Madison times., 1885-06-27

campment were plainly visible, but the
troops were gone. My heart resumed
its place. 1t occurred 10 me at once that
Harris had been as much afraid OF me
as had been of him. This was view
q the question | had never taken before;
but il was one | never forgot afterward.
From that event to the close Of the war
| never experienced trepidatiOn upon
confronting an enemy.
The Mississippi was low on the 9TH of
September, 1861, so that the banks were
higher than the heads of men standing
on the upper decks of the steamers. The
rebels were some distance back fTom
the river, so that their fire was high and
did us but little harm. Our smOkestack
| was riddled with bullets, but there were
only three men wounded on the boats
and but one of these was soldier.
When first went ON deck | entered the
captains room, adjoining the pilot house
and threw myself on sofa. | did not
! keep that position a moment. but rose
| To 90 out on the deck to observe what
was going on. had scarcely left when
a musket ball entered the room, struck
the head of the sofa passed through II
| ana LOGGED IN the loOI.
| How the Confederates were beaten at
| Shiloh is referred to as follows:
| Some of these critics claim that Shiloh
| was won hen Johnston fell, and that
| if he had not fallen the army under me
would have been annihilated or cap
| tuled. Ifs defeated the Confederates at
Shiloh. There is little doubt that we
| should have been dangerously beaten II
| all the shells and bullets fired by us had
| passed harmlessly over the enemy, and
If all of theirs had taken effect. Com
manding generals are liable to be killed
during engagements; and the fact that
when he was shot Johnston was lead
Ing a brigade to induce it to make a
charge which had been repeatedly or
dered is evidence that there was neither
the universal decentralization on our side
nor the unbOunded confidence on theirs
Which had beer claimed. There was,
in fact, no hour duringthe day when l
doubted the eventual defeat OF the
enemy, although was disappointed that
re-enforcements SO near at hand did not
arrive at an earlier hour.
His first interview with President
Lincoln is mentioned:
| In my first interview with MIR. Lin.
coin alone he stated to me that he had
never professed to be a military man, or
to know how campaigns should be con-
Quoted, and never wanted 10 interfere IN
them, but that DrocIastinatlon on the
part of commanders, and the pressure OF
the people at the North, and of Congress
which, like the poor, he "had always
with him." had forced him into issuing
mis- wel-known series of Executive
Orders" He did not know but they
were all wrong, and did know that some
of them were. All ne wanted, or evel
wanted, he said, was that some one would
take the responsibility and act, and cal
on him for all the assistance needed.
He tells good story of Genera
Bragg:
A story about General Bragg has some
salient points: ! have heard story II
the old army very characteristic o
nragg. On one occasion, when station
ed at post of several companies, com
manded by a field officer, he was himsel
commanding one of the companies, anC
at the same tine acting post-quarter
master and commissary. He was a hrs
lieutenant at the time, but his captain
was detached on other duty. AS com
mander ofthe company ne made a re
QUESTION upon the quartermaster-him
self for something he wanted. AS quar-
termaster he declined to fill the requisl
ton and indorsed on the back of 1t hi
reason for so doing. As company com
mander re responded to this, urging tha
his requisition called for nothing bu
what he was entitled to. and that it wa
the duty of the quartermaster to fill ii
The quartermaster still persisted tina
he was right. in this condition of at
fairs Bragg referred the whole matter t
the commanding officer. The latter
when he saw the nature of the luatte
referred, exclaimed: "My God, Nh
Bragg, you have quarreled with ever,
officer in the army, and now you ar
quarreling with yourself" Longstree
was an entirely different man.