand; that on the 4th of March, Gen. Halleck had assigned Gen. C. F. Smith to the command of the expedition moving up this River; and that it was Gen. Smith who selected this base and established the camps, and located the headquarters in the Cherry House, at Savannah; and that Gen. Grant was not reinstated in command till the 17th of February, 1862, and did not arrive here till the ivih of March. — (a). In this connection it should also be remembered that, just after the battle of Donelson, Gen. Smith was seriously disabled by stepping upon a nail, while getting into a yawl; that he was carried from his steamer at Savannah in a helpless condition to the Cherry House, and died there on the 10th of March, three days after the battle; and that, as a matter of fact, he never had any actual supervision here at all. And this presents to view the strange spectacle of an army of 44,895 men being encamped here and hereabout, within a single day's march of Corinth, where a superior force of the enemy was known to be quartered, and without any commander. Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, then in command of the enemy at Corinth, knew all about the situation here, and was fully advised of the approach of the Army of the Ohio, commanded by Gen. Buell, and that it would soon form a junction with the Army of the Tennessee. He also knew very well that, if he waited till after that junction, he would have both these armies to fight at one and the same time, and in one and the same battle. Hence, it became self-evident to him that his only hope of success lay in defeating Grant before the arrival of Buell; and that, after this, he could overthrow Buell, recover all the territory lost, and march northward to the Ohio and beyond. Albert Sidney Johnston was a graduate from West Point, and had made a lifelong study of the strategy employed by the great Napoleon in Italy and elsewhere, and at once resolved to follow the footsteps of the great Corsican. Well knowing that, within a few days at most. Grant would be reinforced by Buell, and having an army of his own which was superior in numbers to either, he resolved on an offensive move at once, and to defeat the Army of the Tennessee before the arrival of Buell; then to dispose of Buell and march onward, un- obstructed, to the Ohio. This, indeed, was a plausible and brilliantly conceived plan; and this is just what caused the bloodiest great battle of modern times to be waged here, just half a century ago. (a)— Reb. Rec, S. 1, P. 1, Page 629. 8 THE BATTLE OF SHILOH Nevertheless, my Comrades, it is a trite and true saying that, while man proposes, it is God who disposes. And t'his adage certainly proved true at Shiloh; for Johnston intended to fight the battle here on Saturday, but was so hindered by incessant rains and the bad roads occasioned thereby, that he had to delay the battle till Sunday; and by reason of this delay, Buell's Army made its appearance before the termination of the battle. For the purpose of executing this brilliant plan, under date of Corinth, April 3, 1862, Gen. Johnston issued his order of battle, which contained the following important provision: "In the approaching battle, every effort should be made to turn the left flank of the enemy, so as to cut off his line of retreat to the Tennessee River and tlirow him back on Owl Oreek, where he will be obliged to surrender." — (a). Let me charge you to bear this plan of battle constantly in mind; for this fully explains the reason why the enemy did the most of his desperate fighting on our left, commanded by General Stephen A. Hurlbut, of the Fourth Division; and why everything else was sacrificed, to a greater or less extent, to aid his desperately continued assaults upon our left. And this also explains why the Peach Orchard and the environments of the Bloody Pond were more thickly strewn with dead and dying, than any other like portion of any other great battlefield of modern times. For several days prior to the battle, both Prentiss and Sherman had been sending out reconnoitering parties towards Corinth. One of these, consisting of a detachment of the 5th Ohio Cavalry, on Friday had a hot skirmish with the enemy out on the Corinth road, and came in and reported to Gen. Sherman that the enemy were present in force. Heedless of this. Gen. Sherman replied: "You militia are too easily scared. Gen. Beauregard will never dare to attack me here!" What a wonderful exhibition of incompetency and ignorance is here manifested; and this, too, by one who afterwards became, in the opinion of many, the greatest and most successful commander of all the war. Opening of Battle But Gen. Prentiss was not so easily misled and deceived; and he kept "an ear to the ground" throughout all of Saturday night. And at 3 o'clock on Sunday morning, sent out three Companies of the 25th Missouri, under Maj. Powell, to again reconnoiter the front. This detachment moved out, passing between the Rhea and Seay fields, near the main or Eastern Corinth road, and at 4:55 A. M., was fired upon by the pickets of the enemy in charge of Maj. Hardcastle, of Hardee's Corps near the Southeast corner of Fraley field. Thereupon, Maj. Powell returned the fire, and a sharp engagement followed, lasting