The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1863-03-26
The BATTLE OF SHILOH.
GEN. POLES GEEICIAL REPCRY.
IIK1Dqu1KrKRs RiGnT WIx9.

the battle 6i Shi3Oh'3 lE
I'D Was resolved Iyltlse ddmmarder-init itliieI.
General Johnstdn. 10 attack the enemy in his
position on ELe Tennessee river, If possible al
day ylreak, On the 5lh Of April. My corps
consisted dF tlwo lfEisionB of two Drlgades
each. comInarsked tetpectiEely by Nal Gen
Cheatham and Brig Gen olaik, and with the
EXCEPTION df Observation-Disclosures frorii Lou
isia1Ia. mississippi and Arkansas RESPECTIVE
ly-Hwas composed Of Tehnesseans- Maj Gen
Che4 ihamls Division was on outs.ost difty AL
aud iIear BeIel 9n the Mobile s. Ohio Rail
road and vas orsis1ed 10 proceed 10 u poini
near PittsbnTg LalIdingzoiE The river. lof 9he
phIpbse oi Joining in Tie on-cmplaied st
iacE OnHtle Sd af April. was direHled 90
march so much az Ily corps as was l.till al
Cpfirih tdwards lie Same point H,iI route
to bd takeI was lIlat PnIsllesi by the e9srps OF
| lGeh. Hardfe, over tbs Ridge anil Ban K Roads.
| and / was t,rtiered i9 mardh SO as To allow al
Iihterval Of half sn nobH between tBk two
cptpF. This order was directed to observe
until I reached Mirkies q On reaching Mick
lie /. nay ihktructiolII wefe to halt TO alsx the
! eotps df Cen Bragg Whose route fSai intoI
ours At that point fS fail In and follow: in the
| itnbhediate rear of tikh. Hardee.
/ tlhe plan Of battle wa4 that the cqrps OF
Gdn. HaEliee ehouIl| form the frout life, and
liblht of litn. Bragg tie sedetfa my corls and
that of Eien. IIscktnridye to ennsti9 9ate the
! tLIEh OF reserve maintained the INTERVAL
drEiered ASetweerI' Gf{li Hardee's and fisi corps
during the nigh. dfthe Sd and the fd8lowing
day. and halted tile head of my colnInH at the
Sross roads at Mickic's at dafk on thds 4th ac-
/ edtdingl tp instrhctTohs, my column be tzlg well
lhbll AT Mickic VIE were about l1 miles
i Frlrn lie place at wIich our line of battle was
It'd be fofraed, ard here the head df Gen.
i .BtAggs corps aisb bivoqacked on tile same
hight, AT three o'clock on the fdalcwing
metning Saturdaytthe 5lh. the wholT Of my
lc9thmand was under arms, in waitingIfof The
i rood, which it cohlH not lake. as it " Is occu-
ipisd by the trooIIsldf Gen. Bragg, VIII Ab were
Il filtifg into the rear Ibf those of Gen II Hkfdee
Il Hi was now manifest that the attack at day
,ibESak could not be made. that the troops
o gId not reach thHir ppsitiors in time hnd tlist
lltha failure was owing to the conditioh of the
IIrbaIds, which was tteeediugly bad, y corse
lqklsnee bf the heavy rains which hal fallen.
/ took a positipil eaHly in the In6rIthg near
Itha forks Of the road 10 wait for the iroepa Of
HGeb BIassg TO pass While there in waiting.
lak 10 a. El. Generals Al s. Johnston I'D Beau
lrtesard, with theft staifs. rode UP from the
lrsir. and haitirg opposite me. gavs NE orders
ID move promptly IN the rear of Ge3. Bragg.
