, 1885-03-06
AT SHILOH CHURCH.
INCIDENTS PRECEDING THE sTRANo-
EST BATTLE OF THE REBELLION.
The Gathering Of the Confederate Force.
The MAJOR who Checked the Ad-
vance OF Johnston-A Recon
noisanes In Force"
q. A, cocLsrm In Now York worla-i

man. composed OF the now levies from Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois. was picked up at
Paducah and carried up the Tennessee river
TO Pittsburg Landing. Scarcely a man in the
command had heard "a shot fired In anger"
Sherman set up his standard at the print
tive church In tho Wilderness called Shiloh,
FIVE miles from the river side, and his bri-
gades, which were soon 10 receive such q
baptism OF flre, stretched themselves where
ever swamp and lagoon permitted, grimly
facing CorInth = Corinth. the gnnglion and
railway nerve center of the western Con
federacy. After him came the troops OF
Grants army, squatting i~rregularly be-
tween Shiloh and the river, and tho Han
nibal OF these legions, fresh from the con
quest of Fort Donaldson, slipped his teddy in
peace at Savannah, fifteen miles away from
the patient soldiers who kept watch at sol
emn Shiloh church. The division of Lew
Wallace slumbsred at Crump's Landing. six
miles below-slumbered and wondered whom
the war would actually begin. Across the
broad lace OF the state OF Tennessee the
grandly disciplined and spendidly equipped
army OF Don Carlos Buell. was moving by
easy marches 10 join the invading hosts On
the bank of the muddy river.
At Shiloh IS, 900 men mounted guard
daily, devoured their rations and slept in
peace. The army trains dragged slowly
along the heavy roads between church and
river, and suffers vended l~uxuries to raw
Spartans at a profit Of 100 per cent The
man at the front line saw a squadron Of cav
airy ride away toward the militia rendez-
vous at Corinth every morning and return
lazily at night with an IAN Is we'll" There
was an honest belief in camp hat these
horsemen secured the narrow territory be-
tween blue and gray as the dragons OF
Claverhouse beat up the Presbyterian
quarter OF Scotland. Subsequent events
proved that the gallant hussars Of the Fifth
Ohio were in the habit OF playing "seven-up"
and sleeping through all those days within a
mile OF the camps they were charged TO pro-
tect Insufficient scouting and carelessness
at headquarters were fsarfully atonsd at
Shiloh
How was IL at Corinthf At first we were
told Of q handful of raw troops holding the
great point d'appeni OF the southwest But
there came a day when the Wellington OF
the confederacy entered Corinth to execute
the boldest stroke Of the war. He saw the
army OF Buell. moving to the junction with
Grant, and he conceived the plan of falling
upon the loungers at Shiloh and annihilating
Thorn before the union Of forces made Grant
too tarribls to resist. There was no force OF
consequence at Corinth, and all would
depend upon rapid concentration 1t
was a gigantic plan and splendidly
was 1t executed. Fresh from the abandoned
trenches about Bowling Green came the men
OF Kentucky. From Pensacola, Mobile,
New Orleans, Memphis and the camps Of in
struction in the interior came the soldiers of
the Confederacy. They came by rail by
one grand invocation. Il was the gathering
Of the clans at the luminous Of the blazing
cross. Men who guarded forts ON the Mis-
sissippi, or watched sails whitening on the
southern bays, poured into Corlnth, stopped
to cook five days ~rations, and turned their
faces toward Shiloh. Enthusiastic soldiers.
who had faced the legions Of Buell. in front
OF Nashville. paused to feel the land of the
great military organizer, listened to the
reading OF this strange battle order, and
pushed on TO Shiloh:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE MIssIs-
sIPPI, coRrNTH, April 2, 1852. -SoLDHRs
OF THE ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI: l have
put you in motion to offer battle TO the in
vader Of your country. With the resolu-
ton and disciplined valor becoming men
fighting, as you are, for all worth living or
dying for, you can but march to a decisive
victory over agrarian mercenaries, sent to
s~ub1ugate and despon you Of YOU liberties,
property and honor. Remember the pre-
ciouH stake involved; remember the depend
ence OF your mothers, wives, sisters and
children on tho result; remember the fair.
broad, Astounding land, the happy homes
and ties that will be desolated by defeat.
The yes and hopes Of 5000, 900 Of people rest
poi you You are expected 10 show your
selves worthy Of your valor and lineage,
worthy Of the women OF the south, whose
noble devotion in this war has never been
exceeded In any time. With such Incentives
to brave deeds, and with tho trust that God
Is with Us, your general will lead you conf
IDENTIFY to the combat, assured Of success.
A. 8. JOHNSTON, general commanding.
At Shiloh church, April DAY. The Fourth
brigade of the Fifth division. composed OF
the Forty eighth, Seventieth and Seventy
first regiments OF Ohio, lay on the fank OF
the old sanctuary. In front of tho quarters
of the colonel Of tho Seventieth sat a group
OF Geld officers In the early twilight The
sage and solemn auckland, commandant OF
the brigade, was there, as was Hildebrand,
Loudon and Coils. Kyle and Garfield, who
were fated to die so gailantiy on this very
field six days hence. A bucket Of beer,
fresh from the sultan's tent, was tho rally
ing point of this squad of officers.
They talked Of the inertia Of camp
life, bemoaned the lack OF drilling grounds
and complained of the s~corbutic ten
dency Of the times and the malaria which
was weakening the men. The raw recruits,
lacking in healthful exercise, were not proof
against hat insidious climate. A thought
struck the solemn auckland. He would 60
at once to Sherman and ask permission to
take his brigade on a picnic excursion. He
would march on the road toward Corinth.
The exercise would greatly benefit the men,
and men and officers would be familiarized
with the country. Tho suggestion wal read
lily aequiesced In, and auckland stalked
away to the marquee of the general com
mandinz. Assent was obtained, AMI next
evening the Fourth brigade cooked a day.
rations and went TO sleep, after much
morning the bugie sounded en- avant and a
handsome column Of blue filed down into
the ravine and marched away ON the road to
CorinthL I trudged ON foot and carried a
rifle in the ranks OF Company l Of the Sew
entieth. The snowy daisies were peeping
from under the green banks, the bird were
twittering In the budding forests and golden
sunlight streamed on bayonet and sabre.
The roll OF drums and the steady tramp OF
the moving column awakened echoes on that
jocund spring morning. quite new to thosa
pastoral sceneaL At noon q halt was called
at Pea Ridge, six miles from camp. Arms
were stacked. eo~ffee-pots unslung, fires lighted
and small games Of poker begun The holt
day soldiers disportsd themselves every
where and displayed a juvenile determine
tion to enjoy the outing"
Major McFerrin, of the Ssventieth. was
placed in command OF a squad OF twenty
men and sent in advance to picket the Cor.
NTH road. Nobody ~nscognizel the need ol
the prscaution, for nobody dreamed Of foe