for an hour and a half, when the advance in force of Wood's Brigade, of Hardee's Corps, drove Powell back to the Seay field, where he was (Q)— 10 Reb. Rec, S. 1, P. 1, pages 391-2. THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 9 reinforced by five Companies of the 21st Missouri, commanded by Col. Moore, and four Companies of the IGth Wisconsin, sent forward by Gen. Prentiss. Col. Moore assumed command of all and sent back for the remainder of his Regiment. This force, fighting stubbornly and retreating slowly in perfect order, was again reinforced at the South- east corner of the Rhea field by Peabody's whole Brigade, of Prentiss's Division. Here they were attacked by Hardee's whole Corps, which t'hey held in check till 8 A. M., and then fell back to Prentiss's camp, where Prentiss had formed his whole Division in line of battle. The long roll was now beaten everywhere, and the bloodiest great battle of modern times was on. Gen. Grant, then at Savannah, twelve miles away, and on the opposite side of the River, hearing the loud-mouthed guns assailing Prentiss, at once boarded a steamer and hastened to the scene of the conflict. And this is precisely the way the great battle of Shiloh commenced, just fifty years ago this morning. At this line, thus formed in front of his camp, Gen. Prentiss succeeded temporarily in checking the onslaught of the enemy. But in t'he midst of a most murderous fire, he was soon outflanked and driven from the field in the utmost disorder, with his Division or- ganiza.tlcn completely wrecked. Many of his men fled through the advancing lines of Gen. Hurlbut, then hastening to his relief. But nevertheless, it is simple justice only to state that, shortly thereafter, Gen. Prentiss succeeded in rallying some 800 of his men, returned with them to the line at the right of Gen. Hurlbut. where they fought like fiends incarnate till they were finally surrounded and captured just before five o'clock, P. M. Let their frightful roll of killed and wounded tell the rest. Mortal man can tell no more. At the same time that the right of Hardee's Corps was thus over- throwing^ Prentiss at his camp, his left and a portion of Bragg's Corps commenced an attack on Sherman's and McClernand's Divisions on the Purdy road, just East of the Owl Creek bridge. And this is un- doubtedly the exact time referred to by Gen. Sherman when he says: "About 8 o'clock I saw the glistening bnyonets of heavy masses of infantry to our left front in the woods beyond the small stream al- luried to, and ber-aire satisfied, for the first time, that the enemy de- signed a determined attack on our whole camp." (a). But at that time, the battle 'had been raging, with more or less severity, for more than three hours; and it was then everlastingly too Into to make preparation therefor. This first attack on Sherman and McClernand was temporarily repulsed by their well directed fire, under which the enemy was ppverely punished, the 6t'h Mississippi losing more than 70 per cent of all engaged; but being reinforced by the remainder of Bragg's Corps, the enemy renewed the attack with great fury, and finally rwept both these divisions from the field in great disorder, sub- stantially breaking up their Division organizations. (a)— Rob. Roc, S. 1. P. 1, page 249. 10 TilE BATTLE OF SHILOH Referring to the condition of his Division at this time, Gen. Sher- man says: "About this time, Appier's Regiment broke in disorder, soon follow- ed by fugitives from Mungen's Regiment. * * * when Col. Raith, of the 4(Uh Illinois, received a severe wound and fell from his horse, his Regiment and the others manifested disorder and the enemy got possession of three guns of this (Waterhouse's) Battery. * * * i rode across the angle and met Behr's Battery at the cross-roads, and ordered it immediately to unlimber and come into battery, action right. Capt. Behr gave the order, but he was almost immediately shot from his horse, wihen the drivers and gunners fled in disorder carrying off the caissons and abandoning five out of six guns without firing a shot. * * * Hildebrand's Brigade had substantially disappeared from the field, though he himself bravely remained. This was about 10:30 A. M. *■ * * Wihile we were so hardly pressed, two Iowa Regiments ap- proached from the rear, but could not be brought up to the severe fire that was raging in our front." — (a). But instead of retreating towards the River, and thereby keeping in touch with the remainder of our army, as should have been done, Sherman and McClernand both retreated northward just beyond the north branch of the Purdy road, and where, supported by Veach's Brigade of Hurlbut's Division, they succeeded in rallying their fugitives with some semblance of order. But this retreat left a large opening between Sherman and McClernand, on the one hand, and the First Brigade of W. H. L. Wallace's Division, on the other, located in the Hornet's Nest, through which opening the enemy poured and suc- ceeded in surrounding the Hornet's Nest. Thus far, the enemy had swept all before him as successfully as a first class cyclone sweeps through the Indies. Four of our five Division organizations had practically ceased to exist; for W. H. L. Walk'ice had one Brigade only of his