The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-05-17
Ills FIRST BATTLE.
An Indiana Boys Experience in the
Second Days Fight at Shiloh.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:


many of which to very interesting, and,
as ali the articles Shiloh seem to relate to the
description of what saw there as a participant in
the movements of McCook'S diyision-the Second
division of Buell. armyIInight prove acceptable.
The morning of the 9Th of April, 1862 found that
division about twenty miles from Savannah
somewhat leisurely march from Columbia. Tenn,
to join Grants army on the Tennessee River. The
divisions of Nelson and Crittenden, with their
trains We're ahead of US, and, if all were like my
self, we had but very confused idea of the situa
ton at the river, and no one far as know, of
the rank and hie supposed o battle would be
fought until the two armies, having effected
the exception of three battalions and one battery
of Regulars, was composed of volunteers-allg good
material. but without experience In battle, except
the Thirty second Indiana, which had once been
under fire. 1t was lovely spring morning. and I
we had made our first halt to rest, when a dull
roar was heard III the southwest, creating little
ripple of excitement. which was promptly drenehed
with dash of cold water by those knowing /
common to every army) who seem to have |
been born with a acknowledge of everything
:" Only the gunboats Smelling tho river bank,
Grant pushing reconnaissance toward Corinth,''
explained these wiSeacreS to their comrades, and
the more reckless offered odds that Would go |
home without smelling burnt powder. However.
and that indefinable feeling which seems to pre-
cede great battles began to pervade us-a feeling /
at that time new to us that we did not recognize
it.
scENTING THE BATTLE
1t manifested itself in disposition to crowd |
ahead and hurry and had to be frequently checked
of which regiment 1 marched) led Colonel Kinks |
brigade that day. About 10 o'clock an orderly gal
1oped back, reported something to Colonel Kirk, |
and then pushed on toward the rear. After this we
mended pace, and began to pass the trains of |
everineresinr sound Of battle oeeasonaliv vH
was able to pick up piece of news as it was COM
muneated to the brigadiers, and was astonshed to
learn that the rebels were driving our men. This
was entirely contrary to my preconceived ideas |
of what battles were like. / also overheard n |
discussion between Colonel Bass of our regiment |
Il 20 W Wi frlrf reah
divisions which they thought could throw
in the next day, we should be able to rout the
enemy. In my Inexperience it seemed to me that
four fresh divisions would be enough to conquer
the whole Confederacy! At sunset we were near
ing Savannah, and the noise of the days battle had
eliminated III grand crash, in which the burden
was borne by a steady roll of musketry, accented
by the bass of the gunboats and accompanied by the
harmony OF field artillery, which died away as the
sun went down, and heavy bank of thunder
clouds doomed up. 1t after dark when we
reached Savannah, and halted frequently in the
streets Every house was filed with wounded and
ambulanees and stretchers were going in all direc
tons. We were very tired, but much excited by
taking part in the battle ourselves the coming day.
There had been no Struggling, and the wiseaeres
We're quiet now. The bands tried occasionally to
enliven us, but the notes of Yankee Doodle
Dixie and :" The Girl / Left Behind Me-
seemed little out of place, now that the wound
ed were grooming all about US. Suddenly we
found ourselves on the top OF the bluff at the
river. and below us. in the glare of huge fres we
saw swarm of steamers arriving with wounded
and departing with troops, bells Changing whistles
sounding, red and green lights fitting here and
there, stretcher-bearers bringing the. wounded
ashore, troops crowding on board, steamboat mates
swearing, and amid all the confusion the en-
barkation going steadily and the boats leaving
as E.ss as io'sIe we soon touhu ourselves ABOARD
the Fanny Built" steaming up the dark river.
Then the rain began to fall, and the stood or
lay silently in their places. Every few minutes
we met some steamer coming down. her lights
piercing the darkness, her furnaces glowing, and
her whistles sounding n hoarse cry of recognition
as we passed by Every ten or fifteen minutes the
he ted nv he
fash of heavy gun and when its thunders had
died away the silence of the night would be broken
only by the coughing OF the steamers pipes and
the patter of the rain.
