The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-01-29
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

should. 1t is the first statement Of Gen.
Grants, regarding that terrible conflict
which has appeared in print: for, except
letter he wrote to Gen. Halleck Immediately
after the battle, he has steadfastly refused
to say or write anything concerning the
engagement.
He begins by explaining that he was put
under arrest after the capture of Fort Donel-
son, and his army given to Gen. c. F. Smith,
who conducted it to Pittsburg Landing, and
went into camp there, where Grant found it
when released from arrest, March Is. 1t
was in an excellent defensive position. 1t
was his custom to spend the day at Pitts
burg Landing, and in the evening return to
Savanna, nine miles below, where he was
awaiting the arrival of Gen. Buell., who was
expected hourly. While riding around his
horse fell on him and injured his foot so
that during the battle, and for several days
crutches. Buell. arrived on the 5th, but
Gen. Grant was not aware Of it.
Skirmishing was going on continually for
several days, but "about a. m. found that
the attack on Shiloh was unmistakable."
He Immediately sent note to Buell. and an
order to Gen. Wallace to "march to Pitts
burg by the road nearest the river" He
was greatly disappointed in Walace's not
arriving on the field sooner than he did, but
says:
Later in the war Gen. Wallace would never have
committed the mistake made on the 9th of April,
1862. presume that his idea was that by taking
the route he did, he would be able to come around
the flank of the enemy, and thus perform an act
of heroism that would rebound to the credit of his
command as well as to the benefit of his country.
He excuses many of the men who fled
panic-stricken to the rear, and says that
they afterward proved to be as good troops
as ever stood on the field of battle. Sher-
man and McClernand did the hardest fight
ing, and acquitted themselves best He
excuses Buelrs disparaging comments on
the condition of the Army of the Tennessee
on the ground that he approached the fight
from the rear, where things always look the
very worst.
Could he have come through the Confederate
rear he would have witnessed there scene similar
TO that at
OF one thing he is very positive, and that
is that he had beaten the enemy Off before
the arrival of Buell. or Wallace, and that if
Buell. had not come he could have gained
victory the next day with the aid of Wal
laee's fresh troops.
One statement has already provoked n
sharp denial from the officer on whom it
reflects 1t is this:
| The enemy had hardly started in retreat from
his last position when, looking back toward the
river,I saw division of troops coming up in beau
! tiful order as if going parade review. The
| Commander was at the head of the column, and
the staff seemed to be disposed about they would
have been had they been going on parade. When
! the head of the column came near where i was
standing it was halted. and the commanding officer
Gen. A. Med McCook. rode up to me and appealed
to me not to send his division any farther saying
| that they worn out with marching and fight
! ing This Division had marched on the 9th from a
point 10 II miles east of Savannah over bad
roads. The men had lost rest during the night
! while crossing the Tennessee, and had been
gagged in the battle of the 9TH. II not, however
the rank and file the junior officers that asked to
| be excused. but the Division Commander.
He explains his failure to fortify by saying
that the most of the troops We're newly
raised regiments which needed drill and
discipline more than anything else, and this
was held to be worth more than labor on
intrenchments. He does not believe that if
Johnston had lived he would have done bet
| ter than Beauregard did
Some of these critics claim that Shiloh was won
when Johnston fell, and that if he had not fallen
| the army under me would have been annihilated
| or captured. Ifs defeated the Confederates at
| Shiloh There is doubt that should have
been aisgracefuy beaten il all the shells and bull
lets fired by us had passed harmlessly over the
| enemy, and if all of theirs had taken effect. Com
| manding Generals liable to be killed during
engagements; and the fact that when he was shot
Johnston was leading brigade to induce it to
make a charge which had been repeatedly ordered
is evidence that there neither the universal
decentralization on our side nor the unbouuded
confidence theirs which has been claimed.
| There in fact no hour during the day when
doubted the eventual defeat of the enemy. . i i
The endeavor of the enemy on the first day :
simply to hurl their men against ours, first ut one
| point and then at another, sometimes ut several
points at once. This they did with daring and en-
ergy, until at night the rebel troops We're worn
out
Our loss in the two days fight l ,75i killed
s, 40S wounded, and 1855 missing Of these 2,l03
were in the Army OF the Ohio. Bcaurcgard re-
ported total loss of 1869, Of whom ,72S We're
killed. SOP wounded, and 957 missing. This esti-
mate must be incorrect. We buried, by actual
count more of the enemy's dead in front of the
divisions of McCICrnand and Sherman alone than
he reported and 900 the estimate of the burial
parties for the whole field. Bcauregard reports
the Confederate forces the 9th at 10 600 and
their total loss during the two days mt 10 $780, and
at the time declares that he could only put
10000 men in battle on the morning of the 7th.
THE HENNEPIN CANAL IN CONGRESS.
The friends of the Hennepin Canal project
are very hopeful of securing an appropri-
alton before Congress adjourns for beginning
the work of actual construction. Congress-
men seem to turn more ready ear to rep
racantafions made bv advocates of the canal