Division left; and Prentiss's, F.herman's and McClernand's had been rent assunder as heretofore re- lated. From this time onv.ard, lasting more than five hours, Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut's was the only organized Division which stood between the enemy and capture; and one of his Brigades was then absent from his command, but finally joined him at the Siege Gun Battery Line. But nevertheless, the enem.y had been compelled to pay dearly for all he had gained, for many of his organizations v/ere either entirely gone or very badly shattered. Prentiss, Sherman and McClernand had been driven from their camps, it is quite true, and had suffered severely; but the enemy had suffered even worse than they, for the ground in (heir front was thickly strewn with dead and wounded. .At high noon, having thus swept away all before him, Albert Sidney Johnston resolved to case up on our right, withdraw therefrom the greater part of his forces, and then hurl the same like a mountain avalanche upon our left, with the expectation of driving his forces, like a wedge, between our army and the River, and thereby separate us from our supplies, transportation and expected reinforcements, force us back upon Owl Creek and compel a surrender, in full corapli- (10 Reb. Rec. Series 1. Part 1. pp. 240, 250.) THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 11 ance with his general plan of battle issued before leaving Corinth. In order to carry out this shifting of forces, it became necessary to ease up on the firing line, which brought on a brief lull in the battle, which may properly be devoted to other details. Gen. Lew Wallace's Division, encamped at or near Crump's Land- ing, less than five miles away, had been repeatedly ordered forward by Gen. Grant, and should ihave come to our assistance before noon. But for some reason or other, always unknown to all the world ex- cepting Wallace himself, the Division never arrived upon the field till after midnight. The First Brigade of W. H. L. Wallace's Division was still in the strongly sheltered position which is now known as the Hornet's Nest, and there assisted in repelling charge after charge of the enemy; but owing mainly to their naturally strong position, the regiments of this Brigade lost the least in killed and wounded of all engaged on Sunday. As a matter of fact, the 9th Illinois, of this same Division, but fighting elsewhere, lost more than twice as many men, in killed and wounded, as this entire Brigade, consisting of the 2nd, 7th, 12bh and 14th Iowa. This lull in the battle was also employed by Gen. Grant's chief r,f staff. Col. Webster, in assembling four 20-pounder Parrotts and six other rifled guns, together with numerous pieces of light artillery, in battery array at a commanding point on the dividing ridge which is now marked by the Siege Gun Battery Monument, distant about half a mile from the River, and slightly protected the same with hastily eon^itructed parapets. Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston em.ployed this lull in hurriedly shift- ing to our left, in addition to those already there, 28 Regiments of Infantry, eight Batteries of Artillery and Clanton's, Avery's and Adam's cavalry. Then establishing his headquarters at the intersection of the Hamburg and Savannah with the Hamburg and Purdy roads, less than a mile distant from the Peach Orchard, and directly in front of the First and Third Brigades of Hurlbut's Division, and for the purpose of crushing in our left, he gave his famous order, "Forward, — always forward." And then and there began the deadliest conflict of all the centuries n2;ainst two Brigades of Hurlbut's Division, four Regiments of Wal- lace's Division, two Regiments under Col. Stewart, and about 800 brave men whom Gen. Prentiss had succeeded in rallying, — all support- ed on the right by the First Brigade of W. II. L. Wallace's Division at the Hornet's Nest. William Preston Johnston, son of Albert Sidney, then and there rorving on his father's staff, in describing this mighty conflict, very eloquently says: "A gigantic contest now began, which lasted more than five hours. In the impetuous rush forward of Regiments to fill the gaps in the front line, even the Brigade organization was broken; but though there was dislocation of commands, there was little loss of effective force. The Confederate assaults were made by rapid and often unconnected charges along the line. They were repeatedly checked and often repulsed. Sometimes counter charges drove them back for short dis- 12 THE BATTLE OF SHILOH tances; but whether in assault or recoil, both sides saw their bravest soldiers fall in frightful numbers. "On the Federal left-center, W. H. L. WalJace's and Hurlbut's Divisions were massed with Prentice's fragments in a position so impregnable, and thronged with such fierce defenders, that it won from the Confederates the memorable title of 'The Hornets' Nest.' Here, behind a dense thicket, on the crest of a hill, was posted a strong force of as hardy troops as ever fought, almost perfectly protected by the conformation of the ground, and by logs and other rude and hastily prepared defenses. — (a) To assail it, an open field had to be passed, enfiladed by the fire of