The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-04-28
" We're Whipped"

Nelson was never debonnair on duty.
The scene at the landing (which has new
er been adequately described, and per-
hnps never will beg , was we'll fitted to
excite the scorn and Indignation of such
combative nature as his; yet. it may
we'll be doubted whether, if he were
alive to day, he would not wish to ex-
punge from his official report the harsh
sentiment that he finally asked ''permis-
sion to open fire upon the knaves."
''Get out OF the way, You ID cow
arts!" he exclaimed, furiously, as the
frantic throng pressed toward u boat
whence one of his favorite regiments was
debarking. Get out of the way! If
you won't fight yourselves. let these men
off that will! Men, follow me!'
Il shall never forget" says DR.. Brad
ford again, ''the forming line of the bluff
of Pittsburg Landing. doubt whether
on any other battlefield of the war any
set of men ever formed under just such
circumstances. Most of our batteries
gone, a thousand wagons gone, nearly
all our tents gone; our entire force
seemingly driven into twelve or fifteen
acres of ground; the enemy pressing ON
with batteries and musketry in front
and a cross-fire of cannon from above,
and ten thousand panic-stricken men out
of the fight crying: We are whipped !
The battle is lost ITS no use to
form = They're driving us into the
river 7 etc. In this terrible extremity
the command fell quickly and orderly
into line, and at the word moved gal
lantly forward. I could not resist the
temptation of riding my iron-gray close
up to the lines and crying out, Bully for
the Sixth Ohio ="
Gas we landed" wrote Colonel Grose,
pardonable enthusiasm to his wife, i'm
mediately after the battle, there were
at least $4,000 of Grants panic-stricken
troops who had thrown away their arms
and were pressing to get on board the
boats, and as my regiment marched up
the hill we would hear the towards say
to the men, You will get it, You will
come backr You will seer and many
other such expressions; yet our men
went bravely mp and formed in line of
battle, General Buell. and Nelson both
with me. While forming the heavy fire
of the enemy WAS passing thick and fast
around us. Poor White was struck 10y II
canister shot and both his legs were torn
off, and about the same time staff
officer ten feet in front of the line, on
horse, between General Nelson and
myself. had his head shot
off by cannon ball, and fell.
CHASTITY sight before my regiment, at
seeing which a few of our men nearest
the scene fell back few steps, but as
soon as l commanded them to dress up
the line, they did so promptly, and
obeyed the command to forward,
march, in line of battle. We moved off
about one hundred yards to support one
of our retreating batteries, and there we
opened up a severe fire on the approach
ing enemy, which, think, was the first
evidence the rebels had that the advance
of Buells army was arriving. The fire
of our regiment checked the enemy for
the night, and, Us everybody says, turned
the tide of battle and saved Grants
army"
Every survivor of the Tenth Brigade
will recall how the shocking death Of
General Grants aid, as mentioned by
Colonel Grose, was talked about for
weeks afterward, and the more be-
cause the same, or near
ly simultaneous discharge, shot
away the saddle from under Lieutenant
Graves, a volunteer aid of Gen. Nelson,
and then went plunging over the bluff,
producing the widest CONSERVATION
among the fugitive thousands herded
there. 1t cannot but strike one as sim
gular, therefore, to know how completely
this CHASTITY incident was ignored ny the
contemporancous account of Shiloh.
Byron's famous satire on military glory
defined it being killed in battle and hav-
ing ones Eame misspelled in the official
gazette But what shall we say of the
case where brave man met most tragic
of deaths, and his name-nay, even his
fate-was not so much rs limited?