Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-05-20
TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1862
ITRg Battle or SMLOH.
GEN BUELL's REPORT.
IlEADQUARrERs Army or Tirg ONO,
Field Of Shiloh, April as

erai D'pgr'meEt Of tbe Mississippi:
SIR: The rear divisions Of the army un.
dcr nv command, which had been delayed a
considerable time in rebuilding the Duck
river bridge, ieit Columbia ON The 2lst inst.
left on the evening of that y, and ar
rived at Savannah on h, gvenng Cf the
5lh. Gen. Nelson, wilb his diyisio9, which
formed the advance, ariyod Che same d3y.
The other dhisi @s marched vita intervals
OF about six mil e.
On tbq morning OF tte Ga fling Of mus-
kerry aud cannon was heard in the direc ion
Of toi7 place. AppreheDdiDe That q series
,ngageuus o. bad commenced. wenh 70 Gen.
Gtan,a headquarters TO get iniormation as
10 the means OF reaching he battlefield
with lhe division that bad arrived At the
same time orders were despatched to the di.
visions Ia The rear to leave their trains and
push forward by ioTcei marches ] learned
That Gen Grant had ia -tsr,ei, leaving
orders for Gen. Nelson 20 ulalch TO tbe river
opposite Pittsburg Landug, 90 be ieried
r S.. An examination Of the roadsup the
giver discovered it t1 be impmoilcaba for
ar,il e,y, and General Nelson wesduected TO
i'-vc hi. 90 b. carried forward by steamers.
The mprts ion existed at Savannah that
the liii5g was only au affair Of Ouiposts, the
same hing haying occurred for two or three
pg yi0us days; but az it continued, ! deter
t1ibpd TO 90 to the &c no Of action, aud 20
c.rjiugly started with my cbiei OF staff Col.
Frv an a steamer which I ordered 10 act
nader sleam. Aswe proceeded up the river.
qrcups OF soldiers were seen upon the west
hank and /, SOON became evident that they
were straqelers from the engaged army.
The groups Increased in siZ3 and irrqnenCy,
until as we approached The landing, they
amaunfc3 to whole compaDies. and almost
ragimant: and 40 he landidg the banks Of
tlrs river swarmad with a confused mass of
mon of variops reqjmsnls. The number
caul3 uot have been Lass than OO0 or OOO.
ana llia fn fBa dey it b5carns much rrt itar.
Findine Gen. Grant at the lagdihgI rque3..
od l. ina 10 sard steamers 10 Ssvaansb 10
h-;rs mn Gen. Crittcndau's division. which
lbad .sr-tyrd dpritt the zl0ming ana then
,yant nsborp with him. The throaz Of disor.
g,nrz.d, and dem ral'zed troop3 increased
ooptiru3Ny bv frsb fuwti9asfrom' Ire bat.
lie which steadily drew nearer ths landinv.
ard with them we're iutermingled great nun
! bars eff teams. eli surviving TO est near as
! nossfbIa TO the river with few executions.
! All efa,rtsto f5rmth troops and move them
! latwArd 10 tbs fphs utterly H;Itd. In DE
t3 u.inc the enemy hal made 1ch pro
! era8 agaiGsl our troops thlr isaPdpeVy
! lid mb ksIy began to play into tue vital
! spot Of ihe Foili0l, aud some persons wers
| KILLED on tl3e bank at the very anding Gen.
! Nelson arrived with Colonel Ammon', brig.
| ade al this opportune moment. IL was i'm
! mediatly posted 10 meet the attacE at that
! point, and with a battery Of artillery, which
happened to be on toe grouad, aud was
brought into aCticn, opened fire on the enemy
aud repul.ld bin. tn action of The gun
/ boats also contributed very much TO that
result. The attack at that point was renew
sJ. Niebt having come On, The Il ing ceased
n both sides. In the meantime, the rem lind
! er of Cen MELONS, division crossed. and
Gen. Crittendan's arrived from Savannah by
| steamers. Alter examining the ground "a.
| ocU ns possiblp. al night, in front of The
limo an which General Grants troops had
formed. and as far to the right as Gen. Sher
mans division, | directed Nelson's and Crit
tendsn,s divisiou1to form in front of thai
line. and move forgaId as soon as Il wa,
ljobt in the morning. During the night and
early the following morning. Captain Bart
Iett's Ohio battery, Captains Meudenhall'.
and Tcrrell's regular batteries, arrived. Gen
McCook. by forced marcl. arrived at Sa
v.npah dirIng The night Of he G.h, anf
reschei taq G.ld of battle early on the mora
inc o. tn 7th. knew that ths her Y s
ions conld not arrive in time for the actor
lbat dav.
i The patch of conntry on which the battle
Iof the G.h and 7th were taught is called Shi
bloa. from the lita chutch OF that name
(which stands in i.s midst. Il consists Of uu
idulltins table lands, elevated some lightly o
la hundred feet above the river bottom
breaks ihto abrupt ravines. and towards Nh
f.1- ~ D. ..L..t ..... q.