The National tribune., 1883-05-10
TIE STORY OF SHILOH
Concerning the skalkers--The Question
of Surprise The Line of Battle.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

TO the Editor NATIONAL tribune:
have no fight to make, a gainss Generals Buell.
or Nelson. was glad when / learned that the
head of Nelson's division had come opposite Pitts
burg Landing. and ana glad to-day to award them
q measure of praise Tor gallant fighting on Monday
in the battle of Shilohi would not if could take
particle of Iustre from the bright escutcheon of
Buelps army or Lew Walaces division but l rise
in my place, as one who fought and bled on the
very ground where Albert Sidney Johnston gave up
his life, to say that there were not twenty thousand
skulkers nor more than ona-fourth of that number
from the Army OF the Tennessee Sunday at
Pittsburg Landing. About haf-pa eleven o'clock
on that memorable morning of the 9th of April
1862, was wounded for the third time in my place
at the head of my company, twenty yards west of
the Corinth road, across which our brigade formed
IN line of battle when we went to the support of
Sherman. / was carried to our fegimenta head
quarters, mile or two to the northwest thence to
Pittsburg Landing which reached about half-past
one o'clock in the afternoon 1 was as indignant
at the skuIllers General Buell. or General Nelson
but there river banks for skulESers to hide
under. The strip of land between the river and
the bluffs not more than one hundred feet
wide, and half a mile south from the mouth of
Smoke Creek it cut up and filled with bayous
On this narrow strip of land there were more than
one hundred army wagons and teams, which had
been brought there by panic-strcken drivers There
were also perhaps five hundred of these teansters
and as many soldiers who We're slightly wounded
and whom the medical authorities had kept off the
boats because there were so many others who We're
more in need of attention. There were also doubt
less five hundred deck hands who in the excitement
of the hour were on shore mingling with the crowd
but only from two thousand to four thousand
s>ulkers. am satisfied that if any impartial man
viii examine the ground he will be convinced that
after deducting the space necessary for ammunition
wagons and ambulances to move in room for five
or six thousand men could not be found in the en-
tire bottom. | am equally well satisfied, too that
every one of these skulkers will testify that the
Army of the Tennessee was completely surprised;
that they were yet in bed when the rebel army
came down upon the encampment of Sherman and
Prentss; that these generals did not have time to
form in line of battle and that regiments and brig
AIDES en- deshubiue swept away like dust before
II tpmDpSt n wind. But facts will va
these statements. Colonel Quinn, of the Twelfth
Michigan, says that at B o'clock Sunday morning
the 9th of April several companies ordered
out, and he adds Our brave boys marched out
and had not over three miles to go before they met
the enemy The first thing to which wish here
to call attention is that the rebel advance to say
nothing of the main army, did moi lie their arms
Saturday night within mile of Sherman's and
Prentiss' lines, The only way that Grant could
have determined whether not the whole rebel
army was in his front would have been by making
a reconnaissance in force That would have drawn
his army from its strong defensive position: In
case he had done this the howl would have been
much greater than If now is. 1t would have taken
the companies that were advanced in the night two
hours to go three miles, and as much time would
have been consumed in driving them back upon
the main line. That would bring us up to o'clock
on Sunday morning, when the rebel skirmish-
ers would have appeared in Sherman's and Prem
tlss 'front.'. Their main line would not have come
down for at least half an hour later Therefore
when Sherman and Prentiss testify that their di-
visions Were in line OF battle in front of their camps
they are sustained by both circumstantial and
positive evidence. McClernand and Hurlbut both
testify that they received word early in the morn
ing from Sherman that he was attacked in front at
which time he asked AfcClernand for cavalry
What was this for? Doubtless to feel the strength
of the enemys force in front. Colonel Davis of
the Forty-sixth Illinois, says that about 7:30 a.
the 9th of April he heard volIeys of musketry
and warned his men to hold themselves in readiness
to march at once" Colonel Cruft of the Thirty
first Indiana, says: " On Sunday morning the 9th
inst, about hall past seven rapid discharges of mus
kerry from camps in front, indicated the commence
ment of the battle" Every acquainted with
army regulations must know that soldiers are not
in bed at that time of day. These facts prove that
Grants army was as well prepared for the
slaught of the enemy as it could have been with
out rifie-pits and field-workS. The fact that the
Army of the Tennessee had so effectively checked
the rebel army before Buell. Lew Wallace had
come within supporting distance, and that it had
fallen back to HuFlbut's and W. III. L. Wallace's
camps mile and a half away from Pittsburg Land
ing and there awaited the attack of the rebel army
on Monday morning, will forever convince the I'M
prejudieed that Grant and his army was in no
danger of being captured or driven into the Ten
neSsee. T. j. BRYANT.
Captain company D. 18th I'll. vols. I'd brig 4th div
La PRAIRIE, Ill.