The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-04-08
SHILOH.
WHITELAW REID DISPUTES BHER'
HANS BrATEHEATs.
IheTFuth OF aisroEy Net TO be sAeFiaesd
10 the Generals HILLARY PiQuS-
Reds Account Of .Ihs Rattle
at PtttSbuFEh Landing
Substantially TEue.

EEW YoRk, April s.-Ths Tribune says
Yesterdays dispatches represent Genera
Sherman as saying at the Army OF the
Tennessee meeting, in Cincinnati, in
the course Of an effort to correct the pop
ular judgment about Pittsburgh Landing,
that Mr., WhitelaW Rsld's account OF that
battle was utterly untrustworthy, having
been written at Cairo and not on the field
at all.
Il seems incredible that this report can
be just TO General Sherman, for he knew
better. More than once OF late years, In
friendly conversation, General Sherman
has himself appealed to Mr. Reid, as an
eye witness Of that battle, for his recollec-
ton as to particular points. Mr., Reid
went up the Tennessee river with Generals
Rawlins aud Htllyer, Of Gen, Grants stat,
was oil over the encampment at Pittsburgh
Landing and Crump'6 Landing long be.
fore the battle, and was more than once q
guest :ot Lieut.. Col. Kyls's regiment, Of
General Sherman's own command, The
day before the battle he was seriously III
and confined to his bed at Gen. Lewis
WAllaces headquarters, at Crump's Land.
ing. There General Grant came In the
evening, and said that II an at.
tack were made OF oil by the enemy, OF
which he was not sure, 1t would probably
be made on the Orump's landing front
Next morning Mr., Reid was wAked by the
firing At Pittsburgh landing, seven milss
above. Rising from bis sick bed be made
the best Of his way thlther, arriving later
than he wished, but % early as the General
commanding. He was then on the field
throughout the disastrous day. He slept on
the blutfunder BeAuFegard'sshells through
the night he witnessed the successful
advance the next day, and that night
slept with Colonel Heuasr and others Of
General Lew WAllace's staff, In one oil the
tents 10 the right Of Shilo Church, from
which General Sherman had been driven
the morning Of the day before. He wrote
bis account OF the battle partly on the
field, partly on the hospital boat, going
down the river, and partly on the cars
between Cairo and Cincinnati.
These are facts oil perfectly known 10
scores Of eye.witnesses, and Of some oi
them II is impossible that General Sher.
man should be ignorant. We prefer,
therefore, TO believe that the dispatches
have grossly misrepresented the Generals
remarks at Cincinnati. II not, he spoke
hastily and without thought, and we shall
confidently expect from him that prompt
and public correction which, as q gentle.
man and soldier, he owes.
The general question as TO whether the
Army Of the Tennessee was surprised at
the beginning Of this battle 10 eighteen
years old, Naturally that army takes one
view Of II, and the army which the next
day came 10 its rescue takes another. Mr..
Reid, as an eye witness, had the opinion
generally held by the Army OF the Gum.
berland. He has never made any boasts
about bis story Of the battle, which, IL Is
now complained, has become the accepted
account, and he has no doubt that II must
contain minor errors. He haR not even
seen II In twelve years, but he
knows II was on honest effort
made Of the moment 10 Tell oil
that one man could see OF the
battle, or learn In the twenty.four hours
following Il, and In view oil the temper
with which II Is assailed BY Q small clique,
he may be pafdonsd for insisting on
the points In dispute. The trouble with
1t 10 1t contains mot too little but loo much
truth.