Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-24
9aily appeal,
-FRov OUR EvrSiSG EDlrIoy OF YEsrGRDAT.
THE RATTLE OF sHILOH.
ReporTs ct Ges,SyaEs GraHf and
Sherman.
DISTRICT or WEST TENNESSEE
L----u-u-n L--L O L-eL

CAPTAIN It becomes my duty again to repol
another battle, fought between two great sTmie.
one cOntending for the maintenance Of the hes
government ever devised, the other for It's de
struction. 1t is pleasant to record the success
OF the army c~onteuding toT the former principle
On Sunday morning our pickets were attacke,
and driven in BY the enemy. Immediately tn
five divisions stationed at this place were drawn
up in line Of battle ready 20 meet them. Ih.
battle soon waXe1 warm on the left and center
varying at times to all parts of the line.
The most continuous firing Of musketTy anC
artillery ever heard on this continent was KEEP.
up until uightfall, the enemy having forced th'
entire line to fall back nearly half way from thel
camps to the landing. At q late hour in the
afternoon a desperate effort was made by the
enemy to turn our left and get possession OF the
landing, transports, etc. This point vas guarded
by the gunbOats TylQr and Lexington, Captains
.Gwyun and Shirk, United States Navy, com
|mandinp. four 2~O-pOunder Parrot guns, and a
battery Of r6ed guns. As there is a deep and
impossible rsvine for artillery or cavalry, and
very difficult for infantry at this point, no troops
were stationed here except the necessary artl-
%leTists, and a small infantry force tor their sup
port
Just at this moment the advance of Major
General BueIrs column Ia part OF the division
of General Neison) arrived, the two generals
named both beng present. An advance was
Immediately made upon the point Of attack, and
the enemy soOD driven back In this Tepuise,
much is due 20 the presence Of the gunboats
Tyl0r and Lexington, and their able command
.ers. Captains Gwynn and Shirk. During the
night the divisions under Generals Critteuden
and McCook arrived.
General Lew. Wallace, at Crump's Landing,
six miles below, was ordered at an early houT IN
the morning to hold his division in readiness, TO
be moved in any direction to which it might be
ordered. At about II o'clock, the order was
delivered 10 move IL up to PIttsburg, but owing
10 its being led by a circUitOUs route, did not
arrive Ia time to take part in Sundays action.
During the night all was quiet, and feeling that
a great moral advantage would be gained by
becoming the attacking party, an advance was
as soon as day dawued. The result was
q gradual repulse of the enemy at sll points Of
the line, from morning until probably 5 O'Clock
in the afternoon, when it became evident the
enemy was retTeating.
Before the close Of the action, the advance Of
Gen 7. J. Woods division arrived in time to
take part In the seton. nv force was TOO much
fatigusd from two days hard fighting, and ex-
posed in the open air to a ~drenching rain during
the intervening night, to pursue Immediately.
Night closed in cloudy and with heavy rain,
making the roads impTacricsble for artillery by
the next morning. Gen. Sherman, however, fol-
the enemy, finding that the main part Of
the army bad retreated IN good order. Hospitals
of the euemy's wounded were fOund all along the
road as far as pursuit was made. Dead bodies
of the enemy and many graves We're also found.
l enclose herewith the report Of Gen. Sherman,
which viii explain more fully the result Of this
pursuit. Of the part taken by each separate
command / cannO take special notice in this re-
port, but will do SO more fully when reports Of
division C mmanders are handed in.
Gen. Buell. coming on the field with a distinct
long under his command, and which did
such efficient service, commanded by himself in
person on the feld, will be much better able to
those Of his command who particularly
distinguished themselves than l possibly can.
l feel It a duty, however, to a gallant and able
officer, Brigadier-GeneTal w. L. Sherman, to
make a special mention. He rot only was with
his command during the entire Of the two days
action, but displayed great Judgment and skill
in the management Of his men. Although Sc
verely wounded IN the hand the first day, his
place was never vacant. lie was again wound
ed, and had three horses killed under him.
In making this mention of a gallant sficeT, no
disparagement is intended to the other division
commanders, Msjor-Generals John A McCler-
uaud and Lew. Wallace, and BugadieT- Gener-
ais S. A. Hurlbut. B. u. Prentiss and W. II. L.
Wallace, all Of whom maintained their places
with credit to themselves and the cause.
Gen. Prentiss was taken prisoner in the first
DAYS action, and Gen. ". II. ]. Wallace Sc
veTely, probably MORALLY wounded. His assist
ant Acknowledgement, Capt. VIM. McMichael, is
missing, probably taken prisoner.
Ny personal staff are all deserving Of paTticu-
lar mention, they having been engaged during
the entire two days IN carrying orders to every
part of the field. Il consists OF Col J. j. Web
ster, Chief Of stan Lieut. Col }. B. McPher-
son, chief engiu5er, assisted by Lieuts ". L.
B Jenny and William Kosssc, Capt J. A. Raw
A A. General ". S. HilyeT, ". r. Raw
ley and C.. B Lagew, aids de-csmp, Gel G. G.
Pride, volunteer aid, and Capt. }. p. Hawkins,
chief c0mmissaTy, who accompanied me upon
the field.
The medical department, under direction Of
Surgeon Hewitt, medical director, showed great
Energy IN providing for the wounded, and in
them from The field, regardless of dan
ger
Colonel Webster was placed in special charge
of all the artillery and was constantly upon the
field. He displayed, IS always heretofore, both
skill and bravery. At least, IN one instance, he
was the means Of placing al entire regiment in
a position Of doing most valuable service, and
where It would not have been but for bis exer-
Lieut-CoL Mcpherson, attached to my staff
as chief of engineers deserves more than q
passing notice for bis activity and courage. All
the grounds beyond our camps Tor miles have
been accommodated by him, and plGts carefully
prepared under his supervision, giving accurate
information Of the nature Of approaches to our
lines.
During the two days battle be was constantly
in the saddle, leading troops as they arrived to
points where their services were required. Dur
ing the engagement, he had che horse short I'M
der him.
The country will have 10 mourn the loss Of
many brave men who fell at the battle Of Pitts
burg, or Shiloh, more properly. The exact loss
in killed and wounded viii be known in a day or
two; at present I can only give it approximately
at 1900 killed, and $500 wounded.
The loss Of artillery was great, many pieces
being disabled by the enemy shots, an some
losing all their horses and many men. There
were probably not less than two hundred horses
killed
The loss of tho enemy, in killed and left upon
the field, was greater than oUrs. In wounded
the estimate cannot be made, as many of them
must have been sent to CorinJh and other points.
The enemy suffered terribly from demoraliza-
ton and deserton- A flag Of truce was sent in
to day from Gen. BeauTegagd. I inclose here
with a copy OF the correspondence.
lam, respectfully, your obedient servant,
U. 5. GRANT,
Msjor-General Commanding.
GEN. sHERMAN's REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS FIFTH DIVISION.
IrEsDAY, April Z, lso2.
Ma. GeH- Grant, Commanding Army in the Field;