The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-03-11

dropping from pulselcss hands. its
banners trailing in the dust, line If
tel line giving way, and gun aftel
gun captured and turned against it,
our hero souls were cnthuscd with
the spirit of battle, and We felt that
it was indeed glorious privilege to
be there.
No prouder page can adorn the
annals of history than that upon
which the battle of Shiloh is writ
ten. The entire day was one of re-
peated, but hard earned triumph
After the first fierce shock Of the
morning, the Federal lines were on
ly formed to be broken and hurled
back~again. BY Il NJ. We had diy-
en- McClernard from his tents, and
by 3 p. NJ. the entire Federal force
was broken. Their troops, heart
sick and weary with their hard days
fight, were covering under the pIlny
protection of their gunboats, and it
needed only the demand for that
proud army to have surrendered
Why that demand was not made, or
why our victorious troops were not
hurled like an avalanche upon those
spirit broken men. God alone in his
wisdom knows.
When J. think Of the signal victo-
~ gained that morning; how COM
pletely masters of that bloody field
oru forces were; the camps, thirty
regimental colors, three thousand
prisoners, half Of his artillery, all
ours, and then of tie terrible sac
rifce of noble lives that had been
offered up to secure that victory,
and at last the cruel, the tantal-
izin5 misfortune that turned our
psunS of victory into walls Of de-
feat and Of sorrow, I am almost per
suaded t. doubt the virtue Of hu
man efforts.
Oh it was wofll hour to the
South that struck our noble com
manlur, Gen. Albert Sidney John
ston, down. How disastrous to the
cause OF American liberty, how un,
fortunate foI the fama Of General
Dea,Ucsard, and yet how glorious
for Gen. Grant Had his invalu-
able life only been spared until sun
down, the var would have been
endci; Grants army would have
been crushed and Southern indie.
pendcnce established.
But it was not to be so. A ball,
altogether at random, struck and
pierced his left leg. Undisturbed
by what he supposed to be only a
flesh wound, he continued to give
some directions to his staff. Soon,
however, the profuse hemorrhage
attracted the attention of his devo-
ted friends, and it was discovered,
alas. too late, that an artery had
been cut. Gov. Harris was stand.
ing by, and to him the General re-
marked:
Il fear that I am mortally wound
ed Gov. Harris reached up his
arms and assisted the wounded
chieftain to dismount. and he was
tenderly placed upon the ground
and surgical aid was called, but too
late, too late-his pure soul was
called-his fate was sealed, and oul
cause was lost.
Every order up to this moment
had been forward. and forward ev
cry line was pressing, Gen. Bragg
was in his glory; the enemy had
been huddlcd within a compass o:
less than one mile in width, and
the arm was raised to strike the
crushing blow, when the insane or
der came to halt the troops, to re
tire beyond range of the gunboats
and to cease the action.
It is difficult to comment. with
anything like justice, upon this ex
traorainary order Of Gen. Bea1ue
gard. His motives doubtless were
commendable, Jut the most Jealous
defender of his fame can but ad
init that it was the one grea; ant
damning error of his military life
crushing alike to his reputation
and fatal to the service of his coun
try.
But glorious as was t3.at Sunday
the 9th day of April, to us, it's hon
ors were purchased with a fearfu
price. Company I carried thirt,,
zen in the fight; out Of these 81:
were killed and seventeen wounded
Theregiment suffered in proportion
Our gallant Colonel, 4. K, Blythe
was killed: our Lieut.. Col. Hero,
was mortally wounded, aid die,
the next day; Capt. Humphreys
Capt. Dewberry, Lieut.. McEacheor
Lieut.. Allen and eighty men wer
killed, and one hundred and twer
t. wounded out Of an effective fore
of three hundred and thirty.
Ny own experience was sad; m
brother-so good, SO true, so dea
to me, was left mortally wounde
- H. Go1J -l:1 III