The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-06-26

and is supplied (every mani with sixty rounds
of ammunition, to commence the battle to-
morrow The men are as comfortable rs the
enemy in front and the falling rain and want
of shelter viii permit, and certainly much
more cheerful and prompt and obedient than
could expect. My staff officers, my escort, and
myself are between the two lines of the 10th
brigade. The guns fired at intervals from the
gunboats break the stiffness of the night, but
do not prevent sleep. 1t is after midnight,
rain falling and am sitting at the root of
large tree, holding my horse, ready to mount if
necessary. Sleep, sweet, refreshing sleep, re-
moves all my anxieties and troubles for two
hours. During the night Crittenden's and Nc
Cooks divisions cross the river"
ECHOES PROM SHILOH.
j. L. Underwood, 14th Iowa, corroborates
Colonel futile and Colonel Shaw's account of
the fight. He writes from Soda Springs, Idaho:
have been deeply interested in reading THE
TRIBUNE accounts of the great battles OF the re-
bellion, and more especially the Shiloh cam
paign, as participated in that memorable event
from Fort Henry to the battle of Shiloh, where
/ was taken prisoner Oh the 9th of April, 1862,
about d. M after as hard days fighting as it
often falls to the lot of a soldier to perform.
Our brgade-composed of the I'd, 18th, 18th
and 18th Iowa--was camped on the Pittsburg
Landing and Corinth road within half mile of
the landing, and in rear of the whole army in
that portion of the field. 1t was about a. m.
when musketry firing accompanied with can
non was first heard in our camp, and immedia-
tely the long-roll was heard all over camp, and
in less time than / can record it our brigade
was in line and marching toward the front
via the Pittsburg and Corinth roads
We had not marched far when we met
the woods full of fleeing soldiers, all join
ing in the chorus, We have met the enemy
and they are well, say following US right
int, nd
capture Grants headquarters and leave his
headquarters to fall on demand"
After marching about three and half miles
| from camp we were halted and formed in line
of battle, when General Tuttle rode along our
/ front telling us what Iowa expected of her sons
/ that day, and gave the command, Forward
march," We moved forward about quarter of
mile and took position behind the cover Of
| slightly elevated ridge and awaited the APP
| proach of the enemy, who was not long i'll maxi
/ ing his appearance. We were ordered to lie
4 down and reserve our fire until he came within
i thirty PAGES, when we rose and poured in such
q murderous fire as to demoralize his first line,
which was followed by a charge of the 18th and
14th, which drove back his second line in con-
! fusion, leaving their dead and wounded behind
| to be cared for by the much-hated Western
Yankees.
Not being properly supported by Prentiss on
our left, we were ordered back to our old stand,
which we held until $50 o'clock, repulsing
! four separate charges made with the apparent
determination of breaking the center and
striking Prentss and Hurbut in the rear, and
getting in their work before Nelson's division
/ Of Buel's army crossed the river to re-enforce
/ Grant whose troops were contesting every inch
of ground with valor unsurpassed on any bat
| tlefeld of the war.
Failing in this attempt, about p. M, they
! 1.-THE rebels) massed a heavy force our left
/ and in front af iSS; nd
! IONS and for three hours the battle ragged
with undated fury, and from the awful din
and roar of battle it became evident that the
! left was being slowly but stubbornly pushed
around toward the landing, thereby putting our
brigade III danger of being surrounded and cap
tured, which proved to be the case as far as the
18th and 14th were concerned, the I'd aud 18th
running the gauntlet before the circle was COM
| pleted, which took in about 5000 as brave men
/ as ever faced a foe
All that long day we held our position, never
| yielding an inch of ground to the enemy, until
! $50 O'Clock, when-by whose orders / never
| knew-our left swung around, left in front, and
double-quicked about 500 yards faced to the
| right and poured yolley into the rebs, who
were coming like an avalanche four lines deep,
| sweeping everything before them, with whoop
and a yell that was truly grand aud yet awful
to contemplate and it seemed certain that all
| that splendid army, with its noble opportunity,
I udC Dttu Capjureu anu destroyed Dy the stu
pidity of some one high in command.
| At this point some regiment which is I'M
known to me came rushing through our ranks,
and Colonel Shaw, who was not very choice of
language even when in danger, gave the order:
Bayonet 'em.-'em;" but the enemy, being
so close We could see the white of his eye, kept
on pitching lead into us till we were forced
back 200 or 800 yards, when we found our
/ selves completely surrounded and gave up the
UNEQUAL fight, thinking all was lost.
J. w. Beach, 18th Illinois, replies to Comrade
Gleason, of the 18th Ohio, detailing an heroic
act performed by Colonel Hildebrand:
did not write history of the 77th's action,
| but of the 18th Illinois, and only stated what I
knew. don't pretend 10 know what was done
before we arrived. | only know that when we
] were placed in support of the 18th Ohio that
Taylor's battery was firing at battery, think,
| and that after the infantry (rebel1 attacked us
| the 18th men came up the hill, and many of
[ them took refuge behind the church after our
colonel told US not to let any more of them
t through our ranks. We were lying Just be-
hind the top of the ridge, our right close to
! Shiloh Church. i was on the left.) Colonel
| Hildebrand rode out in front of our regiment
on the top Of the ridge, and sat there with his
back to the rebels and begged his men to come
| out with their colors from behind the church
A she'll from the rebel battery sent them fying
| through the woods When his men were gone,
| Colonel Hildebrand sheathed his saber, and,
taking his hat in his hand, rode in walk the
/ length OF our line, the tears running down his
| face, and shouted to our regiment, "Stand by
the old flag, boys; you are on the right side, and
God Almighty's with you'll and SO rode round
our left and off slowly toward the river. We
then changed front from west to south on left
company to meet the rebel columns coming
down on our left flank, and Taylor's battery
was still firing when we went forward, but the
18th was gone. 1t was after this that the SD
left, after destroying Warehouses; battery; and
my account is sustained by member of Tay-
lor's battery, who wrote me a letter lately The
! 18th and 10Th Illinois regiments were in the
front, and the battery he spoke of was Water
houses. So you can see that the comrade must
be mistaken about Taylors battery being gone
when they left. / am the last man to do in
justice to any one if / know it. and think
that it is but justice to Colonel Hildebrand to
say that he tried to rally his men, and exposed
himself very rashly thereby, he being a very
large man, On powerful horse, and under a
very severe fire at the time.
| According to Comrade Dickinson's letter the
18th and 29th saved Taylor's battery, but I
never knew before how it was done. The
18th Illinois was reported as supporting
Swartz's battery, which was not the case
while our company was with the regiment; but
Comrade Dickinson's letter may explain the
mistake / wish some one of the 18th would
write up the regiments share in the battle after
we were detailed / was the man who fred