The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-12-26
THE BATTLE or PITIsBURe LANDING.
vtndication Of General 0rsnt-Lettes
from major General william II. sher.

vtndi c alton OF General 0rant-Let tox
from Major General William II. sher
man. -..,-..s.
| HEADQUARTERS, MILITARY DIVISION or TIE MISSISSIPPI
| Prof HEssr CoPru, Philadelphia
DEAR SiR-In the June number OF tho United States 81
xaoarxs nnd brief sketch OF Jeuten ant Genera
u s. Grant, in which you likely TO psrpetaats
IN error, which General Grant may deem OF SUN
Gent importance TO correct To General Buels noble
able and gaant conduct you attribute the fact that the
disaster OF April o. AZ Pittsburg Landing, retrieved
and made the victory OF the following day. Az General
Taylor said In bis later days doubled whether
he At the battle OF Buona Vista at ALL
the many things having TRANSFERRED there, according 70
the historians which he did not see begin to doubt
modern description. But at the battles OF April
and 4 1862. General Grant visited my division In per-
was tSon on the right After some Seuersi CONVEX.
sation, he remarked thatsI doing right In stub
oornly opposing the progress OF the enemy and, 10
had anticipated their want and given orders accord.
ney he then said hs presence was moro needed over
o. the ie About two p. NJ OF the 9th, the enemy
teriay sackened his attack me- and about four r NJ.
deliberately made line behind McArthur's driil
hold placing batteries on chosen ground repeied easily
cavalry attack and watched the cautious approach or
the enemy's Infantry, that never disodged me there
selected that limo In advance OF bridge Snake
creek by which had all day been expecting tho ap
proach OF Lew. waace's division Crump's Landing
About five P. before the set General Grant
again to me- and after hearing my report matters
planned 20 the situation OF affairs tho le which
not as favorable; attn the enemy had failed 70
reach The landing q the boats We agreed that the enc
my had expended the furore Of bis attack and est
mated our loss and Appropriated our then strength In.
GLIDING Lew. Wallaces fresh division, expected each
minute. He then ordered to get all things ready and
a. day light the next day to the offensive That
to be near 1t hand General Bues troops took
ta part in the FIRST days aght and Grants army though
arriving without cartridges even and nearly all
hearing the dread sound Of battle for tho first tme had
successfully wthstood and repoled the grst days
terrific onset of superior enemy, well command
cd and well handled know had orders from General
Grant 10 assume the offensive before knew General
Buell. was on the west side Of the Tennessee think
General Buell. Colonel Fry and others Of General Bues
st4G, rode up to where was about sunset about the
time General Grant was leaving me- General Buell.
asked mo many questions, and got or me small map,
which had made for my own use, and told me that by
daylight he could bave eighteen thousand fresh men,
which knew would settle the matter.
Understood Grants forces were TO advance on the
cordugy at daylight advanced my division BY the
flank the resistance being trivial up TO the very spot
and then waited till Tor Bues troops to got
up ABREAST when the entire line advanced and recovered
all the ground we had ever held know tae with the
exception two STRUGGLES the lighting OF
April was easy as compared with that Of April 8.
never was disposed. nor am now, to question any
that approaching field OF battle from the rear ne
encountered that sckening crowd OF lagsards and
who gave full credit to those In tho front line
no did fight hard and who had at four p NJ, checked
the offensive. remember fact better from Gen
era Grants sneccote o! his Donelson battle which he
Of the battle he saw that oher side was ready to give
way the other showed bold front, and he determined
to do that very thing 10 advance on tho eremy, when,
as be prognostcated the enemy surrendered At four
r. Of April d, BIO thought the appearances the same,
and he judged, with Lew. Waaces fresh division and
such OF startled troops had recovered their equ
briu he would be justified In dropping the defensive and
assuming the offensive in the morning And, repeat,
received such orders before ] knew General Ruells
troops at the admit that gIai Buell.
was there, because knew his troops older than
better systenazed and drilled and his arrival
made that certain which before was Uncertain have
the oici question much discussed end must say that
s,%rsas q o. ,,, y, X a
rs the absence OF Buells army long expected,
OF Lew. waiiace's division. only four miles on ana o.
asssiSnts the time AZ the Same time our Army OF
the Tennessee have ndclRed 10 severe criticism at tho
approach OF that army which knew toe danger that
threatened US armies OF Johnston
Beauregard and Bragg that lay at Corinth In war like
plenty as bllckucrres those who seek them at the
front, all such EXAMINATIONS should be rowned down.
aud not tor tho military character oil Your Jour-
nal would not venture to oicr correction 70 very
popular error.
other very common mistake in sttributiog 10 General
Grant selection Of that battle field was chosen ~
that veteran SOLDIER MAJOR General Charles +. Smith,
who ordered my division TO dsembaik there, and strike
Charleston Rilroad. This order was subsequent
y modified by his ordering Hurlbups DIVISION to asem
bark hero, and mine higher up ne Tennessee 10 the
mouth yellow creek, 10 strike the railroad at Burns
yie But Hoods prevented our reaching the railroad.
when General smith ordered me IN person also 10 dem
bark Ptsburg Landing, aud take pst wei out, SO as
t. make plenty Of room with Suake aud LICK creeks the
nGnAs OF a camp Tor the grand army Of invasion
1t was General s.uith who selected tnat field
OF battle, and II was well chosen % any DINER
b. III Lick and Snake creeks forced the enemy
conhne bis movements TO direct trent attack, when
troops are better qualified TO resist tnan where
tanks are exposed to real or chmerca danger Even
the divisions OF that army were arranged 10 that camp
by General Smiths order, my division forming, rs
ptfpp nERt
Prentss' were real line OF battle with w. H. L. Wal.
lace IN support OF the right wing and Huiout OF the
saecrdnate dspestons were made by order OF Gen.
era smith, be General Grant succeeded aim 70 the
ouarters savannah II therc were any error putting
that army the west side o. the Ienacssee exposed 70
Cornlh the mistake not General Grants-but there
mistake. IL WIS neceerasy that combat nerce
and bitter to test the manhood oil the two armies should
c mo OH and that good place as any. IL was
not then question Of military skill and strategy, oui
courage and pluck and am convinced that every life
list that day TO us was necessary for otherwise NJ
Corutn at Memphis at vicksburg, we would have found
harder resistance had rot shown our enemies that,
rude and uniu,ored rs we then were We could nsn "a
Excuse SO long letter. which very unusual from
but OF course my life 10 liable to erase ~ any oment
now bssnng to pass out OF memory, and form what IS
also take great pleasure in adding that nearly all the
new irooGs tha; shiloh drew from Official censurc
have more than redeemed their good name among them
very regiment whicl nrst broke, the fifty-tbrd
Ohio Colonel Appen. Under another leader, Colonel
Jones, 1t has shared every campagn and expedition Of
and fight as well the best regiment In this Or any
army Its reputation now Ia equal TO that OF any from
the State Of Ohio T'a an nisss1 Mayor
The orEaA-BESsrrr or MADAME Zrccm.-wo perceive
that the performance at tho opera tomorrow evening
has been apart the benefit Of the above
artist She has chosen for the occasion the role Of
A--s ~ 49, "A