The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-30
WALLACE SHILOH CHURCH
A Strong Defense Against the Grant
Sherman Charges of Hardness.
A Careful Review of Events Incident to that
Battle-Countercharg Against the
Generals Commanding.


Grant. and in more offensive form by General
Sherman, can never be permitted to pass I'M
challenged by the officers and men of that divis
ion. though for General Grant personally their
sentiments are not unfriendly. Prior to his
paper in the February Century, 1855, he had not
published ON the subject, but his friends had
done so extensively, particularly General Badeau,
in his military history opened in 1867.
This is emphasized by the article in the Cen
fury in a way to which shall refer below. Gen
eral Badeau was upon the staff OF General
Grant in the latter part of the war. lie was
given the best Office in the gift of the admins
tration, the consulship to Liverpool, for the
purpose of writing this history-an Office that
was continued through three successive terms.
| General Badeau might we'll be an admirer of
| the then President, but was in position much
more favorable to become eulogist than fair
and reliable historian. His patron furnished
the author literally with private papers, and
the Secretary of War was equally liberal with
| the public documents. TIC large extent the
Military History" sometimes styled life of
| Grant, was official. General Badeau made an
industrious use of his opportunities, always hav-
| ing in mind the reputation of the Nations great
| est general Those who choose to compare the
| account of the battle of Shiloh Chuch in the
history with that in the Century will be struck
| not only with tho similarity of thoughts and
| statements, but of style and even language.
| This could only occur through common source
of information Those who defend the Third
Division against the representations of Badeau
can not contest his statements without involving
| those of General Grant. Nothing is more nat
| ural than that Grant and Sherman should be
FESTIVE under reiterated charges of want OF
preparation for a battle, which they insisted
would not come on.
The commander of the Third Division foresaw
an attack, of which the evidences were abundant,
and before cannon was Tired on the oth OF
April, 1862, or any orders We're given, had or
dered the Third Brigade into line at AdamSvllle.
The other two brigades also ready to leave
Crumps Landing and Stony Lonesome. These
officers and men are as sensitive as their COM
/ panions, of whatever rank or reputation, and as
| much entitled TO have history written in the in
terest of truth. General Halleck caused a sur
yey of the field to be made by Colonel Thoms, OF
| the United States Engineers, soon after the bat
tle General Badeau has preferred to use field
sketch made by Colonel Mcpherson. Having
spent parts of several days, Immediately after
the engagement in an examination of the ground,
in order to make a SKETCH can state that coup
doeil sketches are not of much value, except as
to the position of the troops, which survey
cording to different authors. owing to the re-
stricted field of view and the intricaeies of the
ground, such as streams gulleys and thickets.
The sketch of Mcpherson requires many cor
rections, especially as to distances.
Taking Col. Thoms' s map, with the log house
at the bluff overlooking Pittsburg Landing as
central point, Shiloh Church is about 30o south
of west, distant two and onefourth to two and
one-half miles in right line. TO the Owl
creek bridge, on the Purdy road, 10o north of
west, three miles. This was the right of Sher
mans line that brigade commanded by Col.
Mcdowell resting on the Owlcreek bridge and
thence to the river road, where it crosses Brier
run, being the right of G. +. Smiths division.
The course is northwest two miles; from thence
to Shermans right at p NJ, one mile and two
teEths Within these lines lay all the divisions
except Premises on the morning of that memora-
BILE April day. Reports do not agree very we'll
as to Premises precise position, He was
scarcely settled in his camp when it was at
tackled. 1t was only on the 10th of March the
division was organized at Savanna, and not put
in position until some days later. Some author
tiles place its left slightly in advance of Sher-
mans right, its line of tents being across
the heads Of Oak run. Others have its left
thrown trife back, the front about at
right angles to the ridge road from Monterey
and Cornth. The Shiloh Church road crosses
both Brier and Oak run, and joins the
ridge road at Monterey, about five miles distant
All of the map distances must be increased at
least one fourth, owing to the crookedness of the
routes. Prentiss was located by General Grant
or his orders General Smith was i'll at Savan-
ma of mortal injury. From Premises left to
the position of Colonel Stuart, the Purdy and
Harrisburg road, at Lick run, the distance is
about mile the course about east, or at right
angles to Sherman and Prentiss a space in
which were no troops. From Pitts0urg Landing
to Stuart is few degrees west of south, about
one mile and half. Huribut lay on the east
bluff of Brier rum not quite mile from the
landing, and McClernand near the intersection
of the Purdy and Corinth roads, making an acute
angle with Sherman, who was a half to three
fourths of mile in his front The prolOngation
| of Netherlands line intersected the right of
Premises obliquely distant about three fourths
of mile southeast. SUCH of our troops as lay
the inner crests of the valleys were in natural
| intrenchments
General Badeau characterizes this group of
camps as a defensive line of battle If such was
the case there must have been an intent on the
part of the officer officers who arranged it
| with design to resist an attack. 1t lacked
however, the essentials of such line 1t was
without a left wing or a center with their sup
ports, and was not continuous, not for want of
troops, but because they were not put in posi-
ton No changes had been made for nearly a
month, while General c. F. Smith was in com
mand. He posted his own division and that of
, Hurlbut around the landing, along the eastern
crest of the valley of Brier run For those
divisions only the position was one of natural
strength. His right rested on the marshes of
} Snake creek, along the river road. Hurlbut's
left rested on the ridge road, and near the heads
of the ravnes which the Confederates reached
at the finale of the first day. In their front was
a precipitous valley with rivulet of water and
, | timber Netherlands command was on
about the same level in front of this ravine, in
the angle between the Purdy and Corinth roads,
something over three-fourths of mile distant.
Beyond him, in the same direction, lay Sher-
. | man. on the eastern crest of Oak run, with a
valley like that of Brier run, but not as deep.
This position had natural strength capable of
easily being made impregnable against three to
sod o,.a1 rlyr ffAx
the other four divisions had occupied their
camps, engaged in drilling and making them
selves as comfortable as rain and mud would
allow Before Prentiss was placed there was
not the semblance of a line but a column of
three divisions, Sherman's, Netherlands and
, | Smiths having one division front and three