81 that might give the road 10 GeIl Breck-
liiahdge, who was TO follow me- Ginning in
fFtim Cen Bragg 81 route. | was alsd ordered
{ tb halt Iby coluhil. eo3ie and a hphl miles In
!, rear Of the place At which Gen. Briggs line
! df Asfrls crossed tlEe road and to dfploy my
!, dotps I'd tie leftNqn line parallel ID that oi
IL G4n. Bragg Gem lBfeck kinridge hating been
dIhered to halt nj the same point aIii depIoy
q hbi9 csrRs tothe right with his len Hesting on
| ny right;
3 aLefiGenefai Bragg corps had passed | then
n balt my column lis motion. and tetle 10 the
! Iitbnt Prosecuting half mile. / sdnt Lieut.
7 Riehnond my ABIDE Camp. forward TO as
4 tsIrfzin the point at which Gen. Briggs line
ktbnld cross the rbad. aud to measure back ior
Il lite place at winch | was 10 Jl4It AID deploy
.llFTHis he did hnd Pn reaching the pl4ce. Lieut.
ltlRtchmond informed me that the rioAd was
\ Shrsuibg ran into lltAt across which Gen
BEagg MAS forming at an obtuse angle. Ii
kchme necessary, then, before j could form
ID ascerfain the general direction It tie line
llAl front of me. To effect this. ! seat forward
! tly Inspector General Blake, aud leaving .
+ staff officer TO halt my column at the pro6el
3 place. I proceeded myself 10 aid in the recon
3 Ihpissance., ! had not advanced ftr before
cAme upon Gem Ruggles, who ctmmanded
! Glen. Bragg's left. deploYing bis ttodps Hay
/ ltlg ascertained the general direction of .Iae
line II did not wait for him to complete IT. bui
. Hetnrneh to the hlsad Of my column 10 give The
7 ttECessaky ordefsI
II by This time il was near 4 O'Clock D. IN.
AID on arriving j. Was informed THAR Gen
lBkaurekard desined to see me inmkdiately.-
I Where Hound Cen Bragg and hiinsklf in con
= Hersatibh. He said witi some feeling. Il are
, lNery much disaIpointed al the delay which
I has occurred Ia getting the hoops into posi-
s sipn. II replied $50 ata 4, sir; but so tar as
am cdncerneds lHy orders are 10 form on an
,}ffflher fle aud tliat llna must first be esiab-
Iibhed before i can form upon itf i cofifin.
lped II reached IMickIeTs at nightkll yester-
: Ahy, whence cduId Iot move, beckuse OF the
Hoops which Verg before me. Until . NJ m.
u ds u ] then Hromptly followed the column
Hid fronkHof me, and Laye been IN IDosiriJn t,
lfSrm hiion il SO snon as It's line WAS estab-
eliishedf He saih he regretted thd delay ex-
I eeediiI4ly, rs IL would make K NECESSARY to
Il fbregblh 4st4ck aItngelher that bur success
..depeRded upon our surprising she enemy.
J that ll4Is was now inIIlossibIe, and We mus
III fall back 10 Cdrinth Here Ged. Johnston
Dame llp. and asked what Was tho naattefg u
N dEenshll Beauresafd repeated what he had
ksaid tbHme Eefseral, Johnston re5iaTked rllai
\ his would never do, and proceedtd to assigi
HeasdIls for that opinion. He khen asked
What tho1gIlt Of il. repii4 ID that my
!. troops ,Fereih As goPd condition IS they had
! over been, that lthey were eager for battle
| that 10 feIife now. would operate injnriouslS
I E4pon .tien. and ! thought we Eoiigit to al
\ taek X It'll
VI Cen Breckintidge. whose troops we're il
! the rear. and by this tue had Arrived apoI
b the ground. hefe JOINED us, and Lafter som,
L aiscpss;or il was decided TO POSTPONE furthea
& mevei1ens unta the follow ing eay. and L
I make tlse attack 81 day break -
then proee9ded to dispose Sf nay d Vi
sionE cheathah having arrived d-accoT din,
+ ito an iplteratiei IN ths programine. and "
!. II. ~t..I.~ l-t. u - --L.l-