Batteries. No figure of speech would be too strong to express the deadly peril of assault upon this natural fortress. ' \V. H. L. Wallace's Division, and not to the Hurlbut position. "For five hours, Brigade after Brigade was led against it. Hind- man's Brigades, which eairlier had swept everything before them, were reduced to fragments and paralyzed for the remainder of the day. A. P. Stuart's Regiments made fruitless assaults. Then Bragg ordered up Gibson's Brigade. Gibson, a knightly soldier, was aided by Colonels, three of whom afterwards became Generals. The Brigade made a gal- lant charge, but like the others, recoiled from the fire it encountered. Under a cross-fire of artillery and musketry, it at ilast fell back with very heavy loss. Gibson asked that artillery be sent him, but it was not at hand, and Bragg sent orders .to charge again. The Colonels thought it hopeless; but Gibson led them again to the attack; and again they suffered a bloody repulse. The Brigade was four times repulsed, btit maintained its ground steadily until W. H. L. Wallace's position was turned, when, renewing its forward movement in con- junction with Cheatham's command, it helped to drive back its stout opponents. Cheatham, charging with Stephens' Brigade on Gibson's right across an open field, had been caught under a murderous cross- fire; but fell back in good order, and later in the day, came in on Breckenridge's left in the last assault when Prentiss was captured. This bloody fray lasted till near 4 o'clock, without making any visible impression on the Federal center. But when its flanks were turned, these assaulting columns, crowding in on the front, aided in its capture. "Gen. Johnston was with the right of Statham's Brigade, con- fronting the left of Hurlbut's Division, which was beyond the crest of a 'hill, with a depression filled with chaparral in its front. Bowen's brigade was further to right, in line with Statham's (overlapping Hurlbut), touching it near this point. The Confederates held the parallel ridge, in easy musket range; and 'as heavy firing as I ever saw during the war, was kept up on both sides for an hour or more,' says Gov. Harris. It was necessary to cross the valley, raked by this deadly ambuscade, and assail the opposite ridge, in order to drive the enemy from its stronghold. "When Gen. .Johnston came up and saw the situation, he said to his staff: 'They are offering stubborn resistance here. I shall have to put the bayonet to them.' "It was the crisis of the conflict. The Federal key was in his front. If his assault was successful, their left would be completely turned and the victory w^on. "He determined to charge. He sent for Gov. Harris, of his staff, to lead a Tennessee Regiment; and after a brief conference with Breckinridge, whom he loved and admired, that officer, followed bv his staff, appealed to his soldiers to charge the enemy. But the line did not move. Thereupon Gen. Johnston rode out in front of the men and proceeded slowly down the line. His hat was off; his presence was inspiring; his voice was persuasive, encouraging and commanding. (a) — This refers to the position held by the First Brigade of THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 13 When he had reached the center of the line, he turned and said: 'I will lead you,' and moved toward the enemy. "Thereupon, with a mighty sITbut, the line moved forward at a charge. A sheet of flame and a mighty roar burst from the Federal line. The Confederate column withered, but there was no pause until the crest was carried. "The Federals fell back on their support; but delivering volley after volley as they sullenly retired." Thereupon, Hurlbut retired the 28th, 41st and 32nd 111. and the 3rd Iowa infantry about 100 yards to the North side of the Peach orchard, where they took possession behind a worm fence; and also moved Lauman's Brigade back by the left flank for a corresponding distance. And thereupon, no enemy being in sight, the firing ceased for a short period of time. Death of Gen Albert Sidney Johnston During this very brief lull in the battle. Gen. Johnstoti, unattended, rode his bay horse up from the little ravine which skirts the West side of the Peach Orchard, came up into the Peach Orchard to a point not more than fifty yards distant from where the 28th Illinois monu- ment now stands, and, with his field glass, deliberately surveyed the line of these four Regiments, then partly concealed behind the fence, and not more than 175 yards distant. Thereupon, without orders, some 25 shots from the left flank of the 2Sth, and right flank of the 41st Illinois, were fired at him, one of which severed an artery in Gen. Johnston's leg, whereupon he fell back into the ravine, rode down the same about 100 yards, then came up to the big oak tree which still stands near his monument, and there met Gov. Harris who had just come up from the right. Gov. Harris saw the General was very pale and asked him: "General, are you wounded?" He anwered in a very deliberate and emphatic tone: "Yes; and I fear seriously." And .these were his last words. Harris and Wickham led his horse back under cover of the hill, to the point where the metallic tablet erected to mark the spot now stands, and lifted him