Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-25
FEDERAL REPORTS FROM SHILOH

Special to the Chicago Tribune.I
CAIRO, April love are Just beginning to
get some reliable details from the great battle at
Pittsburg, Tennessee. From several gentlemen
who We're on he field after the fight the follow
ing is gathered
Gen. Prentiss's brigade, consisting Of the
Sixty-hrst Illinois, Seventeenth Wisconsin,
Twenty-touth Indiana, Seventy-irst Ohio were
attacked, while eating breakfast, by what seemed
to be the entire rebel force. Gen. Prentiss had
no artillery, and his brigade was cut to pieces
and forced to retire. Prentiss and many men
were taken prisoners. At u o'clock the entire
line was fercely engaged, but in full retreat.
AT ] O'Clock the enemy had taken SchwaTtZ's
battery of six guns, Dresden's battery OF four
guns, Warehouses; battery, and also two other
batteries, names not known.
Thousands Of our soldiers had taken refuge
under the bank Of the river, and utterly refused
to fight. In fact they could not, as officers and
men were mixed IN ineXtrcable confusion. The
army at this time seemed utterly defeated At
this J%uncture the g~unbOats Lexington and TylOT
opened a tremendous fire with shot and shell up
on the enemy, aud kept it up every half hour
during the night. Some of the shell set the
woods on fire, and many dead rebels were found
burned. At seven in the evening the firing had
generally ceased. About midnight the rebels
attempted to plant a battery within three hun
dred yards Of our siege guns, but were driven
away by the gunboats and siege guns, support
ed by three regiments of MitchelTs division,
which had arrived and crossed the river about
six o'clock in the evening.
Our infOTmants persist in estimating our loss
on Sunday at 1000 killed and 5000 wounded as
a low figure. During the night the rebels were
reinforced by Van Dorm and Price, from Arkan-
sas, with a very large force. Gen. Lew. Wal
lace came up with the 1Ith and 23d Indiana,
4fth Illinois and Sth Missouri, with Wizards
battery, and in the morning fiercely attacked the
euemy's LETT wing. They went into the fight
dOubie-quick, with tremendous shouts, and did
terrible execution. By ten o'clock they had
driven the rebels back two miles, about the time
the rebels were reinforced, and for a few minutes
our men were forced to yield.
The other divisions of Buel's army now ap-
peared, and at once became generally engaged,
and for two hours all the destructive elements on
earth seemed striving for mastery on the fatal
field. AT last the southern chivalry broke and
fed in all its directions. Gen. Buell. followed
the flying rebels with 1000 troops, mostly cav
airy, shifting without mercy those who would
not surrender. He was reported to have taken
COrnth with all its immense stores of arms and
ammunition.
The rebel troops were mostly from Texas, Lou
isiana, and Mississippi, with many from Georgia
and Alabama.
Our informants say one could ride through the
battlefield where our forces had been posted, but
the dead were 50 thick on the enemy's that they
could not do it there.
They assure us that the rebels occupied our
camp on Sunday night, and took care of our
sick and wounded, and destroyed nothing, ex-
p%ecting confidently to have our entire army the
next day. They thought the battle had already
been fought and won. On Sunday General
McClernand cut his way through the enemy that
had surrounded him, and most of his troops be-
haved with great gallantry, except the SD Ohio,
which he ordered to the rear, in disgrace, for re-
tusing to fight.
Our informants state that John G.. Breckin-
ridge was taken prisoner. They say they saw
him pass to the generals headquarters.