Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-07-19
The Dead of Shiloh.


Monday morning, at o'clock, the
combined forces of Grant and Buell.
moved against the enemy. Gen. Buell's
fresh troops, with the division of Lew
Wallace, not engaged on Sunday (why,
may perhaps never be known) pressed
the enemy at all points. Steadily the
army OF the Union regained our camps,
and by noon signal victory had been
achieved Beauregard withdrew his
forces in good order, and pursuit was
not continued beyond Shiloh church.
Tuesday, the Sth, General Sherman de-
termined to pursue. With two brigades
from his own division, two from Buell's
army Generals Garfield and Wood, and
two regiments of cavalry, he proceeded
from Shiloh in the direction of Corinth.
At the distance of little over a mile
we came upon the advance camp of the
enemy on Saturday night Everywhere
along our line of march remains of the
retreating army were noticed. Fresh
graves were all around; the dead, dying
and wounded lay in tents, old houses
and upon the ground. We were march
ed to point about four and a-half miles
from the church, when our videttes in
formed us the rebel cavalry were direct
ly ahead, concealed in ravines and be-
hind a long row of tents. General Sher-
man ordered skirmishers thrown out,
deplOying companies A and B of my
own regiment, when orders were given
to the Seventy-seventh to support skir-
mishers. The regiment was led within
fifty yards of the line Of tents. The
ground was an old cotton field, partly
covered with fallen trees-hence the
name of the engagement, Fallen Tim
bers." The field was skirted by heavy
wood. Almost Immediately the enc
mys skirmishers opened fire, and the
writer realized that he was an object of
particular mark. A fierce yell filled
the air, and the rebel cavalry. came up
from the ravine and behind tents as
thick as they could ride. | ordered to
up and fire, which order had scarcely
been executed when the entire line was
ridden down, the men sabered and shot
by a force ten times superior to our own.
The dash was one of the boldest of the
war, and the loss sustained over one
third of my command. The promptness
of Col. Hildebrand in ordering up the
other regiments of his brigade I think
saved the day and the commanding gen
eral and staff from capture. An officer
of his staff (NIcCoy) was ridden down,
and, as General Sherman assured me, he
narrowly escaped regard this state
ment due the memory of brave and
meritorious officer.
The dead were buried on the spot;
the wounded removed to camp;
the rebel camp destroyed with large
amount OF property, and this was the
last of the fighting at Shiloh! The loss
sustained by both armies exceeded the
frightful number of $4,000 men. Four
years after the battle, writer, visiting
Shiloh and Corinth, gave hideOus pic
ture of the condition of things. He
stated that $4,000 Confederate soldiers
lay unburied on the two fields After
the battle of Shiloh General Grant or
dered the dead bodies of both armies to
be buried. The inhumation, however,
consisted of little more than thin
covering of earth, which the heavy rains
have long since washed of, and the re-
mains of brave men who perilled all for
their country's! sake lie exposed to the
elements. This fact is disgraceful to
the government and the people, and
should be remedied with the least posi-
bic delay. Instead of squandering
means over idle parades, it should be
our duty and pleasure to give the bleach
ing bones of our gallant dead the rites
Of decent burial. Regarding this as a
fitting opportunity, it is respectfully
and earnestly suggested that Congress
adopt some measure for the preserva-
tion of the remains at Shiloh-that a
cemetery be established, and graves
properly marked; also, that the church
at Shiloh be rebuilt as a national me-
mortal.