Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-06-21
FATE AT SHILOH.
The First Days Battle at Pittsburg
Landing Grants surprise - The
Union Troops Forced Back aud Near
~ Defeated-The Death of Johns
ynn

Landing Grant'- surprise - the
Union Troops Forced Back aud Near
~ Defented-T Death of Johns
ton.
['M Quad (R bell in Detroit Free
Press (Dem.) They tell Of the gent
rs Of great generals. There Is no
genius in war. In place of it there is
grim fate. Fate permits victory or
enfurces defeat. 1t pursues one gen
eral with vindictive hate and smiles
upon another 70 his own surprise.
Mcdowell should have won the first
battle OF the war. His plans were per
feet, his force sufficient, and his troops
disposed to the best advantage. Fate
waved its hand aud his hosts were
swept away in a panic for which no
man can urge reasonable excuse.
History trsces battles only from the
ime the troops appear on the field.
History is, therefore, silent regarding
events preceding the battle of Sriloh.
Such was the disposition of armies that
one might expect collision st any
| time, and yet the oonfederates, while
showing bold front and apparently
maneuvering for positions, We're wait
ling and were by no means ready for y
conflict. Whole regiments which took
lpart in the battle when it finally oc-
Icurred were without arms up TO three
days previous. There WAS deficiency
Iof artillery, and ammunition, and
lclOthing, and the chances of battle de-
pended on fate. Blockade-runners
were on their way from England with
the desired equipments. II spared by
storm, would they escape the federal
blockaders? Fate decided. Two ships
loaded with arms entered Charleston
| by the closest shave, and with feverisb
haste and by special trains the arms
were conveyed to Johnston's men. La
three days he was ready to advance
upon Grant.
/ The greatest blunder Grant commit
ted during the War was at Shiloh. He
was to simply halt at that point unit
Buell. could join him for grand move
ment onward Instead of keeping the
broad and deep Tennessee river between
mis- army and that of Johnston unit
Buell. came up, ne crossed it over tC
the west bank. 1t was an error criti-
cised even by citizens VINO knew moth
ing of the tactics of war, but Grant was
sullen and determined, and would not
rectify it. His position was weak in 3
dozen different ways, and his presence
was challenge for superior force tC
move up and crush him. Lincoln woulc
have been justified in taking measures
for the safety OF that army, but was re
assured by dispatches from Grant tina
Johnston WAS so strung out that con
centrstion was impossible before Buell.,
arrival.
Johnston's forces were widely scat
tered, and arms were being issued thu
day that Grant crossed the river. 1t wal
blow, and Johnston was the man fol
the emergency. With celebrity seldom
exhibited in the War he called in anC
concentrated, some of his troops march
ing for twenty-six hours without halt
and thousands of men marching Rcros,
fields and through forests 80 save dis
lance and avoid the mud. Every Con
| federate soldier who could trace maj
or read II newspaper saw the situation
and the opportunity, and they movcC
| forward feeling that victory was abso
lutely certain. The safe arrival of two
blockade runners and the blunder Of q
Federal General had placed the West
in peril. Fate sat around the camr
fires of the Federals on the banks OF
the muddy riuer-in the dark forests
on the Purdy and Hamburg highways
and she fitted along the front OF John.
ston's legions as they trGmped steadily
and sturdily forward towards victory q
defeat. Neither strategy, genius, in
SEPARATION, nor desperation was TO decide
mat battle. Fate was to utter single
sentence, and her orders would be heard
and obeyed above the roar of hun.
dred cannon.
Johnston massed in three corps. AL
day Saturday his men were coming VI
and swinging into line within rifle shot
of the Federal piokets, and yet no sur
prise or apprehension was Great d. No
one had any suspicion that Johnston
was massing. Before midnight of Sat
urday, April 3, 1862. every regiment OF
Johnston's army of 10000 men was in
battle line, and only waiting for the
gray of morning to advance. Grant
had only $4,000 men on the field
Along the front Of the divisions ofPfen.
tiss and Sherman the men standing in
battle line could hear the tramp Of the
Federal relief guard as it passed around.
AS daylight broke TO light the way
through forest and across field, 10000
Confederates moved forward in one
mighty wave. Not a skirmisher was
thrown out on any front, but steady
line of battle moved forward and pick
e. up picket and sentry, and rolled in
to the Federal camps almost before q
gun had been fred.
The surprise was most complete.
Four-fitths of the Federals in these two
divisions were still asleep when the
crash of battle was first heard. The
result was a panic--a russia terror
stricken mob of half-dresscd men break
ing back for the river to carry the pan.
&c into the camps beyond. In Sher-
mans division only one brigade had
time to form battle-lne, and this was
picked up and absorbed by the wave
without halt. There was no rallyipg
men who were neither dressed nor arm
4 4 ~ A ~