from his horse. His life rapidly ebbed away, and in a few minutes only the greatest Commander In all America, North or South, East or West, had joined the untold millions which throng the Great Beyond. With the fall of Albert Sidney Johnston, the South lost its greatest chieftain and military commander; and throughout all the war, they were never able to replace him with an equal. Battle Continues But the gigantic struggle to turn our left, planned and Inaugurated by Gen. Johnston, did not terminate with the death of its great designer. Beauregard succeeded to the chief command, and Bragg. Hardee, Polk and Brecinridge, all Corps Commanders, still remained to carry it on with all their might and main. At this time, being outflanked on his left by the Brigades of Stat- 14 THE BATTLE OF SHILOH ham and Dowon, and in order to keep from being surrounded, Gen. Ilurlbut now withdrew a short distance and took up another position just West of the Bloody Pond, from which he repelled with great slaughter another charge by Statham and Bowen, assisted by two Brigades of Chalmer's and Jackson's Divisions. Hurlbut then with- drew to the East side of the Bloody Pond, and there repelled another assault. But in the meantime, the Divisions of Chalmer and Jackson had encountered Stewart's Brigade of Sherman's Division, over on our extreme left, and had swept his battery and the 71st Ohio from the field and compelled the retreat of Gen. McArthur with his two Regi- ments of W. H. L. Wallace's Division, thus clearing the way to our base. This compelled Gen. Hurlbut to fall back to his headquarters, where he halted for a few minutes only and then withdrew to the Siege Gun Battery line, where he formed our last line of battle for the day, at right angle with the River, which was extended from the top of the bluff, along the top of the dividing ridge, and reached west- erly to the broken ground of Tilghman's Branch of Snake Creek, and refused so as to protect the Snake Creek bridge for the crossing of Lew Wallace's Division. And now, for the first time in all this battle, we succeeded in forming a solid and continuous line of battle, stretch- ing from the bluff of the River clear out to Tilghman's Branch, which could not be flanked, but if assailed at all, had to be assailed by a frontal attack alone. It was here that Col. Johnson, of the 28th Illinois, brought up the rear guard, deliberately ihalted his Regiment, rode up to Gen. Hurlbut and asked for orders before wheeling into line. (b). Records. And it was here that Gen. Grant rode up to Gen. Hurlbut and turned over the command to him of the whole line of battle and of all the troops that came up. — (d). "In a short time," says Gen. Ilurlbut, "the enemy appeared on the crest of the ridge, led by the Eighteenth Louisiana, but were cut to pieces by the steady and murderous fire of our artillery. Dr. Cornyn again took charge of one of the heavy 24-pounders, and the line of fire of that gun was the one upon which the other guns concentrated. Capt. Gwin, XT. S. Navy, called upon me by one of his officers, to mark the place the gunboats might take to open their fire. I advised him to take position on the left, and open fire as soon as our fire was within that line. He did so; and from my own observation and the statement of prisoners, his fire was most effectual in stopping the advance of the enemy." — (c). Records. Relative to this report. Gen. Grant says: "Respectfully forwarded to headquarters of the Department. This is a fair and candid report, assuming none too much for the officers and men of this Division." (a) — The direction of these charges here given is wrong. They (b) — Hurlbut's official report. Series 1, P. 1, p. 20r>: Rebellion (c) — Hurlbut's official report. Series 1, P. 1, p. 20fi, Rebellion (d)— Series 1, p. 208, Vol. 10, Rebellion records. THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 15 Of the numerous determined assaults on this position, Gen. Chal- mers, commanding the Second Brigade of Withers' Division, Bragg's Corps, consisting of five Regiments of infantry and Gage's Battery, reports as follows: "It was then about 4 o'clock in the evening, and after distributing ammunition, we received orders from Gen. Bragg to drive the enemy into t!he river. My Brigade, together with that of Brig. Gen. .lackson, filed to the right and formed facing the River and endeavored to press forward to the water's edge. (a). But in attempting to mount the last ridge, we were met by a fire from a whole line of batteries, protected by infantry, and assisted by shells from the gunboats. Our men struggled vainly to ascend the hill, which was very steep, making charge after charge without success, but continued to fight till hostili- ties closed on both sides. This was the sixth fight in which we had been engaged during the day; and my men were too much exhausted to storm the batteries on the hill." ■were not cliarging tov^ards the River, but were charging North parallel 'with the River, as may be seen frcm the following report of Gen. Jncksou. They were charging up the North hillside of Dill's Branch, directly in front of the position now marked by the Siege Gun Battery Monument.