Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-09-04
The Alleged "Lost Opportunity at sh,loph


10 the Editor of the Sdvanaah Republican
MY attention has been recently attracted tn q vi3
seaa artce Under the caption of "a lost opportuoif
aI 0nliOan, which, 1t appears, is taken from lett
addressed to your journal by your regular correspond
ent, r w. A. This article is calculated to aIaota
subordinate General of the abotiopigs At the
OF General Beauregard l know your correspondep
well enough to feel assured that be wrote with no encl
purpose, and yet that must be the effect with all who
nave given credit to this story of the Lost opportun
ty at Shiloah'
Having been the staff of Gen. Beaurepard dur;no
the battles of shiloah l happen to know the exac
truth III The matter misepresented to P W. A. bv his
pert and set-sutcient informant and since the broad
cast dissemination Of the untruth think it proper to
ask space for a brief statement.
Gen. Prentiss did not deceive the Commauder-in-
CbIe OF the Confederate forces at Shiloh by anv shall
low lnYeston, either In regard to the movement of Gen
Buelis army, or the existence of extensive works at
lttSbag Landing. ten. Beauregard had the current
evidence OF prisoners and scouts that Bues arrival
was confidently expected 1t was this knowledge that
led hlm on the night OF the Sd of pr at the late bour
OF IL O'clock to seId me to Gen. johnson to urge an
immediate advance on Pittsburg Landing before the
Junctl0n OF Buels and Grants forces could be effected.
ard 1t fhis belief that induced him. on the afternoon
of the 9th Of Apr in council of general officers to 1n
bis opinion that the movement was then TOO lute in
consequence OF the untoward delay of our troops in their
march from Corihth, aud our consequent inability to
strike the enemy on Saturday, he had Anticipated
orders and made his arrangements far as practicable
to meet any exigency that joined him. and communi-
Gated the substance Of Dispatch addressed to Cen
johnson, that had been handed ne on the battle field
wnch encouraged the hope that the main part of Buels
forces had marched in the direction of Decatur
But further in proof that Prentiss could not b2ve
attempted any such devices that represented can
add, he PUBLICLY said to me- that Bues forces would Of
tect unctare during the night and that as a conse
qaence Gus victory would be wrenched from Us the next
day. Sharing my tent with Col. Jacob Thomson and
myselt-on the mornngsOf the 7th of April when the
firing began at the ouposts be remarked with satsfac
ton: All what did tell you, gentlemen? They are
at it again.
AS Tor The utter absence Of defensive works at Pitts
ourg Landing, our information was complete and no
words OF Gen. Prentlss could have shaken Gen Beau
regards convictiors even had he asked him any ones
tons IN that connection, which | know he did not
Gen. Beauregard did know, however that the enemy
naa gunooas OF the heaviest metal to protect the rae
Dents OF Grants army etactualIy as cur wooden
steamers bad maintained our little force Of 3COO men
IN lar less favorable position at New Madrid against
1000 men under the notorious Pope as long as It was
thought expedient to hold the place Or IS since then
and more prominently, Mcclellan found effective retur
with his routed forces under fire Of his gunboate On
J James river.
The enemys gunboas were at once put in reouiston.
and used with effect troops, to which all will
testify who were in the advance and witnessed it.
Our troops were scattered army, division, Brigade
ard even regmental organizations were broken up for
he tle to SO great extent that any advance at that
1our OF the day, 10 such order and masses as would
nave promised any substantial advantage was out Of
he question. Among the unavoidable causes Of this
the rawness Of many of the repi
nents engaged and the densey wooded nature of the
1attle field, which made it mpossi} u TO mass in due
lme enough troops for resoute, ss;ained effective
ssault OF the enemy Toward the close Of the action
indeed on both days. corps we'll brigade command
RS, found themselves with only such commands as thew
could collect IN the Woods-debriS of other ard different
orps, divisions and brigades.
Gen. Beauregard had observed this, as well as the
,reat exhaustion of bis men then engaged for twelve
Ours without any otter food than scantv breakfast
nd knew that his last reserves had necessarily been
brought into action about the time Gen. Johnston fell
Accordingly, on returning to the vicinity of Shiloh
chapel, about T. NJ, be gave orders to collect our
catered forces to reform our broken organizations
nd sleeping On our arms to be held ready to meet the
inset OF Walaces fresh division and Buels forces at
ayght, knowing well at the time, from abundant ex-
rlence, that it would take more than one hour to dis
eminate the order, and two to execute it. ABd in this
onnexOn it is pertinent to say that it was some time
tier dark before many of the brigades were re-organ
zed and in the position then
1t is not becoming in me to speak of tie capacv Of
1en Beauregard, but may be permitted to say that
IS certainly the last officer against whom the charge
Want OF military enterprise Can be established for he
the commander who, before the metal Of our troops
~N "~Nt ONoNNN1 !
nousand men to accept battle with the army of Ne
lowell 10000 strong, whose forces be actually engaged
1e 18th of July at Bull Run Animated by tie plain +
ictates of prudence and foresight he sought to be
9ady Tor tie coming storm, which he had Anticipated
I'd predicted as easily as the afternoon Of the 9TH
To have continued the conflict another hour-tbat :
until darkness on the 9th instant-would not have
esulted in the capture of Grants army, wrecked
zen as it was, ard covering under the high river
anks, yet sheltered by his gunboats, but in the
reater dispersion and disorganjzation of our own
ded troops and to such an extent indeed in such p
ed as to have rendered it impossible to have collected
em on the next morning in any order to have offer
resistance to WalIaces fresh division Of
rants army. Even as it was, at no time during Ii
e 7th of April were we able to engage tie enemy
lth more than $4,000 men, with whom, however, "
operly massed and handled we held the field against
'aace, the desire of Grants divisions and BueIps-
my, until it became evidently wrong to maintain y
nger SO unequal battle when our forces were with. -
avn from the field in an order and spirit without 3
parallel in war; and without abatement of the honor
ey had won for our arms leaving their enemy stunned
ID unable to follow. 81
THOMAS JORDAN. D
Chattanooga, Tenn, Aug. s. b
From the Upper Rappal.annock
Reports from the ard advancing scene of opera