Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-05-20
Talk with Beauregard.
INTERESTING PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF THE
BATTIN OF SHILOH.

INTERESTING PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF THB
BATTLM OF SHILOH.
From the st. Louis Democrat.
Lieutenant T. II. Simmons, of the Illinois
l4th Regiment relates to us the following
interesting incident which occurred on the
battle field Of Shiloh
About ii O'Clock on Sunday the 9th If
April, Lieut.. S. was wounded, being shot
through the left lung. He was supposed to
be in dying condition, and vas left on the
field by his companions. About 3 O'Clock in
the afternoon Of that ever memorable day,
our forces having BEEN driven back from
their position, Confederate officer of high
rank. and his stsf, came upon the ground
where Lieut.. Simmons lay. The Rebel Off
Ger observing him lying there, not yet dead,
and from his uniform taking him TO be
! Union officer, approached him, when the fol-
lowing conversation ensued
The Rebel officer asked Lieut. S. how far
il was to the Tennessee river. Lieut. S. be-
Ing too weak from the loss OF blood to speak
loud, beckoned to him 10 come closer, and in
a lower tone replied, 1.-TWO miles and a.half,"
The Rebel officer shook his head doub.ingly.
Lieut. S. observed it, and said to him, you
seem TO doubt my word. But you see," he
added, pointing 20 bis wound. ~ am dying,
and upon the word Of dying man, to the
best Of my judgment, it is two miles and
half to the river" The Rebel officer turned
TO converse with his staff, and ordered bis
surgeon TO give him some stimulants. The
surgeon gave him some brandy and NOR
phine, which revived him considerably The
conversation with bis staff, which the Lieu
tenant overheard, was about as follows:
Officer-"It is now 3 o'clock. II is two
miles and half 10 the river. The distance
| is greater than / expected, but we can drive
Grant to 80 close quarters yet tonight that
hia capture or cUpitulation will be an easy
thing In the morning" The officer turned
again to the Lieutenant and asked him about
| Buell'S forcees-their number and position
| Upon this subject Lieut.. S. was entirely ig.
norant, of course. The officer thea remark
| ed to him, "It's no matter how far Il is to
the river, we shall whip you anyhow, and
! force Gen. Grant to surrender tonight, or
early tomorrow morning, aud then capture
| Buell., If he makes his appearance on the
! field" Lieut.. S. replied, "You are not 90
| certain Of that. You have got hard lighting
| TO do before your capture our forces yet and
Northwestern freemen are not the craven
dogs to lie down after the hrst brush and
allow themselves to be taken" mo matter,u
said the officer, 1--WE shall whip you'll Your
men WON'T fight" upon that subject"
said the Lieutenant, "you will probably be
better informed before you get through with
to-mOrTOw's fight. You surprised our men
this morning, and they were thrown into
some confusion; but even this days work
will show that our men will fight, "'"Well,"
said the officer, 81 admire your courage, and
wish such men as you were not fighting
against the South; you cannot conquer the
South, aud amt you sorry you engaged in
the war;" mo, Sir" said Lieutenant s.,
land l would do it again" "Do your peo-
pie all feel that way?H asked the officer, Yes,
Sir, "-replied the Lieutenant.
The officer said no more, but with sad
look mounted his horse and rode or One
Of the Rebel officers aids had dismounted
to water his horse in creek close by, and
before remounting came near where the
Lieutenant lay, who beckoned him to come
to him, and asked him "who that officer
was?' The aid said "that is Gen. Beaure
gard" The Lieutenant, however, had re-
cognized him from his striking resemblance
to photographs of the Rebel General,
This interesting incident, the personal ex.
perience at the battle Of Shiloh Of one Of
our intelligent and patriotic neighbors Of H.
liuOis, and who is now Ia one of the hos.
pitfalls, in fair way, we hope, Of recovery,
shows how anxious the Rebel General was
on the evening of that memorable Sunday,
! Notwithstanding his success 10 know how
much more be would have to do that night.
Aud hence bis eager inquiries, "How far is
ii to the Tiver?" where are Buells iorces!''
!. "How many men has Buellg" &c. Not,
withstanding the exhibition Of the braggarl
as betrayed in the boast, owe shall whip
YOU" Your men won't fight" &c, any
Que can see that the Rebel General WAS ex.
ceedingly solieitous in regard to the proba'
bic outcome OF that desperately contested
fight.
Lieut. Simmons states that be lay upon
the field forty eight hours, and from II
= o'clock on Sunday, the time he was wounded
/ until o'clock on Monday afternoon, thD
ground wherein be lay was fought ovel
twelve times, and that he was not tFampleC
to death seems almost miracle.