, 1885-02-13

rom tA1 tAltA&u NEWS
Gen. b. NJ. Preniiss spoke at central
music haIl last evening on The Battle Of
Shiloh" He was introduced by Gen.
A. l. Chctlain, who spoke Of him as the
hero of Shiloh and referred to his
honorable record in the Mexican war and
the war Of the rebellion.
Gen. Prentiss said in beginning that
for years the public bad been told that he
and his command were captured in their
tents early in the morning, when they
had really borne n great part Of the whole
days fighting. While at breakfast that
morning he heard the sound Of musketry
and hastily formed his men in line a quar-
ter Of a mile from the encampment- Gen.
Hurlbut was on his left and Gen. w. H.
l. Wallace near at hand. At 0 O'Clock
Gen. Grant passed him and took him by
the hand while he t~earfully related the
rebels had taken his encampmcnt Gen.
Grant told him the position he was in
was n good one and requested him to hold
it Gen. Pfentiss promised to hold it
until the sun went down. He said he
communicated with Gen. Grant every
hour that day, and he was sure that that
commander was neither absent frora
the battle nor drunk on that day.
as has been previously reported. Gen.
Prentiss then described the
long days fight rs his men saw it from
their dreadful position in the Hornets
Nest" The leaves in the old road which
they held took fire from the musket dis
charges and the men threw down their
guns to carry wounded rebels out Of the
flames. Many charges on his position
were made. but the lines stood firm. At
last in the afternoon the columns Of the
enemy passed to the left and attacked
Gen Huribut driving his men back after
several charges and getting between Gen.
Prentiss and Gen. Wallace and the river.
This was about 4 O'Clock. Gen. Prentiss
had sent many times to Gen. Grant for
reinforcements, but had received none,
being told to expect Gen. Lew Wallace
from Crump's Landing That general
for some strange reason did not come.
Gen. W. II. j. Wallace. seeing the rebels
behind him and Bishop Polk coming
around his flank, was extricating his
command when he was shot down Gen.
Prentiss said the trouble with the COM
mands on the first day Of the battle was
that they were isolated from each other.
If they had formed a continuous line
they would not have given a foot all day.
AT 5 O'Clock the Federal troops in the
Hornets Nest stood back to back, fight
ing the rebels from two directions. Gen.
Prentiss, his horse being killed, ran
twice along the line trying to see some
way Of escape. Hickenlooper, having
exhausted his ammunition. escaped with
his artillery by the Hamburg road. AT
$50 O'Clock the Sd Iowa regiment raised
white flags on their bayonets, while the
rest were stiD firing at the enemy. The
18th Wisconsin, the 23d Missouri and
other regiments were out Of ammunition.
Seeing no way out Gen. Prentiss stood
forth in view of the enemy and shouted:
"Behcid those white flags; these men
have surrendered. Cease firing
Gen. Prentiss said that he did not be-
lieve another gun was fred on the field Of
Shiloh after this surrender, although his
tory has it that he and his men were cap
tured early in the morning. He took of
his sword and threw it away SO hat the
rebels might not take il His men hid
it among the leaves. Bishop Polk took
him prisoner, and the next day he was
taken towards Corinth. Upon his re-
lease from prison Gen. Porter became a
member of the Bitz John Porter court
martial. He said last evening that he
had never seen any cause for changing
the decision Of that tribunal.