The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-04-25
Northern Account of the Battle of
Shiloh,

AS there are people about who are fond |
of quoting Northern Accounts" We in
vite their attention to the following. from |
the CINCINNATI Tines:
The BATTLE on SuNDAy.-Almost' ct |
dawn Sherman's picke.s were driven in,
very little later Premises were; and the
enemy were into the camps almost as
soon as were the pickets themselves.
Here began scenes which let us hope
will have no parallel in our remaining
annals of the war. Many, particularly
among our officers, were not yet out Of
bed. Others were dressing, others wash
ing, others cooking, q few eating their
breakfasts. Many guns were unloaded,
accoutrements lying pell nell, ammuni-
ton was ill supplied-in short, the camps
were completely surprised-disgracefully,
might be added. unless some one can
hereafter give some yet undiscovered rea-
son to the contrary-and were taken at
almost every possible disadvantage,
The first wild cries from the pickets
rushing in, and the few scattering shots
that preceded their arrival, aroused the
regiments to a sense of their peril; an
instant afterwards rafting volleys of mus.
kerry poured through the tents, while,
before there was time for thought or pre-
paration. there came rushing through
the woods, with lines of battle sweeping
the whole fronts of the division camps
and bending down on either flank, the
fine, dashing, compact columns of the
| enemy.
Into the just aroused camps thronged
the rebel regiments, firing sharp volleys
as they come, and springing forward up
al, 81. L o.
awhile their artillery, already in position,
was tossing shells to the further side OF
the encampments, scores of them were
shot down as they were running, without
weapons, hatless, coatless, toward the riv-
er. The searching bullets found other
poor unfortunates in their tents, and
there, all unheeding now, they still
slumbered, while the unseen foe rushed
on. Others fell as they were disentang
ling themselves from the flaps that form
the doors to their tents; others as they
were buckling on their accoutrements
others as they were trying TO impress on
the cruelty exultant enemy their readi
ness to surrender.
, Officers were bayoneted in their beds
and left for dead. who, through the whole
two days fearful struggle, lay there gasp
|, ing in their agony, and on Monday eve
ming were found in their gore inside theil
tents, and still able to tell the tale.
Such. were the fearful disasters thai
, opened the rebel onset on the lines o
Buckland's brigade, in Sherman's divis
ion. Similar, though perhaps less terri
BILE in some of the details, were the fat,
of Premises entire front.
Meantime, what they could our shat
tered regiments did. Falling rapid,
back through the heavy woods till they
gained protecting ridge, firing as they
, ran, and making what resistance, mer
thus situated might. Sherman's mer
, succeeded in partially checking the rusf
of the enemy long enough to form thei
hasty lines of battle. Meantime the 9th
, err two brigades of the division Ito tn,
right sprang hastily to their arms, anc
, barely done so when the enemy's line
! came sweeping up against their fronts
too, and the battle thus spread fercel,
5 along Sherman's whole line on the right
, Buckland's brigade had been COMPEL
ed to abandon their camps without
struggle. Some Of the regiments, it il
even said, ran without firing gun. Co
lionel Appler's Fifty-third Ohio is loudl,
complained of on this score, and Others
are mentioned. 1t is certain that part.
of regiments, both here and in other di
not wholly without excuse. They were We're
raw troops, just from the usual idleness
of our "camps of instructions" hundreds
OF them had never heard gun fred ir
anger; their officers, for the most part
were equally inexperienced; they hac
been reposing in fancied security, anc
were awaked, perhaps, from sweet dreams
OF home, and wives, and children, by the
stunning roar OF cannon in their yer,
midst, and the bursting of bombshel
among their tents-to see only the ser
ried columns of the magnificent rebel adj.
vance, and through the binding, sitting
smoke, the hasty retreat of comrades anC
supports, right and left. Certainly it i.
sad enough, but hardly surprising, thai
under such circumstances, some should
run. Half as much caused the wild pan
ic at Bull Run, for which the nation, a.
one man, became loud-mouthed apo
logist.
But they ran--here as in Printiss's di
vision, of which last more in moment
and the enemy did not fail to profit b,
the wild disorder. As Buckland's bri
gade fell back, McClernand threw forwarc
his left to support it. Meanwhile Sher
man was doing his best to rally his troops
-dashing along the lines, encouraging
them everywhere by his presence, ano
exposing his own life with the same free
dom with which he demanded their offel
of theirs, he did much to save the d;vis
ion from utter destruction. Hildebranc
and Mcdowell were compelled to retire
their brigades from their camps acros.
!. the little ravine behind but here for {
while they made gallant defence, while
what was left of Bucklapd's was fallins
back in such order as it might, and leav
ing McClernand's left to take their place
and check the wave ofrebel advance.
CAPTURE OF GEN. PRENTIss.
Gen. Prentiss was faring scarcely sc
we'll. Most of his troops stood theil
ground, to be formed into line, but
, strangely enough, the line was drawn ur
in an open space. leaving to the enemy
the cover of the dense scrub oak in front
from which they could pour In their vol
leys in comparative safety. y ie
The men held their position with an
obstinacy that adds new laurels to the
character of the American soldier; but il
; was too late. Down on either flank came
the overwhelming enemy. Fiercely push,
! ed in 'front.' with wall of bayonets clos
ing in on either side, like the CONTRACTING
iron chamber of the Inqusition,' what
could they do but what they did2 Speed
lily their resistance became less obstinate
: more and more rapidly they fell back
less and less frequent became their re-
t,,rni ~ voIloys