The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-04-09
TIE BATTLE oE sHll OH

This celebrated battle was fought on Sun,
day and Monday, the 9th and 7th Of April,
1862. II took its namo from little log
church known ~ Shiloh church The scene
of the engagement N thckly wooded,
though broken, country, reaching back from
the bluffs ~ Pittsburg Landing from two "a
three miles. Grant and his star were break,
fasting at Savannah when no first heard the
flro OF the cncmy's attack. Grants horse
having slipped and fallen on his masters leg
on the itl, at the time OF tho battle aud for
some days after Grant was unable 10 walk
without the aid Of crutchcs, His boot had
been cut from his foot, Hearing the firing
no boarded a transport and started for tho
front, arriving there ats o'clock The his.
toric battle was already ON. Sherman Prem.
tiss, McClorunnd, Hurlburt aud W. II. Wal.
lncc, with 5000 mon, were there, Tho Con-
fodorato force, according 20 Badcau, was a
little over 10000 There was hard fighting,
small panica, rotrcating and other signs OF
dismay among the Federal troops aud 70.
newcd yigor on the part Of the enemy, Nelson
aud LOWS Wallace were coming with ro-on.
forcomcnts, but the battle was going awry.
Grant was everywhere ON the field, constantly
under fire, In his own account Of II ho says.
Throo " the lyo divisions engaged the nrat day al
Shiloh were entirely raw nnd many 0f thum had
only received thclr HruH ON tho way from their
statoa ~ the iioli Many NJ thcm had arrived but
day or two before, hud we're hardly able 10 load
their muskota according TO tho manual, Their OF
noeH were equally ignorant NJ their duties Under
these circumstances, Il ID not astonishing that many
Of the regiments broke ~ thn nrst ilro. ~ two
cases, Ua I now remember tho CulunpH led their
regiments from thr nold uu lrst hearing the whistle
Of the pnumyH bullets IN these eases the cnluuoa
were Cousttutl nal Cuwaria, uuHt fur any military
position, lut not 20 the unrrr unl mUu lrl uut "
danger by uum uItiur tru ~ never went upan a
battOn'd than many ul these unl.on aud men
aftorNau uioyd h msoiyrs e. b., who nud
pani' strukfu, ut tho Hrt whistle " bullets and
Ahul ~ tllluh
GcnoraI Albert Sidney Johnston, Con.
fcdcrnto commander, was killed on the diyt
day OF Sbiohs battle Jefferson nuyla had
early ,Rd of him that ho regarded Ma scr.
vice tu the Cont, dprury og worth moro than
The accession OF an army ol 1000 mon,
Night foil and found the 0ght unfinished,
The grmbuaW continued 10 ding shells into
the Confederate lines, tho woods eau {ht IRE,
mud only a mrrcilul rain saved tho wounded
from being burned alive, Buell. aud Gon.
Low Wallace arrived aud the old line, wcro
reformed Grant yisi,od each division com
mandor after dark directing their positions
aud ordering an attack a. curly dawn, At
last, returning 20 the landing, he mado hlr
headquarters undcr tree, aud has down In
Che rain 10 rcst The PUN In hs swollen
nnldo and the drcnchlng rain madc him rest.
los,, and after midnight hc moved 10 the log
house on the bank This was In use ~ n ho,
pital, filed with the wounded aud dying
groanlng with anguish, "lhc dght,n aya
Grant, twas moro uncomfortable than en-
oounlorIng the rebel lire, aud returned 10
my tree Ia the rnin,N
The next day the battle went on until
BcaurcgOrd aud his forces beat u nnal ro
trent, Grant having lost over 1000 mon.
Sherman has said that hc never afterwards
naw such terrible lighting. Grant writes
Of ~
shiloh was the most sevcre hattie fonaht NJ tho
West during the war aud but fnw In the lat u1uilud
y for hard determined nghtlnR lsaw hn Opon 1rd
III our possession on The second dhy, over Whuh tho
Confodofntra hal made rep hiod charges the day
before ho covered with dead that II would have been
possible 10 walk across the clearing In nny drrc,
tlon, stopping on dead b0dloa without foot touch,
lnn ihogroun1, on one pnrt, which had evidently
not been puWrd fur several years. bushes had grown
ur, some 10 the hnlght NJ eight Or ton feet TNpre
was not 0ne " these ltft standing unperopd by huh
lots, Tho smaller ones we're all cut duwn, Contrary
TO all my expert n'e ~ TO tnat Tine aud 10 the ux
porcnoo Of the army was then commanding, wo |
were On the Defensive,
This battle convinced Grant that tho war
would be prolonged, aud developed his views
ns TO the conduct Of 10. Armies aud not |
rrongholds should be subducd or destroyed, |
ne Thought llo believed, too, TINT II would |
be nm economy of blood 10 spend 10 rapidly |
In vigorous campaign.