The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-01-05

viz tlIcUl) SuIIOIIlCIcu. nv r L. VI, Oh
April 8, he thought the appearance the
same, and judged, with Lew. WaIlacc's
fresh division and such of our startled
troops as had recovered their cduilli-
brimi he woHld be justified in dropping
the defensive and assuming the often
sivc, in the morning. And, 1 repeat,
| received such orders before | knew
General Buell's troops were at the
river. / admit that J was glad Buell.
was there, because [ knew his troops
were older than ours, and better sys-
tcmatized and drilled, and his arrival
made that certain which before was
uncertain. / have heard this question
much discussed, and must say that the
officers Of Buell. army dwclt toomtch
on the stampedeo of our raw troops, and
gave US too little credit for the fact
that for one whole day, weakened as
we were by the absence ofBuell's army,
long expected, Of Lew. WalIacc's di-
VISION. only four miles off, and Of the
fugitivcs from our ranks. we had beat
en- Off our assalants for the time. At
the same time our army of the Tcnnes-
sec have indplgcd in severe criticism
at the slew approach OF that army,
which threatened us, from the conccn-
tratcd armies of Johnston, Beauregard
and Bragg, that lay at Corinth. In a
war like this, where the opportunities
for personal prowcss are as plenty as
bIackberries, to those who seek them
at the front, all such ordinations
should be frowned down; and were
it not for the military character of
your journal, would not venture to
offer correction 10 u very popular
error.
1 will also avail myself OF this occa-
sion, TO CORRECT another very common
mistake, in attributing to General
Grant the selection of that battlefield.
1t was chosen by that veteran soldier,
Major General Charles +. Smith, who
ordered my division to discmbark
there, and strike for the Charleston
Railroad. This ordcrw subsequent
ly modified, by his ordering IIurlbuts
division to discmbark there, and mine
higher up the Tennessee, at the month
Of Yellow Creek, to strike the Rail
road at Burnsvillc. But hoodprevcnt-
cd our reaching the railroad, when
General Smith ordered me in person
also to discmbark at Pitts5urg Land
ing, and take post well out, so as to
make plenty Of room, with Snake and
Lick Greeks tbs hanks Of camp for the
grand army of invasion.
1t was General Smith who selected
that field of battle, and IL was well cho,
sen. On any other we surely should
have been overwhelmed, as both Lick
and Snake Creeks forced the enemy to
confinc his movements TO direct front
attack, which new troops are better
qualified to resist than where fianks
are exposed to a real or chimerical
danger. Even the divisions of that
ARMY were arranged in that camp by
General Smiths order, my division
forming, as itwcre the outlying pick
ct, while McClcrnand's and Prentiss
were the real line of battle, with W. IL.
l.. Wallace in support Of the right wing.
and Hurlbut of the left; Lew Wallaces S
division being detached. All these
subordinate dispositions were made by
the order of General Smith, before
General Grant succeeded him to the
command Of all forces up the Tonnes
sec-heardquorters, Savannah. lfthere
were any error III putting that army
on the west side OF the Tennessee, eX-
posed to the superior force of the enc
my, also assembling at Corinth, the
mistake was not General Grant's-but
there was no mistake. 1t was ncccs
sary that a combat, fierce and bitter,
TO test the manhood of the two armies,
should come off, and that was as good
II place as any. 1t was not then a
question Of military skill and strategy,
but of courage and pluck, and | am
convinced that every life lost that day
to us was necessary; for otherwise at
Corinth, at Memphis, ut Vicksburg,
we would have found harder resistance,
had we net shown cur enemies that,
rude and untutorcd ms we then were,
we could fight MS wella they,
Excuse so long u letter, which is very
unusual from nc but of course my
life is liable to cease at any moment,
and happen to be n witness TO GER
tain truths which are now beginning
to pass out of memory, and form what
is called history.
l also take great pleasure in adding
that nearly all the now troops that at
Shiloh drew from me official censure
have moro than redeemed their good
name; amongthcm thatvcry regiment
which first broke, the 53d Ohio, Colo
mel Appen, Under another leader,
Colonel Jones, it has shared every
campaign and cXpeditionof mine since,
is with mo now, and can march and
bivouac and fight as well as tho best
regiment in this or any army, Its re-
putation now is equal to that of any
from tho State of Ohio. lam, with re-
spcct, yours, truly.
W. r. SHERMAN,
Major General.
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