The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-02 00:00:00

THE BAITLE OF PIT2SBLRG.

The official despatch relating to the battle of Pitts-
burg—or, as some of the American papers insist it
ought to be called, Shiloh—have been published,
General Grant writes :

" Head-quarters, District of Western Tennessee,
Pittsburg, April 9, 1862.

" Captain,—lt becomes my duty again to reporl
another battle fought between two great armies
one contending for the maintenance of the best
government ever devised, and the other for its
destruction. It is pleasant to record the success of
the army contending for the former principle. On
Sunday morning our pickets were attacked and
driven in by the enemy. Immediately the five divi-
sions stationed at this place were drawn up in line
of battle to meet them, The battle soon waxed
warm on the left and centre, varying at times to all
parts of the line. There was the most continuous
firing of musketry and artillery ever heard on this
continent kept up until nightfall. The enemy,
having forced the entire line to fall back nearly
half way from their camps to the landing, at
a late hour in the afternoon a desperate effort
was made by the enemy to turn our left and
get possession of the landing, transports, &c.
This point was guarded by the gunboats Tyler
and Lexington, Captains Gwin and Shirk command-
ing, with four 24 pounder Parrott guns and a bat-
tery of rifled guns. As there is a deep and impas-
sable ravine for artillery or cavalry, and very
difficult for infantry, at this point, no troops were
stationed here, except the necessary artillerists and
a small infantry force for their support. Just at this
moment the advance of Major-Gen. Buell's column
and a part of the division of General Nelson arrived.
The two Generals named both being present, an
advance was immediately made upon the point of
attack, and the enemy was soon driven back.
In this repulse much is due to the presence of
the gunboats Tyler and Lexington, and their able
commanders Captain Gwin tad Shirk.
night we uivisions LIUGGL Crittenden and
Mc Cook arrived. General Low. Wallace, at Camp
Landing, six miles below, was ordered, at an early
hour in the morning, to hold his division in readi-
ness to move in any direction it might be ordered.
At 11 o'clock the order was delivered to move it up
to Pittsburg ; but, owing to its being led by a cir-
cuitous route, it did not arrive in time to take part
in Sunday's action. During the night all was
quiet, and, feeling that great advantage would
be gained by becoming the attacking party,
an advance was ordered as soon as day
dawned. The result' was that the gradual repulse of
the enemy at all points of the line, from 9 until
probably 5 o'clock in the afternoon, when it became
evident the enemy was retreating. Before the
close of the action the advance of General T. J.
Wood's division arrived in time to take part in the
action. My force was too much fatigued from two
days' hard fighting, and exposure in the open air to a
drenching rain during the intervening night, to pur-
sue immediately. Night closed in with heavy rain
making the roads impracticable for artillery by the
next morning. General Sherman, however, fol-
lowed the enemy, finding that the main part
of their army had retreated in good order. The
country will have to mourn the loss of many
brave men who fell at the battle of Pittsburg,
or Shiloh more properly. The exact loss in
killed and wounded will be known in a day or
two. At present I can only give it approximately
at 1,500 killed and 3,500 wounded. The loss of
artillery was great, many pieces being disabled by
the enemy's shots, and some losing all their horses
and many men. There were probably not less than
200 horses killed. The loss of the enemy in killed
end left upon the field was greater than ours. In the
wounded an estimate cannot be made, as many of
them must have been sent to Corinth and other
points. The enemy suffered terribly from demora-
lisation and desertion. A flag of truce was sent in
to-day from General Beauregard. I enclose here-
with a copy of the correspondence,—l am, respect-
fully, your obedient servant,
" U. S. GRANT,Major-General Commanding.
" Capt. N. H. M‘Lean, Assistant-Adjutant General
Department of Mississippi, St. Louis."