The New York herald., 1862-12-08
The Rattle Of Shiloh and General Grant.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT. rHg TENNESSEE

TO the EDITOR OF THk HERALD.
HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT. TENNESSEE,
LAGRANGE Tenn., Nov. II, 1862 !
The author Of book entitled Thtse Months n the
Rebel Army, speaking OF the battle OF Shiloh, says
While II s no part Of my duty In this cri.
tcise military movements and especially those OF the
Union forces Imay that the absence cavalry
picxets from General Grants per.
feet amazemert to tho rebel officers There abso-
tey none On Grants 10 where Genera Breckinridges
division meeting him. that able TO come
up within hearing Of their drums entirely uppercaived
The southern generals always kept cavalry pickes
for miles, when enemy supposed 10 within
dy march Of them. The infantry pickets of Grant
vance CAMPS and they were too few to make any resist
ance With these facts all made known headquar
as On ~ n evening, our % ioues were arraged for
assurance Of victory.
On The strength OF this exparto statement savage re-
view appears IN the New York Times, attributng the
success OF arms at Shiloh ~ "provdence Buell. and
the gunboats" and recommending that General Grant
should be hung"
10 appease tho appetite of tho boodthirsy and credu
ous reviewer we quiet the rer yes Of sundry
other professors Of the art and science Of female as
well rs mae), permit the OF your Journal 70 assure
them that the author Of this every interesting book
very much mistaken in his criticism OF military move.
mens connected with the battle Of Shiloh easily
fFst-our videttes Cavalry pickets), on Thursday,
three days before the battle were full Ave miles front
or line, aud attacked driven in upon our
pickeis (inanry) by the enemys advance cavalry and
ihsn ie back TO The extreme rear
"The total absence Of cavalry pickets from General
Grants camp" ought not there ore have been mat
ter Of perfect anazemen to the author aud would not
70 any oiecr in the service at all acquainted with the
relations 10 each other Of vidcttcs pckets gLards
particularly when attacked BY superior numbers, aud
unable To hold their ground. b
reports OF the battle OF Shiloh (see Executive Document
No. &C. Thrtyssventh Congress session) to show
that our pickets were over a mile in front Of our
"aiyance camps.n
make bat and that from the official report
OF General W. T. Shem whose distinguished services
in that sangnary battle and thorough Of the
profession Of arms ought to entitle. his assertions to at
least equal weight and consideration with those OF the
author
- On Friday. the 4th Inst, the enemy's cavalry
"a al az cur S s p0sd and s
Ing one hr' ''u'Spsr' skSMns snd sysn men srs.s.
Third-Much has been written and said by persons IT,
norant Of the situation about being surprised
the first day OF the battle OF shiloh.
when skirmshng between pcksts had been going on
three days preceding the battle But for the boggy
aon Q, me roads De.w.en .9rnih and shiloh meeting.
enemy, the battle would undoubtedly have commenced
the preceding Friday, despite all General Grants
deavors to slave II of till ues renforcemeuts several
days overdue, could arrive
ts Incredible too the oredence given at this late day
10 the cries Of surprisc cu 20 pieces "bayoneted ia
our bcds," which broadcast over the land
when officers whose competency TO Judge and whose
asserted their friends that these lying
charges had their origin with the eight thousand
hearted Wretches (oncefs ~ undue propoIton who de-
serted their comrades 10 seek safety behind the river
bluf at Pittsburg Landing, during the FIRST days
engagement
Tho dsgraceul conduct f these was the only
"sulorisc" experienced at the battle OF shiloh
The author In subsequent paragraph, puts down tho
maximum Confederate force at Is 600
Admitting this estimate to be correct, II was 10 600
moro than had General Gran, the rst day. whose entire
effective force but fraction less than oo0 tho
consolidated morning report VIII show Deduct from this
the 5000 behind tho buI, ard IL lcayes him with
$4,000, with VIII he held As 900 bay tho
bic 9th Of April 1862.
Whom the aud full history o. the battle u Shiloh
Is published " will prove q proud vindication of the
peror ability OF General Grant iicld general and
convince the patient public Of the gross injustice that has
boen done the successful lighting general OF
country who, could ho have had the mon would long
ago have gridironcd the Southern States with UAon
tr0ors.
This reply written solely with the vicw Of doing lus
tice TO General Grant, and DEFENDING him from the gra
tutDus attacks Of tho malicious and the ignorant.
GEORGE =. IHRrr, Col and A. d. c., U. s. Army.