New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-04-19
The Battle of Shiloh,

| The two following letters contain some additional
| Incidents of the great battle. As will be seen,
they are private letters, but well written and in
| teresting:
| CANr MOORE, CoRISTu, april o. 1862.
| ny Dear Fdt1te,'--I wrote you By Nj. slo-
| combs boy, who vas expected 10 leave this morn
ing, and also teegraphed yesterday afternoon,
when | returned to camp, after Cur army had
fallen back. But as see Mr. S!ocom5's boy in camp
this afternoon, shall write in fuller DETAIL and you
will probably get both letters at TIE same time.
First of ALL I will say that Bob and I are safe ana
unhurt Willie was wounded in the beginning OF
the battle by ball in the knee. The ball s,1uck
just above the knee Of the left leg, on the outer
| side, and glanced up. The wound is not con-
sidered by DR.. Stone dangerous one, if he can be
| kept perfectly quiet, and if inflammation car be
| kept down. But it is almost impossible to say
! what the wounded of our army may be obliged to
| undergo. The enemy, since his defeat, has re.
ceived large reinforcements, and still threatens
| Cornth. If they persist in their undertaking, we
shall be compelled to fight the battle over again at
| this place, and the wounded would be sent OFT.
do not think Willie can be removed, under the most
| favorable circumstances, within a week; for his
wound is one which will require care and time to
heal, SO that he may have again the use of his leg.
| If the enemy delay several days, and give our
wounded and weary soldiers time to recruit, we
| shall be ready for them. .y
| April 10M.-The morning is a loYely spring
morning-mild and pleasant-quite change from
the rain and cold which we have had since the day
| of battle. Willies wound is much better, and the
| Inflammation is going down. If it continues, he
| will be able to be moved to New Orleans by the
end of this week or beginning of the next. If he
continues to improve there will be no need of your
coming up.
I will give you description of our battle, and
you will, perhaps become better informed every
thing in that way than in any other.
Well, upon Thursday morning, at about 2o'clock
was awakened by the long roll, which was
sounded throughout the whole camp. Everything
and everybody was in motion. The fires of the
grand encampment presented to the aroused
soldiers brilliantly Illuminated scene. Drums
were beating, trumpets sounding, flies blowing,
bands playing and men hurraing. The order to
march the whole army had been given, and the
different divisions were getting ready to march at
, 6 o'clock in the morning. 1t had been determined
on by the Generals of our army to advance and
attack and defeat the large Federal army eneamped
, near the Tennessee river, before Buell., who was
, advancing to form junction with them, could
effect it. Our company, attached to Gen. Ander-
sons brigade of Gen. Ruggles' Louisiana division
began to march toward the enemy at O'Clock in
the afternoon of Thursday and bivouacked on the
road. The next day we continued our march, aud
halted at Monterey at midday. This place was
about six miles from the enemy's encampment
Here saw the first indications of the Yankees
for, while we were there, fourteen prisoners, be
longing to the Seventieth Ohio, who had beer
captured by our cavalry, were brought in. In th
T.la- -
Major, Lieutenant and the prisoners spoken O
above
At this place l had the pleasure Of seeing
in consultation together Gems. Johnston Beau
e regard and Bragg, who were questioning citi
# zen of Monterey, whom the Yankees, shor
n time before, had taken from the town and KEEP
s in their camp for several days, and had showl
,. him their whole encampment, with what view il
is impossible to say, unless it was to carry inform
alton to Johnston of the very large force of the
u enemy, thinking, perhaps, thereby to delay oul
attack by conveying the suppostion that the forct
of the enemy had been greatly augmented by re
! inforcenlents and that Buell. had already made
this junction, hoping thereby to gain time fo
Buell. to make his junction But our General
q were not to be outgeneraled, for on they pushed
IS and Saturday night our whole army in line o
h battle before the camps of the enemy. We slep
that night in our positions, and Sunday the lin
- of battle advanced. The battle began early in tn
ID dav. For some time before our battery reache.
v the field we could hear the rattle of musketry ans
~ ~ the laundering of cannon-the engagement hav
p ing already been opened by Gen. Hardees divi
sion, believe The first intimation of a near pre-
sence of the enemy was the falling of a mimic bal
A. some six feet from me, and then others aroun
Or me- for we were crossing an open field betwee
o. which and the enemy's first camp was wood
=, hill. We were Immediately led by an aid up tn
H. hill and we took position just in time to til
s. retreat of several of our regiments, and opene
fire on the enemy. We sent sphericalcase int
their camp and soon silenced their battery, whc
st had been playing on our troops, who again ralie
Q, and charged the enemy, driving them back frol
~ : their camp 1t was during this engagement this
~ Willie received his wound. The battery of til
ne enemy had been throwing shot and shell an
er spherical-case at us, and their long-range rif
ns mimic balls 1t was at first unpleasant sound
va the whrr Of balls and bursting of shell, and sew
rd raj times the balls flew SO close to me to caus
an instructive dodge or jump. One of the sphe
i ical-case shots of the enemy burst over Willie
IL gun wounding him in the leg, another of the d
IN tachment in the leg, driver in the foot, anoth
'n in the leg and killing one of our lead horses.
~. helped to carry Willie to the rear, to house, whe
tly our surgeon took charge of him, and hurris
N back. When got back, we had nearly given the
M M enough, for their artillery had ceased, and II
c}S sound of the musketry was further Off We h:
les driven them from two of their camps. Our ne
ed position was the hottest of the day, and that W
o in the centre of their line Of camps The shar
nd shooters raned musket balls upon us, and for
om time the tide of battle was in balance, but '
W lu stood it out bravely, though with some loss to
mt company, and until Kentucky regiment charg
ng upon the camp and the enemy retreated. He
Sergeant Demeritt and private Hartwell "a ste
TO son of the neghbor of G. G. Gaines u Henderso
M on Magazine street,) and driver, were kle
ter and Corporals Macready, Higgins and Bellange
ed, and privates Bayne, Davidson, Walsh, Mcknisf
Is, Watson, Stephens, wounded Our next positi
he was one further on, 1anking one of the enem.
to encampments, from which strong position he "
tn. damaging our infantry in 'front.' 1t was in this
,ao yn. gagement just spoken of where so many of
80 company were put hors du combat, that l b
]. miraculous escape, for when coming il
r. battery. and whilst running along to my pie