The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-01-05
THE BATTLE OF PITTsDURG
LANDITG.
Letter from Major General william IT
Sherman

Sherman.
HrApQuARrfns MILITARY DIVISION
OF TmE MISSISSIPPI.
Professor Henry Cooke, Philadelphia:
DEAR SIR.-ln the June number OF
the United States Service Magazine, |
find bric1 sketch OF Lieut.. Gen. U. $.
Grant, in which l see you are likely to
perpCtuatc an error, which Gen. Grant
may not deem of sufficient importance
ID correct. TO Gen. Buells noble, able,
and gallant conduct, you attribute the
fact that the disaster OF April &, at Pitts
burg Landing, was retrieved, and made
the,victory of the following day. AS
Gen. Taylor is said, in his latter days,
to have doubted whether ho was at the
battle Of Buena Vista at all, on account
of the many things having transpircd
there, according to the historians,
which he did not see, so | begin to
doubt whether | was at the baltle OF
Pittsburg Landing Of modern descrip
ton. But | was at the battles OF April
and Z, 1862. General Grant visited
my division in person about 10, A. NJ,
when the battle ragged ticrcest. | was
then on the right. After some general
conversation, he remarked that | was
doing right in stubbornIy opposing the
progress of tho enemy; ANA in answer
to my inquiry as to cartridges, told me
lie had anticipated their want, and
given orders accordingly; he then said
his presence was more needed over aL
tho left. About! 2 J. NJ, Of the 9th, the
enemy materially slackencd his attack
on me, and about p. NJ, deliberate
ly made new line behind Near
thurs drill. field, placing batteries on
chosen ground, rcpellcd easily a cav
airy attack, and watched the cautious
approach OF the cncmys infantry, that
never dislodged me there. ] selected
that line in advance of bridge across
Snake Creek, by which we had all day
been expecting the approach Of Lew
WaIlaces division from Crump's Land
ing. About 5 p. NJ, before the sun set
General Grant came again to me, and
after hearing my report of matters, cx-
planned to me the situation OF affairs
on tho left, which were not as favora.
BILE; still the enemy had failed to
reach the landing OF the boats. We
agreed that the enemy had expended
The furore of his attack, and we csti-
mated our loss, and approximated our
then strength, including Lew Walaces'
fresh division, expected each minute.
He then ordered me to get all things
ready, and at daylight the next day to
assume the offensive, That was before
General Buell. had arrived, but he was
known to be near at hand. General
Bucl's troops took no essential part
in the first days fight, and Grants
army, though collected together hasti-
ly, green as militia, some regiments
arriving without cartridges even, and
nearly all hearing the dread sound Of
battle for the first time, had success
fully withstood and repellcd the first
day terrific onset of superior enc
my, we'll commanded, and well hand
led. know | had orders from Gen,
Grant to assume the offensive before |
knew Gen. Buell. was on tho west side
of the Tennessee. | think Gen. Buell.,
Col, Fry, and others Of Gen, Buell. s
staff. rode up to where | was about
sunset, about the time General Grant
was leaving me. General Buell. asked
me many questions, and got Of me n
small map, which | had made for my
own use and told mo that by daylight
he could have eighteen thousand fresh
men, which | know would settle tho
matter.
| understood Grants forces were
to advance on the right of the
Corinth Road and Bucll's on tho
left, and accordingly at daylight
| advanced my division by the
flank, the resistance being but tri-
vial, up to tic very spot whore the day
before the battle had been most severe,
and then waited till near noon for
Buell's troops to get up abreast, when
the entire line advanced and recovered
all tho ground we had ever held. !
know that, with the exception Of one
or two severe struggles, the fighting Of
April 7, was easy as compared with
that Of April 6.
| never was disposed, nor am now,
to question any thing done by Gonoral
Buell. and his army, and know that,
approaching our field Of battle from
the rear, he encountered that sicken-
ing crowd Of laggards and fugitives
that excited his contempt and that Of
his army, who never gave full credit
to those in the front limo, who did fight
hard, and who had, at 4 P. NJ, check
ed tho enemy, and were preparing the
next day to assume the offensive. l
remember the fact the better from Gen
eral Grants anecdote OF his Donclson
battle, which he told me then for the
FIRST time-that, at certain period Of
the battle, he saw that either s,do was
ready to give way ifthe other showed,
bold front, and he determined to do
that very thing, to advance on the
enemy. when. as hc Dronnosticaten