SCENES AT PIrTsBURG LANDING
Pttsburg Landing, upon arrival, presented q
picture similar to that st Savannah, except that in
| their iron messages over into the woods in the
/ direction OF the enemy. 1t was scene calculated
| to make profound impression imaginative
| boy but lately loosed from his mothers apron
! strings. We tied up until daylight, and as
the dawn began to break through the rain the coll
! onel sprlng ashore, and in single file we followed
/ him through the mass of straas,Iers and wounded
mules wagons and every conceivable thing that
could have drifted or been driven to that vortex
and natural focus of all the impedimenta of the
army-the landing. Up the narrow road to the top
of the bluff and past the two log shanties went
/ wondering where the town was and, coming into
| line halted to draw and dispatch our rations of
ham and hard-taclo from the piles of supplies about
US. During this short halt found the Forty fourth
! Indiana, which, with my own regiment, was from
old Fort Wayne and in which had many friends
They had been in the thickest of the fight the pre-
yiouS day, and looked curiouSy Mt those fellows
whom but few months before had known
raw country boys, but now by some mystery, Were
transformed into veteran soldiers bearing traces of
the greatest battle that up to that time had been
! fought on the continent. They looked to me like
heroes,-those that were left,-but had to confess
to myself that they were very dirty heroes. Tramp
| ing through the rain and mud and the biting of
| cartridges had not improved their appearance
The old surgeon of the Forty fourth, who used to
prescribe qiinine, castor oil. &c, for at home,
and had been at once my juvenile terror and adj
miration, came up spattered with blood and very
untidy in other respects, and after shaking hands,
gave short but graphic description of what
devils those rebels were to fight ending with
| exhortation TO me not to show the white feather
an inputation my untred courage which inn
medately attributed to the fact that / had yelled
most diaboically years before when he undertook
to pull tooth for
Ever since daylight there had been rafting fire
ut the front, and soon our bugles sounded and the
brigade filed out along winding road through the
wood III the direction of the firing, leaving KNAPP
| sacks behind. Every seemed to be under
| strain. Orders were sharply and brusquely given,
and the men inclined to be silent suappish.
Presently in nludhole along the road, the white
face turned up to the dripping boughS above, we
saw the corpse of a soldier Killed in battle-the
| first that the most of us had ever looked upon.
shall forget the shock it gave me. The firing
now increased in volume. We could tents
through the trees, and now got the order: Halt!
Load at wiil!h
FIX BAYoSETs!
Then came the command: Fix bayonetsi" fol-
lowed by noise like the dumping of CARLOAD of
shaken out, but dropped rather despondingly
about the stalls. Forward again went, closer
to the firing, but the woods thick that but
little could be seen a force moving across our
front in line of battle seemed to ME to be going
somewhere without any definite object. My ideas
of the appearance of a battle were evidently all
wrong. began to fear there would not be much
to see except little battalion drill. were
put in line, without facing anything in par
tieular that could see; then placed in double
column, and then halted If waiting for
something L Thought we were fooing away
time 1t my impression that ought to
rush right IN headlong and defeat somebody "
without much ceremony. But 1t was evident that
some doing some fighting, for the mus
kerry firing was incessant, though unseen. We be-
gan to feel little lonely off there in the woods A
cannon-ball came over and struck away above us
i'll tree-top, and n civilian who had been with us
all the morning mounted his horse and struck
too-for the landing. Then we felt more deserted
than ever. Rousseau's brigade went into line and
we supported them, still in column. They began
rather dull affair to as when suddenly the firing
on our left swelled TO of misketry, mingled
with the rapid discharge of artillery, and the first
rebel charging yell we had ever heard rang out
above the din of battle. The sound seemed to
swing toward the rear, though the troops on
our left We're losing ground before this sudden
attack. The woods were soon thronged with am
balances, stragglers, cassons, &c, coming from
the left and section of howitzers, trottng calmly
in the midst of the crowd stopped near brigade.
] had read vivid descriptions of Bull Run and
thought was about to see them realized, but this
proved to be a small matter, men must have
rallied and driven the enemy back, Judging from
the sounds which now seemed to drift the other
way. Presently Rousseau advanced in line and