New-York tribune., 1886-03-04
BUELL. ON SHERMAN AND GRANT
PITTSBURG LANDING.
THE STORY TOLD By THE GENERAL WHO
SAVED THE DAY

h mara a, lass net yitv FOR somc years, chiefly among
the generals who wero dIscontentcd alike WITH INC
Army verdict aud with the popular verdict at th't ut
upon their performance, is the article contributed ts
rnn,n T., The Century Magoste by General Don Chio'
Buel tho general In command OF the Army OF to ONO
General Buclls opening statement sndm'r1cS MS view
NJ the conflict to elaboration OF whleh MS aIo oi
thirty. five crowded magazine pages Il devoted:
An army comprising seventy regiments OF ihlahty'
twenty batteries OF artillery. aud suiooncy OF c"vay
Law foI two weeks and more III Isolated etps, Wi.n ia
,iyer In its rear and hostile army claimed 10 TIC
snrerim in numbers twenty mics distant III le ou'
while the commander made his heaiquarters 40" psStG, &
river II had no line or order OF hatle no GcoislNc
works OF any OutpOss. properly speaking 10 give
warning OF check the advance OF an ehclh!, ana no
recognized head during the absence OI tHc FoEud e"n
msn5lrr On a Saturday the hostile force arrived ana
foImcd u order OF battle without detection or drance
within a mile and bali OF tho unguarded army, az
vancoI upon next morning. penetrated It's docon
nscted lines assaulted its camps front and flank,
drove Its dsOinted members successfully from JoS
to position capturing some aud routing otnerS III sv
OF mue heroic individual resistance and st"ny arc"
near the apding and depot Of It's supplies Ia TIC pocket
inoment near the close day when the remnant OF
rle retrOgrhding ARMY @as driven 10 rei,o m M ~ hall
of It's magazines, with the triumphsht eheny ~ man
cunshot distance the advance division OF rrihIorcinE
army arrived on the opposite bank OF the river croSse
and TOOK nnson under fire at the point % attack; the
attacking force checked, and tie Oato ctaSeu ~"
the day The next morning at dawn the
nrmy and a fresh division teOnging tc the defeated
fCrce advanced against tue aSsallants lolo"eu OF
yos dav as nai not lost all cohesion aud after ten
hours OF conflict drove the enemy from tAo capture"
sncR arc the salient points in the popular conception
ana historical record OF the battle OF Shiloh scaieeB
1as rnuarKabe than tho themselves are the means
by which the responsible actors IN the cr!tcdL ud'
have endeavored to cOunteract them AT society re-
n"inns an festive entertainments. in newspaper ncr-
views and dispatches in letters and cOntIlhutOhs 10
anois and oHrr popular sketches the battle of Shiloh
from the of the battle TO the present le HAS
been invaded by pretensons ana eNGuIpaoty @ STAT w.
,nepts which revive the discussion oul to confirm tir
OF the grave ins tDat nonS tnn. n
first apparently halt suggested In the zeal OF Ocal at
tendnts and other palsans' were W. Sooa Laf thew wers
less directly by me persons Im ,I Iociared y tho
put ward; and now Is virtually declateu ~ VIC
irincipals themselves tnat the Arny OF he ono was an
UNNECESSARY intruder in tho battle and that the blood
OF more two thousand OF us heOcrs SHou oh "''
field was gIatuitous sacrihce.
SELECTING THn RENDI ZvOUs OF TWO ARMIES.
General Buell. begins by tracing tile new lines neees
CARLY formed by the rebels after their defeat by General
Thomas at Mill Springs and by Geuera Grant ht fort
Doneson II will be noticed that he cIitlclses severely
the action of General Grant and General sherman III
converting the expediu nary encamment at flusours
Landing into rendezvous for the two arnies-a
criticism which was made with great force at the te
aud has never been satisfactorily answered by anybody
While this new defence the enemy and the means OF
assaIlIng by the Union forces wero nhurns Genela
command OF General C. f. smith, were transported up
the Tennessee by water TO operate on tne ehu @
road eOmmuuca0ns was luie! an n
service not Intended fer the selection OF rendezvous W
depot for future operations. AeT h Sum yer
de6ark other points frher up lhe lSer' .t,se @ t
Iardng was finally chosen as the most elEIoIe LOT thc
tenn
enemy at Coruth made that lle oneStno POM tancro o
deliberate campaign. and the cooperation Oh General
Taleck's troops and niue was hrfahge'' on m
The east river was designated Dy heck 1s
the point OF rendezvous TINS though not ;.s
mint a Fpreuce or point between Florence dud
Eastpor in a general sense proper. IL laeu9' @ no
concentration under tBe shelter oi tne II. M .oI u o 40
guuhoats, and left tue combined IOrco az HoeIl! 10
ohoose It's point Oi crossln- and line OF attack
on tho restoration OF General Grant 10 the lmmeu'tc
command of the troops aud his arrival at savannah on
the l7tn Of March, lie con eried ine eHlemu"ntaIS,
encampment at PittsbUrg Landing into the point OF
a tie
on the side OF the rver M prenty on the ADVICE l
General sherman, who, with his DIVISION was atcau!