— 10 Reb. Rec, S. 1, P. 1, pp. 550-1. And Gen. Jackson, commanding the Third Brigade, same Division, consisting of five Regiments of infantry and Girardey's Battery, with an aggregate of 2,208 men, reports as follows relative to these assaults: "My Brigade was ordered to change direction again, face towards Pittsburg, where the enemy appeared to have made his last stand, and to advance upon him, Gen. Chalmers' Brigade being again on my right and extending to the swamp of the Tennessee River. "Without ammunition and with only their bayonets to rely on, steadily my men advanced under a heavy fire from light batteries, siege pieces and gunboats. Passing through the ravine, they arrived near the crest of the opposite hill, upon which the enemy's batteries were; but could be urged no further wiithout support." And then and there finally terminated the terrible battle of Sunday, during all of which, in proportion to the number then and there en- gaged, more men were killed and wounded than in any other great battle of modern times. But it was net yet dark, or nearly dark. On the contrary, it was only G:00 P. M., and the sun, shining brightly, was yet half an hour high. At least an hour and a half of sufficient daylight yet remained for continuation of the strife. But no continuation came. For the first time throughout the day, the enemy now assailed a solid and continuous line of battle which they could not flank, supported by a park of more than thirty-five pieces of siege and field artillery, assist- ed by the enfiliading fire up Dill's branch of the heavy batteries of the wooden gunboats, Tyler and Lexington, as shown by the report of Gen. Ilurlbut, heretofore referred to and cited. Against this solid line, thus formed on this dividing ridge, the enemy with more than 20,000 men, m.ade charge after charge up the North hillside of Dill's Branch, but were always repulsed with useless slaughter, as shown conclusively by tlie^e reports of Chalmers and Jackson, each of whom was there present in person and knew what he was saying from his own personal observation, without taking it second handed, as was the case with Gen. Bragg and Preston Johnston. As n matter of fact, no human 16 THE BATTLE OF SHILOII beings could ontor far into this lino of fire and live. Throughout the whole day, Gen. Hurlbut rode back and forth along his whole line, everywhere encouraging them by his cool and deliberate presence, and repeatedly requesting them not to expose themselves unnecessarily. Tihe result proved that Gen. Grant made no mistake in turning over the command of this last line of Battle to Gen. Hurlbut, for the latter succeeded in repelling every assault made upon this line, and in saving the Army of the Tennessee from defeat and destruction. Within a very few minutes after this successful repulse of the last assault of the enemy on this line, the 36th Indiana, of Ammen's Brigade, Nelson's Division, Army of the Ohio, marched up and stacked arms in the glittering sunshine, on the opposite side of the Tennessee River, and was soon followed by the other .two Regiments of that Brigade. Thereupon, a mighty cheer went forth from our whole line, and which, barring the AUeghcnies, might have been heard at Wash- ington. The 3Gth Indiana was soon ferried over, when it formed, marching up the bluff and took position in support of a Battery. During the night, the remainder of Nelson's and all of Crittenden's Divisions, Army of the Ohio, arrived upon the field; and so did Lew Wallace's Division, Army of the Tennessee, which .'^ihould have arrived by noon at latest. Just about sunset. Gen. Grant issued his famous order to assume the offensive at daylight in the morning. The boys remained in line of battle throughout a severe rainstorm which prevailed during the whole night, without the least shelter, and with little or nothing to eat since breakfast. And Hurlbut's Division had never been relieved at any time during the battle. The Battle on Monday. At midnight, Sunday night. Gen. Lew Wallace with the Third Division, Army of the Tennessee, crossed the Snake Creek bridge and went into position at one o'clock on the right of Gen. Sherman, behind the breaks of Tilghman's Branch. At 12 o'clock. Nelson's Division passed through Hurlbut's Division and went into position just beyond, and Crittenden's Division, shortly afterward, passed through and went into position just beyond Nelson: and the advance of McCook's Division arrived by steamers at the Landing from Savannah at 5 o'clock Monday morning and hastened out and formed on the right of Gen. Crittenden. At daylight, the battle was resumed by Geu. Grant, with Nelson's Division on the left of Crittenden, a portion of McCook's Division on the right of Crittenden, with remnants of McClernand's and Sherman's Divisions next, and Lew Wallace's fresh Division on the right of all, and Hurlbut's Division supporting McClernand at Jones Field. At times, for a few minutes, the fighting was sharp. At 7:30, Nelson reports his Division was driven back by the shattered forces (n)— 10 Reb. Rec, S. 1, P. 1. page 108. THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 17 of the enemy; and that at 8 o'clock, "the firing of the enemy was tremendous." But with the aid of Mendenhall's Battery, he finally succeeded in restoring his line and