New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-08
MLSREPORTED OK ~ ERROR.

Yesterdays dispatches represented General Sher-
man as saving at the Army OF the tennessee
meeting ~ Cincinnati. in the course oil an
ell ,rt 10 correct the popular Judgment about
Prt,sburg Landing. that Mr.. Whiteiaw Reds so-
count of that battle utterly untrustwortby'
having been written hundreds of miles away, at
Cairo, apd not on the field at all.
II seems incredible that this report can be just
20 General Sherman for he kuew better More than
once OF late years ia friendly conversation General
sherman has himself appealed to Mr.. Reid as
an eyewitness of that battle. for bis
recollection a. To particular points. Mr.. Reid was
al over tho encampmeuts AT Pittsbnrg Land"g ana
Crumpis Landing long before the battle. and was
more than once a guest IN Lieutenant Colonel kylcs
regiment Of General Shcrman's own command The
day before the battle he seriously ILL., and con-
fined 10 his bed at General Lewis WaIlace's
headouarter, at Cramps Landing. There Gonsral
Grant came. in the evening. and SAID that II
An attack were made at all by the enemy. of which
he was not SURE II would probably be made on the
Crumbs Landing front The next morning Mr. Reid
was walked By the firing at Pttsburg Land
ing several miles above. Rising from MS
sick bed he made the best of his way thther. arry
ing later than he wished but still as early as the
General commanding lie then on the field
throughout the disastrous day: he slept on the
blnh under BrauregIrd's shells. through tho
night he Witnessed tho successful advance the
next day, and that night Steps with Colonel knenar
and others Of General Lew. Wallaco's stan. IN
one OF tho tents 10 the right Of Shiloh
Church. from which General Shermans men
had been driven the morning Of the day before.
He wrote his account OF the battle partly on she
field. partly on the hospital boat going down the
riyrr. aud partly on the cars between Cairo and
Cincinnati.
these are facts oil perfectly known to scores of
eve witnesses and OF Of them 1t is impossible
that General Sherman shonld b. ignorant. We pre-
fer. therefore. to believe that the dispatches
have grossly misreprcsentcd the Generals remarks
AZ Cincinnati If not. b. spoke hastily aud without
Thought; aud we shall confidently expect from him
that prompt aud public correction which a gehue-
man and = soldier owes
The general question as 10 whether the Army OF
tho tennessee was surprised at the beginning
Of tina battle is eighteen years DID, and has
been hotly DISPUTED. Naturally that Army takes
one view Of IT, aud the Army winch the next
day. came TO il, rescue. takes another Mr. Reid.
a. M eve witness, had the opinion generally
held 10y the Army of he Cumberland. He has never
made any boasts about his story OF the battle, which,
II lsnow complained. has become the accepted ac-
count. ami be has no doubt that IL must contain
MINOR errors lie has not seen
II for twelve years. But he knows that it
was an honest effort, made at the moment. To tell
all that one man could see Of the battle
or learn IN the twenty-fonr hours following
II. and IN view of the temper with which # Is
assailed by small clique he may be pardoned for
inspecting that on the points in dispute the
trouble with il is that 1t contains not too little
bat too much truth.