The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-05-22

Colonel Shaw and Colonel Wood say they never
received orders to fail back
CAPTURE OF TIRE 18TH AND 14rH IOWA.
After gallant fight these regiments wsrs
captured with Prentiss. After We got through
the snemy's line we were joined by Cola
mel Croker, with the 18th Iowa, and made
a stand. We now heard heavy firing In
the direction of the 18th and 18th Iowa
aud ! determined to make charge to res
cue them, but had not advanced one hun
dred yards when the firing ceased Supposins
they had surrendered halted my column. and
directly the enemy came up with rush, but
hated, and two officers, who I Afterwards
learned were General Beauregard and Colonel
Battle, with several orderIies rode forward 20
recOnuOiter.
Meeting Col Battle some time aftarwaraa.
when he was prisoner, / asked him why hia
line did not advance? He replied that they
concluded that Bueiis troops bad arrived, and
they did not care to attack fresh troops with
their wOrn-Oat men.
Presently they rode back and threw out
skirmish-iine. l had about I,5O0 men and
threw them all out as slSirmishers and drove
theirs back. While holding them there 7
sent an officer to General Grant 10 say that
had formed line across the road and would
hold them as long as possible.
Coi0nel BawIInS then came up with General
! Grants order to hold nay position This vas
the first time had seen any OF his staff officers
during the day, and he brought ne my irsa
order from headquarters / soon Afterwards
fell back, by order, into the line formed Ia sup
port Of Websters batteries near the turn in the
road, and the enemy came on confidently and
rapidly until they were met by a tremendous
discharge of grape and eanister-shOt, that tors
/ through their ranks, creating fearful havoc. Va
/ had but little infantry fighting The artillery
/ a 0rpra Thorn hsaE d aasT al. ~.
cannonading from the gunb0ats stopped their
/ advance; but the gunners 0H the boats could see
nobody and did little execution
The enemy did not care to acknowledge thaa
| they had been checked by the same troops they
/ had been fighting al day. and attributed II to
the gunboats; but the fact is, that The cannon
/ aiding that swept them back was the batteries
on land The gunboata contributed to swell
the noise.
Early on the following morning, Captain
Diekey started ont 10 search for the body OF Cen
| eral Wallace 1t was found where il had been
left by the side Of the road. The general was
/ still alive. The rain had beaten upon him dur
/ ing the entire night But he was unconscious.
/ They bore him tendeTly to the boat where his
wife, soon to be soldiers widow, vainly strovs
70 receive sign of recognition.
Next day was on the ground held by my
/ brigade during six hours on Sunday, and iound
it literally covered with dead. When visited
/ the battle-ground last month ! asked a Con-
/ federate officer, who belonged 70 Gibson's bri-
| gade OF Braggs corps, 70 point out what they
| called the Hornets Nest. Without moments
/ hesitation he led me up To the position i haya
described as held by my brigade, and said "I
ought TO know, for was in three charges across
that field, and we were driven back each time
| with terrible slaughter"
ECHOES FROM SHILOH.
Samuel A. HOgue company G, 10th Illinois
|
l for one, was not surprised:
I belonged to company g. Captain Scots)
4Oth Illinois v. l., Colonel Hicks} 1ss brigade.
Sherman's division the brigade commanded BY
Colonel Mcdowell, 9Th Iowa The 10th Hi
nois was the left wing Of McDoweiPs brigade,
| which was the extreme right Of the army 80
Shiloh, the right wing resting on Owl Greek.
So far as this brigade was concerned. there was
no surprise. Several officers climbed a larga
hickory tree in our camp on Saturday befOrs
the fight who said that they saw, with the ard
OF large telescope, large eneanpments Of rebels
on the hills and in the fields in the front Qua
some two miles; and there was one man killed
out OF company E. or T, 10Th Illinois, and
brought into the regiment at or near midnight,
Saturday night.
MeDOwell's brigade called roll Sunday morn
ing at O'Clock in line Of battle and wers
ordered TO stack arms, keep their cartridge
boxes, and get their breakfast which Z think
/ the IlOSL OF blELl Ulu D1iDfc IAo DdEtic ncEaQs
At the first firing, the 10th Illinois marched
TO the front, 250 or 80 yards, on a high poins
between Us and the creek bottom, and wera
formed IN line Of battle. This was about sun
rise or a little after, and there was quite fog
! In the hollow in 'front.' up which soldiers vera
marching. Colonel Hicks thought they wers
: our pickets, and told the boys not 20 FIRE
Neal Schneider, of company g, 10th Illinois
q One-eysd Dutchman, sauntered down sbGua
, half way TO where the men were marching,
and coming back, said: BY Gfott, boys, dem
IS rebels" So, without any orders, about half
of the regiment fred on the column IN ths
hollow. Colonel Hicks ordered them 70 stop
that those were our own boys; but It was nea
more than two minutes till the enemy broke
oGt and into the I'D Ohio's quarters wha
seemed TO be taken entirely By surprise. i
f saw q great many running with only their
shirt and drawers on. / could not csnzu-s
those soldiers for running, when they wers
driven out Of their beds with the rebels at thsiF
; heels ! think any OF Us would have done ths
!. same thing.
: We were outfanked and fell back through
the timber. which was very tbick with Undss-
brush and gTapsviRes. and cut up with ragines,
: | We fell back about half q mile and were abOu1
to get into an open field, when we saw the Tsbs
before US, which caused rs TO march 70 the lefs
until about half OF the 10th Illinois were Qua
in a small field. We frOnted into line and gave
, the rebs about SIX or eight rounds and were
? ordered 70 charge up the hillside throGgh
dense thicket Of young growth Of hazel bushes.
: When we got up to the fence where sha
| rebels were when we started, distance %
about 250 yards. the rebs had left and vera
z just about out Of the field on the other sida,
! about a quarter Of a mile distant. We hEd
! stopped and were looking at the dead rebels,
(; they being the first thai some Of the boys lad
:; ever seen, when an orderly from General
I; Sherman came with orders 70 us s0 get ous o
l. that place for the rebs were Iaassing and would
I; cut US entirely OF.
5 We moved left in front until VS. got near ths
ground where McClernand's division wa
: camped, and here / saw two guns CT Water
j houses battery having something Of q duoa
@ with six-gun battery Of the rebs. General
r Sherman sitting en- his horse close to thOss
a two guns and the rehs getting too hot for our
: guns, he ordered our brigade to charge thu
q rebel battery. We left-obiiqued until the brf-
|. gade was IN position and then took double
q quick for q half mile. When within sixty
yards of the battery, Colonel Steven g. Hicks
!. rode through the lines and halted as. Welaia
: down ana commenced TO pound the rebs. Ths
: battery ceased firing, but the brigade in suppors
of it did not, but made it lively for for thirty
: minutes. Company lost nine killed and
J thirty wounded in that time. The 10Th Illinois
I lost, in killed and wounded, 250. / received o
: serNra zrouud in my laft hin and when nv