The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-04-25
The Battle of shiloh-The 10th Ten

nessee.
We are permitted to make the follow
ing extracts from a letter written by
member of Capt. Lowry's Company, 10th
Tennessee Regiment, to relative at
Athens:
''our Regiment tool. Cummings') be
longed to the reserve, consequently we
were no. in the beginning of the battle
Sunday morning. We were posted on
the extreme right, about four miles from
where the engagement commenced
As the streaks of light shot up from the
East our ears were saluted with the roar
Of musketry ana the boom Of artillery,
at regular intervals. We were all on
tiptoe and eager for the fray.
That Sunday morning was still and
beautiful. Thes shown in all his splen-
dor. The roar of the conflict was music
TO my ear, because felt that we were
battling on the side of right and against
the oppressor.
We were ordered to march to the bat
tie field about IL o'clock. As our Com
pany was passing near where the battle
commenced, q sentinel gave me the sad
intelligence that Gen. Johnston had fall
len while leading our brave countrymen
to victory. As we neared the battlefield
We met our wounded as they were car.
ried from the bloody conflict. They made
but one request, that we might avenge
their blood. There was but one responses
ave oia" kept my promise sacred,
as did most Of the Regiment, as the re-
suit will show. AS we marched up to
the line of battle we met Regiment
fleeing before the enemy. Our men adj
. vanced steadily to within % yards of the
advancing enemy, and opened deadly
fire upon them. We were ordered to
charge. 1t was terrible to see them as
with deafening yell we rushed upon the
enemy. They were panic stricken and
fled. We pursued them like blood.
hounds, about one mile to their encamp.
ment, where the enemy hoisted the white
flag. Our Regiment was perfectly intox.
icated with excitement-I thought it was
: glory enough for one day. exchanged
my gun there and got an Enfield rife
Gen. Prentiss and his command were
the troops that surrendered to us, con-
sisting of two Regiments. They were
well armed and equipped, and strange to
, say, surrendered with their guns loaded.
That night we lay upon the battlefield.
The enemy had retreated to their gun.
boats, and shelled us all night Abou,
midnight it commenced raining very
hard, at daylight we were advancing up
=, on the enemy. They had received heavy
. reinforcements during the night, and
f formed their line of battle under cover
Of heavy underground. We charged
s them and drove them back several hun
t dred yards, but the underground was toe
= thick to charge through, so we had to
i, fall back for several hundred yards. The
: enemy pressed us and captured one OF
3 our batteries. Our Regiment rallied,
f drove the enemy back to their thicket,
d. and retook the battery that we had lost.
1t was perhaps the bloodiest battle, ever
fought in America. The enemy lost in
l.illel, "ouiid~d aud prisoners, from 49,.
r 900 to 10000. Our loss was six or seven
, thousand.
. After the battle Gen. Bragg compl
, mented us very highly. He said the
charge of our Regiment on Sunday wa:
. the most brilliant charge he had evel
seen.
We took great many prisoners, fifty
or sixty pieces of artillery, and about
eight thousand stand of small arms"