Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-05-03
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH


An esteemed female friend at Chapel Hill, has
kindly sent us the following letter, written to his
mother by young man a native of this State who
was member of the Texas Rangers, and an active
participation in the battles:
CoRTNTH, Miss, Tuesday, April Is, 1862.
DEAR MA: Just week ago day, after a sharp
and desperate attack on the enemy by 200 men of
tins regiment, CTexas Rangers under Maj Thomas
3. Harrison, commanded by Col Forest, with two
companies of his regiment ended the great battle of
Shiloh, fought 10 miles from this place, near Pitts
burg on the Tennessee river. This last skirmsh
OF Tuesday evening was after two hard days fight
ing on Sunday and Monday the 9th and 7th Our
whole army had fallen back to Corinth in good or
der, on Monday night and Tuesday morning The
Texas Rangers and other cavalry were left behind
to cover the rear of our grand army and to check
any advances of the enemy-whO not satisfied with
the severe castigation administered threw out re-
connoitering parties. One of these consisting of
three regiments of infantry and one of cavalry came
up to the very road on which we were posted. So,
in our usual style, with force all combined of 275,
we charged them. Their cavalry broke and ran.
dlsorderlng their own infantry. We cut the flying
infantry all to pieceS-we killed $50 took 60 pris-
oners, and lost two men killed and 20 wounded
This skirmiSh is considered 5y all as the most bril-
liant OF the whole battle | expected every minute
to be hit, but escaped unhurt | can not say how
SOhHcOOUY L
speaking of the last part of the battle first because
no other troops but Rangers were engaged in it.
10 begin with the beginning of the great battle
Our regiment with other cavalry We're lowering on
the advance of the enemy, capturing their pickets
and struggling parties for six or seven days before
the great fight. The enemy slowly advanced in six
grand DIVISIONS, composing an army variOuSly esti
mated at from 90 to 100000 Our army Of about
10000 were thrown out very suddenly, Friday and
Saturday before the fight taking tents and hard
~ any baggage. On Sunday morning the six grand
divisions OF the enemy, commanded by Prentice,
Grant, Wallace, Smith, McClernand and some 9TH
ers, were encamped just five miles from the Tennes-
see river, and parallel to it, on long low ridge
with level woodland in front. This ridge extend
ed a distance of four miles, with two imuassable
creeks thanking it. Every portion of space on this
ridge, halt-me in width, was covered with Yam
kee tents, beautifully laid out. Their army was
drawn up in line of battle about half mile in front
OF their tents. Their reserve was behind, lust in
front of their tents. Their skirmiShers were still
in advance Of their main army. Their lines extern
ded from one creek to the other. The attack was
made by our cavalry at daylight, on Sunday morn
ing, driving in their skirmishers. Our whole in
hntry and artillery followed up the cavalry charge
For one hour the battle ragged furiouSly when the
enemy began to fall back. 1t is impossible to give
you idea Of the variOIs attacks and repuses du-
ring that Sundays fight By ten o'clock, however,
and our men hastily snatched their dinner from the
Yankee tents and tables. BY night fall we had
driven them plum to the river into their gun-boats
and entertainments there. Had not night come on
quick, we would have captured or destroyed them
all. As it was we took nearly all their field arti-
lery, all their ordnance, Quarter master and Com
misSary stores, &c The main body of our ar:-:y
encamped Sunday night in the Yankee camps We
had as much fine liquors, wines, cigars, eatables
fine clothes, jewelry, fine pistols, &c, could
manage Our whole army reveling in the IN
accustomed luXuries Of the Yankee camp. ThouS-
andS of our privateS came away loaded down with
Colonies and Generals uniforms and fine clothing.
We took 4, 600 prisoners on Sunday evening. We
lost Gen. Sidney Johnston and captured Gen. Prem
tice In Sundays fight the Rangers made three
desperate charges losing about % men. On Mon
day morning the fight renewed by the enemy
advancing as he had received reinforcements of ten
thousand by river and thirty thousand by land du-
ring the night, and bad crossed the river under
Gen. Buell.. The fight was desperate all day Mon
day. our men holding their ground until late in the
afternoon, when we fell back in good order to the
Yankee camps and were not followed by the enemy.
During Monday night our whole infantry and artil
lery marched off in good order to CorInth, dis
lance then of about II miles The cavalry remained
and had another feast off the remnant of Yankee
stores fine Rio, SC. Monday evening we burnt the
most of their tents what we could not haul away.
We brought safely to COrinth 60 pieces of Yankee
artillery, ten thousand stand of muskets, an i'm
mense amount of shoes, &C., and wagons and mules
and horses. | got the saddle and saddle-cloth of
the Colonel of the 9Th Ohio regiment of artillery.
The saddle cloth alone is worth $780, / gave it to
our Colonel. do not know the killed and wound
ed on either SIDE but it was fearful. The Rangers
made two charges Monday-in all six charges.
We lost &c men-1O killed, sc wounded. Terry,
the brother of our former Colonel, was killed. In
our company 10 were killed and wounded killed.
did not receive scratch only powder. burnt from
carelessneSs in loading my gun. In Sundays fight
shot Is times at Yankees who were in IS or 20
PAGES of me but as others of our men were near me
firing too can't say certainly how many killed,
but as l said before hurt somebody. We have in
this battle defeated and put hOrs du combat of
the finest and best equipped armies the CONT
nent. This Lincoln army was composed of western
men, no New Englanders in tall hardy, rough
men from the Northwest While we have achieved
this victory, however comes the sad news that the
Yankees have possession of Huntsville and Decatur.
We had no forces at those points, for we could not
scatter our little army.
WIN. II. NJ.