M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1862-07-10

INHllon, WiilcN, say, bhu lH NHiCu
Beauregard concurs with me, was tn,
key to the whole position. II was in
the very front, the place Of honor q
which Col. Mungen OF his men coulc
not object. Their front was guarded
by themselves, and if negligence j
hustly charged, it belongs to the regi
ment itself So favorable was .&bs
ground, that although tho regiQgnl
lost but two officers and seven men,
Col. Mungon has more than once as,
sured me that he counted fifty dead
Seccssionists on the ground ~er which
he was attacked. AS to the enemy
being in their very camp before the
officers in command were aware o.
their approach, it is the most wicked
faIsehOod that was ever attempted Il
be thrnstupon people sad aud heart
sore at tho terrible but necessary cas-
ualties Of war. That the towards who
deserted their comrades in that hour
lof danger, should in their desperett
straite to cover up their intamY invent
snch a story was to be expected; bul
that you should have lent yourself as a
willing instrument in perpetuating
that lAsehood, is u shame from which
you can never hope to recover. The
trullS is now we'll understood. For
days5we knew the esemy WAS in ouI
frsht, but the nature OF the ground and
bis superior strength in cavalry, pre-
vented from 5reabing through the vel
of their approach to ascertain theil
true strength and purpose. But al
soldiers We were prepared atsll times
to receive an attack, and even 10 make
one if circumstances warranted it,
On that morning our guards were
forced back.to the small valley III ouI
front. All ouFregments Of infantry
batteries Of artillery and squadrons ol
cavalry were prepared. Imyself
their commander, was fully prepatedl
rode along the line OF this very regl.
ment, and saw it imposition iDflonl
OF their camp, and locking to q narrow
causeway across the swall creek By
which the.ehemyswaa axpected apl
did approach. After passing this
regiment, rode on to Appler's posi-
tion and beyond some five hundred
yards, where was fred on and my
Orderly, Thos. D. Holiday, was kill.
ed. Eveu after that | gave some di-
rections about Warehouses; battery,
and again returned to Shiloh in time
to witness the attack there 1t is sim.
ply ridiculous to talk about a sur,
prise. To be sure, very many we've
astonishod and surprised, not so much
at the enemy's coming, but at the man
ner Of his coming, and these sought
safety atthe river, and could not be
prevailed to recover from their sur,
prise till the enemy had been driven
away by their comrads after two days
hard fighting. have never made Il
question of the individual bravery Of
this or any other regiment, but mere
y state facts The regiment still be.
lougs to my command, and has elicit
ed my praise for its improvement and
steadiness in the many skirmishes
and affairs during our advance on
Corinth. | doubt not the people Of
Ohio will yet have reason to feel the
same pride in this regiment as they
now do in many others OF the same
State Of deServedly high repute. As
to the intense feeling against Generals
Grant and Prentss could anything
be more base than thatl Grant just
fresh from the victory Of Donuelson,
more rich in fruits than was Saratoga.
Yorktown, or any other one fought on
this continent, is yet held up to the
people OF Ohio, his native State, as
one who, in the opinion OF the intel
ligent coward, ia worthy to be shot;
and Prenuss, now absent and a pris-
oner, unable to meet your wicked and
malicious shafts, also condemned to
iniamy and death. Shame on you,
and know tell you an unpleasant
truth when | assure you neither he
nor his men we've surprised, butcbered
in their tents, &C., but on the contra
ry, were prepared in time to receive
the shock OF battle more terrible than
any the annals OF American history
have heretofore recorded. lie met it
manfnlly and well, for hours bore u?
against the superior host, fell back
slowly and in order till he met the re-
serves under Wallace and Hurlbut,and
fought til! near 4 Z. M, when he was
com pletely enveloped and made q
prisoner. Well do | remember the
line after line OF steady troops display
ing the bloody banner oi the South,
and to me the more familiar Pelican
OF Louisiana, bearing down on Prem.
tiss, who was to my left and rear, and
how, tboagh busy enough with my
own appropriate part, felt for bis
danger and dispatched to him my
Aid Major Sanger, to give him no
Itiee. Ny Aid found him in advance