The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-05
"M Quad's" Nonsense About Shiloh.
the EDIroR NATIovaI. frpTprryr

10 the EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
have recently seen several copies OF the Detroit
Free Press in which - NJ Quad y fwhoever he may
be- in series OF sketches under the title OF Fort
Field, and Fleet, has been attemptingto enligIten
the country concerning the great battles OF the civil
war, and the merits and dement's OF our military
commanders. Ia his article the battle of Shiloh
there Is exhibited an uInistalabie spirit of hostility
10 General Grant, whose part III the great conflict
IL the evident purpose of this writer 10 diseredit
and beittle. lie does not squarely state, but
strongly insinuates the old and oft-repeated story
OF Grants drunkenness on the way up from SavaIi-
nah, and his consequent unlifness for command on
the first day OF the battle. General Grant needs no
yindlcation from me any one else. His we'll
earned fame coGldnot be dmmed by an army ofsuch
writers rs Nj Quad" And yet a certain ass,Iil3u-
tlon OF superior knowledge the part Of this cor
respondent-a certain air OF authorIy--las caused
bis contributions 20 be copied into various journals
But without attempting or desiring to measure
arms with such n military critic as - NJ Quad ;,
think continuous residence Of thirteen years in
tins section OF country has qualified me to express
a positive opinion as to the truth of some of his
statements and alleged personal observations
Speaking Is if from personal observation of the
present appearance of the Shiloh battlefield, he
says that while riding recently over the field he
saw q negro piowlng IN field on McGlernGndis
right, where there were piles and rows of battle
relics ia the form Of cannon balls rusty bayonefs
old seabbards dc, and that the pIow turned up the
bones and scull of soldier have not the article
before me at this moment but his statement was
substantially as quoted.
Now, II Is certainly strange that we, who were
on the battlefield during the whole of the past
son have no knowledge of the visit of this great
military critic and historian. The only gentle
Elen from the North who had visited the national
cemetery and battlefield up to the time of the APP
peagance OF " NJ Quad'sn article on Shiloh were
| Comrades @. A. Kuhl, of Pexin, ILL.,, and w. 81.
Baxter, OF fredericksburg, Ohio. The visit OF both
! these gentlemen will be long and pleasantly
remembered. Superintendent s. S. DooIittle and
myself found ii very pleasant service to accom-
pny both these brethren every point of interest
with which we were familiar, and several worthy
citizens-two of them ex-Confederate soldiers-
checrfnlly aided Comrade Baxter in his researches
while one presented Comrade Kuhl with yalua-
bic war relic in the shape of a sword, Conrade
kuli was with us April 9th, the twenty-first
anniversary of the first days bloody conflict Com
rade Baxter came few days later, but no one
with WHOM have conversed has the slightest rec
objection of any such visitor and explorer as NJ
Quad," and they all distinctly deny that any negro
was blowing either as renter or hired hand on the
part of the battlefield designated by NJ Quad - or
any other part of The battlefield proper which con-
teins area Of little more than three miles
square.
| Being familiar with the ground and acquainted
with almost every family, ann prepared to cor
roborEte their testimony. In moro recent article
tie siege Of Corinth. he declares that There is
not to-day single mile Of the ground between