The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-06-25
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

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the initiative by marching on Corinth
and had no expectation of needing forti
fcations. But this subject was taker
into consideration. MCPHERSON, my only
military engineer, was directed to lay
out line to intrench. He did so, bui
reported that it would have to be made
in the rear of the line of encampment az
it then ran. The new line, while it would
be nearer the river, was yet too far away
from the Tennessee or even from the
creeks to be easily supplied with water
and in case of attack these creeks would
be in the hands of the enemy. The fact
is, I regarded the campaign we were
engagedin as an offensive one, and bad nc
idea that the enemy would leave strong
intrenchments to take the initiative when
he knew he would be attacked where he
was if he remained. This view, however
did not prevent every precaution being
taken and every effort made to keep
advised of all movements of the enemy.
Johr ston's cavalry meanwhile had been
we'll out toward our front, and occasional
encounters occurred between it and our
outposts. On the 1st of April this caval-
ry became bold and approached our lines,
showing that an advance of some kind
was contemplated. On the I'd Johnston
left Corinth in force to attack my army,
General Beauregard was next in rank to
Johnston, and succeeded to the command,
which he retained to the close of the
battle and during the subsequent retreat
on Coriuth, as we'll as in the siege of that
place. His tactics have been severely
criticised by Confederate writers, but ]
do not believe his fallen chief could have
done any better under the circumstances.
Some of these critics claim that Shiloh
was won when Johnston fell, and that il
he had not fallen the army under me
would have been annihilated or captured.
"Ifs" defeated the Confederates at Shiloh.
Therei is little doubt that we should have
been disgracefully beaten if all the shells
and bullets fired by US had passed harm.
lessly over the enemy, and if all of theirs
had taken effect.
GENERAL BRAGG.
Among the anecdotes and stories, with
which the book is plentiful by interspersed,
is the following told at the expense of
General Bragg
i have heard story in the old army
very characteristic { of Bragg. On one
occasion, when stationed at a post of sev.
eral companies, commanded by a field
officer, he was himself commanding one
of the companies, and at the same time
acting post quartermaster and commissary.
He was first lieutenant at the time ;
but his captain was detached on other
duty. AS commander of the company
he made requisition upon the quarter
master-himself-for something be want.
ed. As quartermaster he declined to fill
the requisition, and indorsed on the back
of it his reason for so doing. AS company
commander he responded to this, urging
that his requisition called for nothing but
what he was entitled to, and that it was
the duty of the quartermaster to ill it.
The quarterm- .er still persisted that he
was right. In this condition Of affairs
Bragg referred the whole matter to the
commanding officer. The latter, when
he saw the nature of the matter referred,
exclaimed, "My God, Mr.. Bragg, you
have quarrelled with every officer in the
army, and now you are quarrelling with
yourself" Longstreet was an entirely
different man.
THE SURRENDER OF LEE.
Of great value also is the Generals
recollection of the surrender of Lee =
I found General Lee had been brought
into our lines and conducted to house
belonging to a Mr.. Mclean, and was
there with one of his staff officers wait.
ing my arrival. The head of his column
was occupying hill, portion of which
was an apple orchard, across the little
valley from the court house. Sheridan 8
forces were drawn up in line of battle on
the crest of the hill on the South side of
the same valley. Before stating what
took place between General Lee and my.
self I will give all there is of the narra-
tive of General Lee and the famous
apple tree. Wars produce many stories
Of fiction, some of which are told until
they are believed. The war of the rebell-
ion was fruitful in the same way. The
story of the apple tree is one Of those
fctions, with a slight foundation of fact.
AS I have said, there was an apple
orchard on the side of the hill occupied
by the Confederate forces. Running
diagonally up the hill was a'wagon road
which at one point ran very near one of
the trees, 80 that the wheels on that side
had cut off the roots of the tree, which
made a little embankment. General
Babcock reported to me that when he
first met General Lee, he was sitting
upon this emba nkment, with his feet in
the road and leaning against the tree.
1t was then that Lee was conducted into
the house where I first met him.
/ had known General Lee in the old
army and had served with him in the
Mexican war, but did not suppose, owing
to the difference in our ages and rank,
that he would probably remember. me,
while I would remember him more dis.
tinctly because he was the chief engineer
on the staff of General Scott in the Mex
ican war. When had left camp that
morning I had not expected the result 80
soon that then was taking place, and
consequently was in rough garb, and, |
believe, without sword, as I usually
was when on horseback on the field,
wearing a soldiers blouse for coat, with
shoulder straps of my rank to indicate
who / was to the army. When I went
into the house l found General Lee.
We greeted each other, and after shaking
hands took our seats. What his feelings
were I do not know. Being a man Of
much dignity and with an impenetrable
face, it was impossible to say whether he
felt inwardly glad that the end had final
ly come, or whether he felt sadly oyer
the result, and was too manly to show it.
Whatever his feelings were, they were
entirely concealed from observation; but
my own feelings, which had been quite
apparent on the receipt of his letter,
were sad and depressed. felt like any
thing rather than rejoicing at the down:
fall Of q foe, that had fought so long and
gallantly, and had suffered so much for a
cause which believed to be one of the
worst for which a people ever fought,
and for which there was not the least
So raofio, bowovar the