there. Nothing can be sIit upon any RUE % military
common expediency to )usy tlnl aIranssirnu ,
An invading army may, indeed as lle',mIaiS& m & S'o'
throw inferior force in advance NJ on the enemy
other necessary foothOdi Dut 10 suGu easo ] .u M
duty Of tue advanced force Is to make se secure ny
point OF such necessity desraby as to Iequre any
flax or any great expenditure OF means Tor us occHpa
1t Lad no business ,i % he M ;and for He neglect OF
all PROPER TO Make ii secure against superior
adversary General Grant continued his headquarters
oS;ro an PtsSnrc Landing shermans rank
allow him the comnani but he was authorized 10 assign
the arriving regiments 70 hrgades aud divisions AS ne
might think best and designate the camping grounds III
these and other ways hc exercised an Important hu
upon the late OF The army
RrrIJ ARRIVES Al A CRITICAL JUNCTURE.
The reader who ears mind the fac: that the battle
OF Pittsburg Landing occurred the 9th and 9TH OF
April will the significance OF the following
staements by General Buell. concerning General Grants
messages 10 one vi Hin, iuOi'S' e""OA"'N'O' CIV ~
Buell. himself:
ON the 4th General Nelson received notification from
General Grant that need not hasten his march as he
could not put the river be0rc tue following
Tuesday, but the rate o. march Was not ch9hsed
General Buell. says that lie arrived at Savannah ou tho
evening OF 5th What he learned Oh going into camp
with his advanced division was tnis:
General Grant had been at Nelson's camp before ny
arrival and said lie would send boats for the division
Monday Tuesday, or some time early III the week
There WILL" he said, be fight at PIttsburg Landing;
fortified II they come to attack US we can whip them
Fort Donclson" / did not see General Grant that
eyehingprobably because he was at Pittbnle Landing
when arrived, but he had made an appointment 10
meet me next day
In striking contrast was the following message which
he received the next morning:
"PiT1sBURG, April q. 1862. .-GESFRAL: The attack on
my forces has been very spirited Since early ths morn
Ing. The appearance OF resh troops on the held now
would have powerful effect, both by inspiring our men
and disheaI teung the enemy 1t you Will get upon the
field leaving all your baggage on the east banK Oi the
river 4, will be 10 our advantage ana possibly
save the day to us. The rebel forces are estimated ot
be ia the log buldin, on tue tor the hi you
will be furnished sia officer 10 guide you TO your place
on 'ho H0'u ''''p0O'''-'' t. s GBAsr, Maj Gen"
General Buers recital Of what followed contains some
points OF extreme Interests
About halfway up met stream Of fueitives that
poured constantly swelling current along the west
bank Of the river The mouth OF Snake Greek was fu OF
them swimming We arrived at the Landing about
O'Clock inquired Tor General Grant ana was IN
formed that he on hIs headquarters boat nearly
against Whcn We ndu Idnueu went on DOdVu anu was
met by him door OF the ladies' cabin. III which
there beside himself two or three members OF his
staff Other officers may hayc entered after
ward. He appeared to realize that he was beset
by a pressing danger. and manifested by manner more
than in words he relieved by my arrival in
dcatng the near approach OF succor; hut there was
nothing his department. that the circumstances would
not have justified without dsparageent to the charac
ter OF a courageous soldier Certainly tbsre was none
OF that mastery confidence which has since been as
eumed with reference the occasion After the first
sautation and wa ked 10 seat, he remarked that
ne had lust In from the front, ana held up his
sword call my attention TO an lndentatlOn
which he said the scabbard had received from
a shot / did particularly notice 1t, aud
after auirng about the progress Of the battle aud re-
QuestBg him to send steamers to bring up Crttenden
1iyleion, which coming into Savannah as LETT. l
proposed that should ashore As We reached the
gaugway noticed that the horses or himself ana his stan
were being taken ashore He mounted and rode away,
wh,e walked up the hill; 80 that saw him no more