, 1862-06-16

Editors Chicago Tribune:
/ have read the erpaT7e statement Of Major
Stone, and others, Of Gen. Prentiss' staff, con-
corning the battle Of Shiloh, which appears in
your Washington correspondence of to-day's
Issue. If the statements vera your corrcs-
pondents, presume You would not1et me say
word about it, bnt as it is distinctly based
on the authority Of Major Stone, hope you
will allow few words Of correction.
Major Stone gays "so far from Gen. PREM
tiss being surprised, he was the only one who
was not surprised" Among all fair men who
have taken any pains to examine the subject,
this question Of surprise has long ago been
settled. It is well understood that an our
piczets were out mile and q quarter. As to
Gen. Prentiss, no one knew for certain, and
only his statement WAS wanting to settle tho
fact that our whole line was that morning
cffectna1ly secured against surprise. I am
glad to have tile confirmation Of what every
body knows must be fact, but sorry to see
that Major Stone, or anybody else, is willing
to b1ame Gen. Sherman for matter about
which he necessarily could know nothing-the
posting Of his pickets. ! should think that all
thoRe generals had suffered enough from the
repetition of that inetIab1g silly story to pre-
| vent them from Ainging 1t at each other. The
! posting Of pickets is such an invariable mat
ter Of routine that it seems incredible that any
one Of ordinary sense,shou1d accpse military
man Of not doing It, unless he had the highest
and most positive evidence to sustain the &C
cusatlon.
The next remarkable statement is the grani
stroke for which that about the pickets va
the foundation-that stHardee's corps va
moved to within 800 yards Of shcrman's camp
and there blyouacked Saturday night, an,
that rebel officers said they could distinct
hear conversation in Sherman's S camp Ifthe
did say go they ned-that's all about thai
Go out some stormy night and stand On tn
/ corner Of State and Lake streets aud hold
, conversation, won't you, and see how
:, | works! Gen. sherman's pieAets acre out
: the rebels heard any talking it Was those picl
cts. Every regiment Of Gen. Sherman's, {
f veil as Of every other division, was formed
. front OF its camp in line Of battle before 1t Y:
+ attacked, and notwithstanding some Of thel
# behaved disgracefu11y, others fought well, 81
e held their ground until long after nool
y Many say that It was this very fighting th
y | 6AFEA LuE uu4. QuI luAt Ii u uEFE m2LLeT
= opinion. How does Major Stone know th
, ! some Of Sherman's men were tsbayoneted
= their tents?' Did he see them? That foo
ish started on the sole authority Of the bra
eadocia Of rebel prisoners, and now We fit
r. Major Stone as easily humbugged as We
our common soldiers.
N Again. How does Major Stone know th'
(, General Grant didn't know that Johnston
a. army was advancing Docs he reason that b
= cause he did not tell Gen. Prentiss he did n
y know it. Non Sog,itor. Good generals q
B. not in the habit of telling all they kno
y. General Grant did know it, SO did Genel
rs Sherman, so did General Ha11eck, who, neve
" thelcss, ordered Grant repeatedly duril
/, every day, to do nothing that would bring
ap engpgement. He could not believe tb
the enemy could be 50 insane as to attack
T. In the position which we he1d--danked
u, gently 10 the river. The result shows t
rn ssgaelty Of the conclusion. Tbs enemy d
attack, and Were most soundly beaten II