in driving the enemy onward. In one of the last charges of the day, made at Jones' Field, the 28th Illinois, of Hurlbut's Division, lost thirty-two men, killed and wounded, — (a). But on the whole, the enemy was steadily driven backward; and at 3 P. M., Col. Hall, of the 14th Illinois, Hurlbut's Division, led the last charge which drove the enemy from the field and terminated the bloodiest great battle of modern times. The enemy retreated with much disorder and badly demoralized; but they were not energetically pursued by Gen. Grant. And why? It was because Grant was afraid to do so, for fear of incurring the displeasure of Gen. Halleck, his superior in command, who had thus censured him soon after the capture of Donelson. Results of the Battle. As a necessary result of the great victory won here on this blood-stained field, the enemy had to abandon with great haste their Gibraltar of the Mississippi at Columbus without the firing of a gun; for after the capture of Corinth, which soon fell as a matter of course, the Army of Tennessee moved West and captured Memphis without a struggle, and secured control of the Mississippi clear down to Vicks- burg. And more than all beside, all this vast region forever remained in our posession through all the war, and until the Dove of Peace hovered over all our land, proclaiming with trumpet tones, "War shall be no more." The whole world knows, and will always know, what we ac- complished here. In this tremendous death-grapple, lasting for two days and one night, the Federal forces alone lost in killed, wounded and missing, more than 13,754 men, — the bravest of the brave, — of which number, 1,754, lay dead upon the field. And it is confidently believed that at least 300 more died from wounds here received soon afterward, making the killed alone aggregate more than 2,000. The enemy's loss in killed, wounded and missing, is not, and never will be accurately known, because full reports thereof were never made and preserved. But inasmuch as he was the assailing party throughout most of the death-struggles on Sunday, , when the greater part of the losses occurred. It must have been much greater than ours. From the incomplete reports received. Gen. Beauregard places it at 10,694, of which 1,723 were killed outright. This makes the aggregate loss on both sides in killed, wounded and missing, 23,741; and the actual aggregate loss, in all probability, was in the neighborhood of 3,000 more, or at least 26,741. In writing thereof, a brilliant Southern author says: "After Shiloh, the South never smiled again." And practically speaking. It is safe to say that, from the AUe- ghenies and beyond to the Missouri and beyond, — from the Great Lakes to the Gulf, — the friends of the fallen at Shiloh hung crape upon the door of each and every household. 18 THE BATTLE OF SHILOH The Bloody Pond received its name from the deplorable fact that its waters were crimsoned o'er with human blood. The Peach Orchard field was so thickly strewn with dead, that Gen. Grant says he could have walked thereon from end to end and side to side, and never have stepped upon the ground. Compared with Gettysburg But it is by comparison that we can best understand many things, for comparison tends to impress them upon the understanding. Hence we will compare our losses at Shiloh with those at Gettysburg; for in many respects the battle of Gettysburg was among the greatest of modern times. The losses in killed, wounded and missing at Gettysburg, of the five Divisions sustaining the greatest loss, are as follows: Second Division, Second Corps 1,647 Third Division, Second Corps 1,291 First Division, Third Corps 2,011 Second Division, Third Corps 2,092 Third Division, Eleventh Corps 1,476 Total 8.517 The only five Divisions which contended throughout the battle of Shiloh lost, in killed, wounded and missing as follows: First Division, Thirteenth Corps 1,742 Second Division, Thirteenth Corps 2,749 Fourth Division, Thirteenth Corps 1.869 Fifth Division, Thirteenth Corps 1.901 Sixth Division, Thirteenth Corps 2,172 Total 10,438 Less losses at Gettysburg 8,517 Excess at Shiloh over Gettysburg 1,916 In other words, the loss of these five Divisions at Shiloh is within a mere fraction of 2,000 greater than the loss sustained by any five Divisions in the battle of Gettysburg; and Gettysburg is generally con- sidered as one of the bloodiest great battles of modern times.— (a). Congratulatory The second day after the battle. Gen. Hurlbut issued the following congratulatory order, to-wit: "Headquarters Fourth Division, April 9, 1862. General Order No.... "The General Commanding tenders his heartfelt congratulations to the surviving officers and men of this Division for their magnificent services during the two days of struggle which, under the blessing of God, has finally resulted in victory. "Let the surviving members of this Division remember that, for five long hours on Sunday, under the most terrific fire, they held the key points on the left of the army, and that they fell back only when outflanked by overwhelming masses pressing through points abandoned (a)— See 10 Reb. Rec, S. 1, P. 1, pp. 100 et seq.: and 27 Reb. Rec, S. 1, P. 1, pp. 173, et seq. THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 