The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-02-04

availing efforts to crush his antagonist.
Noon had come, and, largely outnum-
bered by the Confederates, Grant was
in need of re-enforcements. General
Wallace's division of five thousand vet
eran troops, who had become battle
seasoned at Donelson and on other
fields, had not been heard from. Two
aids were dispatched to hunt him up.
He was found marching west, directly
away from Pittsburg Landing and many
miles further away from that place than
when he started from Crump's Land
ing in the morning, in obedience to
Grants first order. General Wallace's
movement was the result, General
Grant thinks, of a mistaken notion
that he could get on the flank or rear
of the Confederates and SO, by act
ing Independently of his orders, per
form an act of heroism that would
rebound to the credit of his COM
mand, as well as to the benefit of his
country" Later in the war;" says
General Grant, General Wallace would
never have made the mistake that
he committed April 6, 1862" The alb
sence of Wallace's veteran troops was
severely felt They did not arrive till
nightfall, after the first days fighting
was over. About five o'clock in the
afternoon of that day the Union troops
took up third position, nearer the
river, which they held till--in the ex-
pressive phrase of the great commander,
who had waited and prayed in vain for
the coming of Wallace during the hours
of all that terrible afternoon" night
came, Wallace came, and the advance
of Nelson's division came, but none
except night-in time to be of material
service to the gallant men who saved
Shiloh on that first day, against large
Odds" So confident was General Grant
of victory on the next day, if he could
only take the initiative, that he visited
each division commander in person be-
fore re-enforcements had reached the
| field, and made all his arrangements for
renewing the battle early on the follow
ing morning. Victory was assured
when Wallace arrived with his division
of five thousand effective veterans, even
! if there had been no other support"
He was glad, however, to see Buel, and
/
credits him with doing all there was for
him to do. This promise of victory was
fully realized on the 7th. On the after
noon of that day the rebels were in full
retreat. This paper by General Grant
and the supplementary one by Colonel
Johnston give a clear idea both of the
battle and the scope of the campaign of
which it forms the distinguishing fea-
ture. Very many things, which before
were confused and obscure, are made
ineligible to the general reader. Re-
assuming the command of his depart
ment on the 18th of March, General
concentrate his troops and correct a
state of things that invited disaster.
His alertness to everything transporting
ON his front and the anxiety caused by
every disturbance there for several days
before the battle, the stubborn and
well-ordered resistance he opposed to
the furious dash of flushed and over
whelming numbers, determined, at
whatever cost of life, to crush the Union
army before re-enforcements could ar
rive-these are hardly indications of a
surprise" He may not have believed
that prudent enemy would attack him
in his position, but he was as well pre-
pared for him as it was possible to be
during the three weeks that had elapsed
since his reinstatement. 1t has been
publicly asserted, even quite recently,
and believed, that General Prentiss' di-
vision was surprised and captured in
their beds in the first Confederate dash,
Sunday morning. General Grants and
Colonel Johnston's testimony shows
that General Prentiss fought his di-
vision with the cool nerve of veteran
and with such bravery and stubbornness
at one point, during the afternoon of
Sunday, as to win for the locality at the
hands of his assailants the designation of
the "hornets' nest" 90 For five hours, -
says Colonel Johnston, " brigade after
brigade was led against it," &" Brigades
which had earlier swept everything
before them were reduced to fragments
and paralyzed for the remainder of the
day. by the resistance Prentiss' divis-
ion offered to the rebel advance. In
the attempt to dislodge him, Randall
Gibson's brigade four times suffered a
bloody repulse. This does not have
the appearance of panic at the Union
front. Sherman, McClernand and w.
H. l.. Wallace displayed equal heroism.
About five O'Clock in the afternoon,
when the federal line fell back to its
third position, General Prentiss' flank
was for time uncovered and the rebels
swooping down upon him, captured him
with the greater part of the remnants OF
his division. The Confederates marched