The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-05-02
3sfftssguisn.
Local and Miscellaneous u


answer your letter received in camp stan
ton, near Columbia Tenn, and remaining
unanswered owing TO forced marches, ny
giving you some account of the Battle hete,
poeticslly named by Gen. Buell. "the heid
of Shiloh" but known in the papers as
P,,,sburs Landing. the location being 8 or
0 miles above Savannah, on the Tennessee
river, and North OF Cornth 90 miles.
For the past three or four weeks Geneisi
GRANTS army Of abou. $4,000 men have min
here awaiting Gen. Buelps S arrival, to join
in an attack on Corinth. where Gen. Beau !
regard was snirescted, and was gathering o
large force as since ascertained for the pur.
pose Of attacks our forces ia an open field
fight. Generals Beauregsrd and Johnston
having decd ed that to attempt to defend for
tiacations was useless, as we could surround
them; aud decisive open Geld battle was
what they desired. For this purpose they
brought soldiers from Virginia, from Arkan'
sas, hired men on any terms, some for eight
days only, and in everything centered their
efforts on this battle at this place in which
with their usral ssgacity they determined
to attack Grant before Buell. joined hun
Their force amounted to 10000 soldiers
with 10 600 Of which they made the attack
at early brea IL fast time last sbbath morning.
II is not my place to speak Of the General
ship, il is sufficient to say, at anyrate that
our troops were thoroughly surprised, that
apparently the picket guards were small TINT
The enemy drove ibem in and attacked the
camp Of the 57th 0bio before the regiment
could be formed, and woundiug some in their
tents before they could get on their cartridge
boxes. Lieut.. Col. Rice, Lieut.. Wheeler,
Captain Gribben, who fell early Capt. Will
sou was sick,) Lieut., Adams, aud some 9th
er off whose names do not know and
the soldiers able to fight, acted bravely
checking the course Of the enemy somewhat
and as fast rs the regiment could form the
fight commenced along the whole line Of the
camp, a distance Of four to six miles. Some
of our troops behaved we'll, others badly
They fought all day but at night were on
the river bank, aud closely pursued by the
rebel forces who were jubilant over their
thus far victory.
The gun boats protected our troops when
near the river. throwing shell like rain
among the rebels and preventing them from
forcing our troops mo the river-until a
part Of our soldiers prayer-which was fol
night OF Buell. to come, was granted by the
approach OF darkness. The gunboats fired
all night. keeping the rebels back.
During all Sunday Buelrs troops wer'
making a forced march to get here. Gen
Nelson's division ahead, Gen. Crittenden'
next, Gen. McCook' 'snext, <our march wa
Is mile,) Gen Woods next Gen. I homas
next, all striving 10 get TO the fight. il
ours the 9th brigade Col. Gibson was il
command owing to Gen. Johnsons sicknes
and the 49th was particularly anxious I
make a successful heht on Col. q. sccoun,
aud allow ME to lieress and say tha, ia tn
fight he proved himself one Of tho "noble,
Romans Of them all.
Generals Nelson and Cri,tenden arrive
, in the night and came up to Pl,tsburg Non
day morning arriving about 10 O. clock, III
other brisadeS OF the division having got i
ahead of us and being already in the fgh
, and when we arrived they hal driven N
Rebels back a m,le or so. As we sailed II
} TO shore, our whole bri gade and artillery bt
| ing on enc boat, we thonght they did nc
need us as the shore was filed with sollie
. some 10, 600 standing on the bank, we snI
posed not wanted, but it proved they wei
4 Siraee'ers and skulkeFs, and before the bo
, touched shore an Aid came aboard, and sa
? We were wanted Immediately, we stoopp,
only long enough to dotf blankets and ha'
= ersacks and started for the ground. arrlviI
near where The 9th brigade was regular
/, formed as a reserve for GEN. Rosseaus bri
adc, and awaited orders. In about an no
!, the order came TO take Gen r. place his AZ
:, munitiou having failed and his men beii
:, tired out, when in we went. The enen
were very brave and very skiiiiul, we we
!, !. ordered to lie down as much as possible, b
:. had to peri,rm great many battalion ev
. lutious in shower Of bullets thick as hn
with cannon shot and she! aud grape in e
|, erydirec,ion. They kept constantly chang
), position, showing that the column we we
attacking must have able Generals, and
:. we found out Afterwards they wore Generi
y Beaureeard and Breckenridge, in person.
. We steadily drove them back; about thI
- o. clock they gave away rapidly, and we e
" low ed faster ,iiai, OUT artillery could ke
!. up. Suddenly they reformed for last gra
!, effort with field guns aud infantry. and
were ordered back a little. We fell Ia
=. slowly, fighting all the way about 200 va
" to our cannon when we laid down and
batteries played on them about fifteen m
W utes when they became disordered.
~ then charged them, drove them from
oi dsld, and rested on ths camp of the 81
p- W hare they fifst attacked on Sunday. II
40 cock commenced the hsht--Hancock hel
ch end il. Ths 67th lost their camp by ov
he whelming numbers, we mad the pleasure
f. taking II back for them. Some troops Il
but The 49lh did not. In the 9th brigade
McCook's division. the ons OF which l
'st personally cognisant not a man, NOT AL
nv Ii,cer but was In his place all the time
,a. The Generals came and compIimented Us
the field and said, lsuch men as Grant
'u Shermsn)-tl,at the evolutions we made
SITS the field under fire, aud the steadinesl
N q our fro and tho aim We took was the fl
they svsr saw or heard OF, 0r read OF.