The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-06-12

manity owe the lives of the greater part of
the men who were with me at that time.
In the action of the 9TH, the next day, Colo
mel Whitfield was severely wounded and taken
to his fathers house, near Corinth, and not
withstanding his wounds he had his father
come to Corinth through the mud and rain,
look me up, and offer me the Inequalities of his
home. This L declined on the ground that
could not leave the boys who had stood by me
SO bravely during the fight, as long as there
was any chance of my being OF any service to
them.
l had neither seen nor heard of Colonel Whit
field since that time till the 9th inst, when |
met some of his neighbors on the field of Shiloh,
which resulted in the above letter.
In closing this letter, l will say that sur
rendered my command; that no private
officer offered TO yield till gave the signal, and
that during the three years 1 commanded the
18th Iowa never gave an order that was not
promptly obcycd. There is not q single act of
the regiment that / cannot think of with pride,
whether it be in the many well-fought battles
III which they were engaged or in camp or on
the march-always doing honor TO themselves
and their country. But 10 no act do look
back with more just pride than that after strug-
Cling for nearly half mile over broken and
| heavily timbered ground against greatly supe-
rior numbers, was able when necessity COM
| PEELED it, to surrender with well closed ranks
and line well dressed. Ny regiment at the
time of capture was reduced to 236 officers and
enlisted men.
| John w. Harkins, company /, SD Ohio,
writing from Fullerton, Neb takes up the
cudgels in defense of his regiment:
| In reply to j. w. Beach, of 18th Illinois,
| have to say that the SD Ohio was far in adj
vance of Hildebrand's brigade, lying in front
| of the ravne and spring called the Shiloh
I - ip4 oil Wit WORT
i on either flank and when called in line by Colo
| mel Appler the rebels had a cross FIRE from the
| timber on us from either SIDE When General
| Sherman and staff came up to where we were
| in line of battle, there was only few stray
shots from the timber by their skirmisher5,
and one Of the generals orderlies was shot at
that time Then Colonel Appler gave the COM
mand to about face and right obiique and
marched Us TO the timber, forming line 'front.'
ing their skirmishers, where we took our posi-
ton. To our left and few rods to our rear
there was a Zouave regiment. do not know
what regiment it was. Up 70 this time the SD
Ohio had not shown any signs of stampede or
of fear-nether officers nor men, We had the
utmost confidence in Colonel Appler, but had
not long TO wait to test the mettle of our colo
mel and other officers. Scarcely had we formed
in line when the Zouave regiment and the SD
Ohio opened fire on the advancing line, which
was coming through the timber directly in our
front. After the first volley our colonel order
ed US te fall back This was Just where ne
made his mistake, for We were not compelled
to do so, and in falling back the men became
confused and it was with difficulty that they
were rallied again, and il is true, some never
did rally until they reached the river. How
ever, we were again formed on the elevation
across the ravine, IL line with the rest of Hill
debrand's brigade TO the left OF Shiloh Church.
But on they came, almost before order was re-
fi,e.TT i1fo aFad
at that time, the colonel claimed, his men
became unmauageable. Il was said that Colo
mel Appler told mis- men to look out for them
selves" | cannot say what his orders were,
only he departed for the landing and, as a
natural consequence, having good excuse,
there was plenty 10 follow his example. at
the last encounter Lieutenant Laslie, of COM
pany H. SD Ohio, was wounded, and lay there
all through the fight, where he was found and
taken care of after the battle was over.
Comrade Beach says: Colonel Appler put
spurs TO his horse and made charge for Pitts
burg Landing" He is in error; for Colonel
AppIer never had horse in the army No
man in the army ever saw him ride horse
while in the service. lie says: We then
changed front [meaning the 18th illinois, and
Tapped the sd Ohio, which supported Water
houses battery" Here he is wrong; for the
sd Ohio did not support any battery until late
in the evening almost shutdown. That was
part OF WAREHOUSES;, but 1t was two or three
miles from the place which COmrade Beach
refers to; and what the SD Ohio did there
think Warehouses; men can vOueh for From
my own personal knowledge some OF our meT
helped to pull of their guns by hand. Theil
position was very trying one, as the shell
grape and canister was killing their men and
horses very rapidly. Our position at that time
was such that we could not have fired into
them unless we had about-faeed to do it. And
when Mr.. Beach says we poured volley into
the battery he is mistaken again. There wa:
no battery near us; but there was a battery
further to our right, toward the Shiloh Church
, and if it got volley of musketry from any
regiment it was from the 18th Illinois; it could
not have been fired by the SD Ohio. Hide
brands brigade was not the only command
that had stragglers which fled TO the river. i
that was so, General HiIdebrand had a large
: command. Ii is true that there were some OF
I the SD Ohio that never took part IN the battle
after the first stampede, but there We're other:
,, who did good fighting through the entire bat
tie and are entitled TO as much credit as any
! troops and more under the circumstances il
which they served. And Mr.. Beach cannot poin
TO any place where the SD Ohio did not do il
duty whenever called on under the discipline
Of our last colonel w. S. Jones, for there wa:
no better nor Drawer officer in the late war
and he was always ready with the SD Ohio Il
more than redeem for it what it lost under
Colonel Appler I would like TO hear from
, some of the SD Ohio; there are some VIII,
! certainly can give better description of tht
j battle of Shiloh and other battles than | can
Speak out old comrades Don't shirk your duty
1t viii do no harm nor offend any one