The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-07-29
SHILOH.
A Comrade Witiily Admits That lie Was Surprised
on the First Day.

ON the flrht pay.
To THE EDITOR: With n hundred thousand
other veterans keep step 10 the music of THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE Its many war reminis-
censes are as a martial band echoing the tramp,
tramp of our fast-passing-away hosts. Com
rades clasp each others hand and tell their
stories in your columns, and we live our war
lives over again, as in the campfires OF our
Posts. Ii thus sometimes seems TO me The
TRIBUNE is at last grand Post in ITSELF where
delegates from Posts here and there, all over
the country, meet once week in happy com
munion TO exchange greetings and war expert
ences and, if the experiences are not thrilling
enough, 10 swap lies"
But at times, probably from old habits &C
Quired in Sherman's march TO the sea, they
forage outside of your tramping columns and
seek something 10 give variety to the old much
loved bareback and sowbelly.
By the way, let me here remark ! heard that
well-known song, or poem, "Sherman's March
10 the Sea-" the first time ii was ever sung TO
the public. The public" on the occasion was
about thousand Federal prisoners in the hos
pital camp at Columbia S. c. The author
Byers, of - Iowa, was one of the imprOvised
quartet who sang the song, which 10 this day
rings in our ears and will never die with us
soldiers who marched with Sherman to the sea.
This is by way of parenthesis
In my foraging outside the lines have been
a reader Of the Century Magazine, which has con-
tanned a number of war articles, nearly all
written by Generals. None of us high privates
appear TO have been invited TO the feast. Ger
tainly my invitation miscarried, if ever sent.
Now, these Generals, on the Federal side at
least fought amicably together, shoulder TO
shoulder, during the war; but, somehow, each
star does not shine with ray serene when they
get TO fighting the war over again on paper.
They are probably merely illustrating the pen
is mightier than the sword. In one or two
= 1. l. - Iuwv Lnrv,
mightier, or they would not have achieved
fame But, this aside, they have differed on
no other subject more than on the battle of
Shiloh, and, in discussing that on nothing more
than whether we were surprised" the first
day or not.
Now, il appears TO me this surprise matter is
in nutshell. The rank and file have not yet
been heard from on this point, and 1T is about
time they were, and / propose representing
them.
i am sure your own columns have time and
again proven that the brave rank and file, even
the Second Lieutenants, know immensely more
about some battles in which they participated
than the Generals, who had besides watching
us, the responsibilities of brigades, divisions
and corps on their hands, and had no time for
observation. We however, had nothing to do
but bite our cartridges, load and fire and dodge
bullets, occasionally catching em on the fly,
with ample time and opportunity for noting
the progress of the fight.
Now, am sorry TO say-and was sorTier at
the time-I was in that Shiloh business, and
therefore know all about IL, and / trust no
General who maintains we were not surprised
the first day Of Shiloh will regard it as personal
IL differ with him. he might have made it
extremely personal If in the war times / had
differed with him on any subject but he gave
me no opportunity by asking my advice We
priyates used 10 often feel sort Of hurt by such
oversight ] went into the Shiloh serimmage
early, and came out very carly; and, speaking
for myself, / viii candidly say / was surprised
that day, and never more SO in my whole life
before. 1t was my first battle.
Soon after the big and little guns commenced
firing our regiment, just arrived, marched TO
the front, but under some entire misconception
Of facts-war facts as il were. Ammunition
had been distributed at the landing, and we
were cautiously advised which end OF the car
/ fridge TO bite, which end to stick in and ram
down the gun first, and only to put in one at a
| time, as we were very enthusiastic. On the
way out we talked about how we would NOW
down the rebs, and No. 2, my comrade, earnestly
discussed the point whether we should or ought
10 show the Johnnies any quarter at all. Taking
| 'em prisoners merely was too good for the
| traitors; they should be slain where they
stood, If any were left standing after our FIRST
Volley But before this was satisfactorily settled
we found ourselves in a tangled-up line, drawn
| right up in front Of the grayback vermin. And
| didn't we blaze away lively az them, as much
as to say, Well, you brought il on yourselves /;
don't blame u.s." To our utter astonishment
they commenced firing back, and what was
worse they kept on firing, and didn't know
when 20 stOp,-and they were hurting us. They
either failed 10 obey orders or did not hear any
order TO cease firing" Andpretty soon, under
some sort Of bewilderment, they charged right
on us, and il at once became evident one side or
the other had 10 quit right of, or there would
be serious trouble, and, as they were stubborn as
mules, with no reason about 'em, why we quit.
didn't hear any special order to double quick,
lives before, even in battalion drill at the home
camp, and we didn't stop till we got 10 the river
and never before so wanted to see river.
Now, you needn't argue with me that we were
not surprised the first day Of Shiloh. i was
surprised, and every comrade / talked with
down at the landing, and lots Of 'em from other
regiments, were very much surprised
Since the war j have met at Reunions and
GAR. Campfres, etc, plenty Of Shiloh vet
GRAMS and not a man or them but admitted he
was surprised, excepting a few who had been
in several such skirmishes before and with
their war experience had ceased 10 be surprised
at anything. In fact i am inclined TO believe
that If our Generals could be persuaded TO tell
the honest truth, every fellow would confess lac
deed underwent series Of surprises all the
day through, and would not have been much
worse surprised in the eveningif he had found
himself as one Of these distinguished Generals
did, in the hands Of the enemy" as be after
wards modestly put it in public lectures.
Now TO the invulnerable point: If nearly
every one Of the rank and file that made up tn,
army, 10 say nothing OF the Second Lieuten
ants and Generals as far as heard from, wa
> surprised that day, was not the Federal arm,
surprisedY Nobody claims the whole army
was surprised at once, or / might yield poin
or two Of my point; but I'll bet the most sur
priscd men Of all were those who were first sur
prised, and that they were surprised others ma,
deny,-and in this i am serious,-but the mei
who were there never will deny it nor thanl
anybody 10 do IL for them.
So, really, i think the surprise part should b,
dropped from the Shiloh discussion, and, indeed
: the topic itself stopped. / am not quite sur
but il would be better 70 change the name Q
: Shiloh 10 Shelo, for we certainly caugh sheo
the first day, but universally licked the rebs tn
second day.-A. ii. SANDERS, Davenport, lows
, The 10th Mich. Cav. Was Not at CynthIana.