The National tribune., 1882-10-12

much credit on his early Sunday train
ing. One day, when riding along the pike be-
tween Spring Hill and Columbia Nelson hap
pened to meet a courier just through from
Grant to Buell. and from him learned that the
former had established his army on the south
S'de of the Tennessee, and that, too, within
striking distance of large force of the enemy.
LIKE THUNDER FROM A CLEAR SKY.
To Nelson, that piece of news was q revea-
ton as astounding as a clap of thunder out of
a clear sky. He rushed back to BuelHS head
quarters, declaring if we did not at once cross
Duck River and go right on to Pittsburg Land
ing, that Grant would be whipped for want of
assistance. Buell. did not think that the dan
ger was so great as Nelson represented it to be,
yet he did not seem displeased at the idea of
our crossing Duck River and taking the adj
vance. He at once sent telegram to HalleclI
at St. Louis, 10 know if Grant had really posted
his army on the further side of broad, deep
river, and that, too, almost, under the guns of
q concentrating foe. Halleck did not inform
him to the contrary.
Meanwhile the stream had fallen somewhat,
and Gen. Ammen took soundings and reported
pretty good ford. So we all stripped off and
were soon across. 1t is true that we did not
look very aesthetic in orr shTt-taiis. Not rs we
did on dress-parade in the presence of our
wives and sWeethcarts. We did not care very
much Once across Duck River, Nelson took
his way like a whirlwind toward the South.
Ninety five miles of miserable dirt-road
stretched on ahead between US and Pittsburg
Landfng-much of it through the most barren
lands of Tennessee. The country was so poor
that we had to take our forage along with rs.
Strong details were made out from the infantry
regiments to drag the wagons and artillery
through the creeks and swamps. Soon Halleck
teegraphed to Buell. to concentrate his troops
at WaynesborO, thirty miles from Pittshurg
tel pnnlI
across the wires Nelson had passed, like streak
of lightning, through WaynesborO, and that
very night went into camp at Savannah. [
mention these things to show our rapid prog
ress, for ! verify believe that the march Of our
division from Duck River to Pittsburg Land
ing was far greater feat. and accomplished
more for the Union cause, than Sherman's
march to the sea
The day before we reached Savannah we
met the telegraph corps putting up the wires,
and received dispatch from Grant telling us
not to hurry, as he could not cross us over the
river to Pittsburg Landing until the following
Tuesday. Had we taken Grant at his word
and began to lOitcr on the road, that Tuesday
would have either seen the Army of the Ten
nessee totally destroyed or prisoners of war III
the camp of the enemy.
BUELL. AND NELSON
The value of the aid that Buell. gave to
Grant at Shiloh cannot be OvereStimated, and
1t is not for any penny-a-lincr who essays 10
write history ~ in the interest of any man or
set Of men TO rob him of his Just due, or to
cast the slightest imputation upon the brave
men he led to that field.
When any person takes up his pen and says
that "t the results of the battle of Shiloh would
have been different had Buells troops come on
10 the field in the way they should have DONE"
he is guilty of the most lying and unjust
insinuatiOns ever placed upon paper.
Nelson's lips have long since been sealed in
the eternal silence of the grave, yet there are
thousands still living who can bear witness to
that rapid march through the almost impassa-
bic swamps and tangled jungles of the Tennes-
see bottoms to relieve our comrades in that
hour of almost irrctrievable disaster.
Buell. was a great soldier. In the council
and on the field he was never found wanting.
The task assigned to him was too great for the
means placed at his disposal. His lot was cast
in 4 day when an impatient public and clamor-
Gus press demanded results which we now know
could not be obtained. He laid wide and deep
the foundation for all the subsequent fame of
end usefulness of the Army of the Cumber-
land. He took the raw material and formed
it into "A weapon of power and efficiency.
He found cur army rude, unskilled, dis
iointcd militia mob. He left it the best
drilled, the best disciplined, the most trust
worthy OF all the great armies which for the
the Republic.
1t is not for me to say where Nelson's place
should be in the history of the war. Prior TO
entering the volunteer service il 1861, he had
been an officer Of the United States Navy for
more than score of years and had always
been recognized as a man of undOubted cour-
age, ability and attainments.
Throughout his whole career, by land and
sea, no one ever knew him to faltor or to finch
i'll the discharge of his duty.
He was the man to save his native State from
the vortex of rebellion to which she was
rapidly drifting, and thus not only saved her
10000 men for the side of the Union, but also
transferred the seat of war from the immedi-
ate border Of the free States.
Generous toward all, ever careful of the in
terests of his command, he never evaded
task assigned to him, and from the first to the
last was an open, bitter, Uncompromsing
enemy to all kinds of treason!
He infused into his troops a large share Of
his own heroic and unconquerable spirit, and
had he lived through the stormy period in
which his life was quenched, would have
doubtless, ranked as one Of the most distin-
guished characters of our times.