19 by our supports. Let them remember that, whenever they fell back, it was always in perfect order. Let them forever remember, that the last line of resistance, in the rear of the heavy guns, was first formed by this Division. "Let them forever remember that, on the morning of Monday, without food and without sleep, they were ordered to support the right, and that, wherever either Brigade of this Division went on the field of action, they were in time to support broken flanks and to hold the line. "Keep these facts forever in memory. Hand them down to your children. "When we conquer a peace, and forever thereafter, let it be the chief pride of every man in this command, as it is with the General Commanding, that he served at Pittsburg Landing with the Fighting Fourth Division. "By order of "STEPHEN A. HURLBUT, "Brigadier General. "S. D. Atkins, A. A. G." This glorious victory at Shiloh was hailed by all loyal people with great joy, followed by the ringing of bells and firing of salutes from the Atlantic to the Missouri, — from the Great Lakes to the Ohio, — and beyond. On the 8th, Gen. Grant issued his congratulatory order in which ho say.s: "The general commanding congratulates the troops who so gallant- ly maintained, repulsed and routed a numerically superior force of the enemy, composed of the flower of the Southern army, commanded by their ablest generals, and fought by them with all the desperation of dep.pair. In numbers engaged, no such contest ever took place on this continent. In importance of results, but few have taken place in the history of the world," (a). And on April 9, the War Department issued a like order saying: "That at meridian of the Sunday next, after receipt of this order, at the head of every regiment in the service of the United States, there shall be offered by its chaplain a pi'ayer, giving thanks to the Lord of Hosts for the recent manifestation of His pov/er in the over- throw of rebels and traitors." (b). Even Gov. Andrews, of far off Massachusetts, which state did not even have a single organization at Shiloh, issued his congratulatory order, in which he says: "It is ordered by the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia of Massachusetts that a salute of 100 guns be fired on Boaton Common tomoi-row, the 11th day of April, current, at noon. "Not even the cannon's mouth can loudly enough proclaim the debt which our country, human liberty and civilization itself, owe to these noble men of the West, who have met the angriest torrent of the rebellion and rolled its waves back upon their depths. The heart of overy son of Massachusetts arises to snlute them and do them homage." (c). And similar congratulatory orders were promulgated by the Governors of nearly all the Northern States. And why? (a)— Reb. Rec, S. 1, P. 1, pnge 111. (b)— Rob. Rec, P. 1, S. 1. Vol. 10, page 381. (c)— 10 Reb. Rec, S. 1, P. 1, page 618. 20 THE BATTLE OF SHILOH What Shiloh Foretold It was not simply because we had won an important victory here alone. No, — no, — no. It was because of much more than this. It was because our victory at Shiloh proclaimed the all-important fact that Northern and border men would fig'ht; that they would defend their colors with their brawn and blood, at least the equals of any on earth. It was because the result at Shiloh had proven false the vaunting boast of the far South, proclaimed from every house top, that one Southern soldier would easily put to flight at least ten from the North. It was because Shiloh had swept the heavens clear from all those overhanging clouds of sickening gloom which arose from the bitter ashes of disgraceful defeat at the first battle of Bull Run. It was because that, with the fall of Corinth following as a matter of course, the victory here enabled this Army to seize Memphis, on the Mississippi, and thereby compel the enemy hastily to abandon forever all of the great States of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Northern Mississippi. It was because Shiloh presaged and surely foretold the siege and capture of Vicksburg; the opening of the Mississippi clear through to the Gulf of Mexico; the siege and capture of Mobile; the return Northward of this Army always victorious to Memphis again; the successful march of this Army, with it allies, from Memphis to Chattanooga; from Chattanooga to Atlanta; from Atlanta to the Sea; the capture of both Savannah and Charleston; and from Charleston Northward again till the fall of Richmond, the flight and capture of Jefferson Davis; the surrenders of Lee and Johnston, and the finai total overthrow of the Great Rebellion. These are some of the reasons why, following the great victory here, bells rang forth their peals of joy, cannon boomed their glad- some salute on Boston Common and elsewhere, and jubilee reigned supreme throughout the loyal North. My Comrade?: Keep these all-important facts safely stored away within the golden Vestibule of Memory. Safely hand them down to your children, and children's children, in order that, when all our lisping tongues shall lisp no more, they, and their descendants, may recount them o'er and o'er for time to come, as long as the animated waters of this rock-bound River, forever hurrying onwar