The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-20
WALLAOE'S THIRD DIVISION.
The General at Last Speaks Publicly in
Response to Numerous Critics.
The Delay in Reaching the Field of Shiloh the
Direct Result of obeying Orders from Gen.
Grant-A Night of Awful Suspense.
Special to the indianapolis. Journal.

| Special to the indianapolis Journal
| BosToN, Oct 19.-Gen Lew Wallace has many
times refused to speak publicly in reply to criti-
| cisms of his commanded the third divisional
| the battle Of Shiloh. He finally made an excep-
ton in favor of John A. Andrew Post, 15 of this
city, and this evening ne kept his engagement
before a large and highly interested audience in
| fremont Temple. Plunging at once into the
midst of his subject, General Wallace
| explained that the Army of the Tennessee
was composed. in the spring of 1862. Of six di
visions. He commanded the third. Five divis-
ions were with General Grant at Pittsburg Land
ing, and his own was at Crump's Landing, six
miles below. Previous to the battle of April g.
when General Wallace rendered his report of the
| first day. in which he had failed to reach Pitts
| burg Landing in due time, General Grant put
an Endorsement on it which reflected seriously
upon the commander of the third division. 1t
was stated by newspaper correspondents, at the
time, that General Wallace had lost his road and
thus failed to reach the point Of engagement
General Grant subsequently wrote note which
| did much to atone for his criticism.
In explaining his delay General Wallace
said that, knowing that his division
at Crump's Landing might prove tempting
| object of attack by the enemy he had taken
great pains to be fully informed, by means Of
scouts. of the movements of the rebels, and also
to secure roads by which he could communicate
with General Grant, at Pittsburg Landing, or
with Sherman, on the right of the line. He had
| learned from the concurrent statements of
| scouts, and from other sources, that a general
movement would be attempted by the enemy on
the 9th Of April, and had taken
pains to transmit the information
to General Grants headquarters. "On the
morning of that day." continued General Wal
| lace "whan 1 met General Grant going up the
| river on his steamboat, found reason for be-
general battle was about to be fought At o'clock
| IN the morning, the hour when we met General
Grant simply directed me to be in readiness to
move in any direction. informed him that I
| was ready to move at any moment, and that
had made every preparation. During the re-
mainder of the forenoon I heard the cannon
in the distance, and I was impatient to assist
in the engagement. AT last, about IL o'clock,
the order to march came from General Grant,
but the instructions, as delivered by the mes
senger, were that the march should be taken to
the right OF the army. At noon the whole of
my division was in rapid motion in the direction
indicated After we had almost completed the
| journey we were met by an officer coming from
| General Grants headquarters. who informed me
| that the Unicn forces bad been driven
back, and that 1 should have gone
| direct to Pittsburg Landing. was
| stunned by this unexpected announcement
| but gave orders at once for a countermarch. My
men were not familiar with reverse movements
and In the countermarch the head of the line
| came to a road leading in the required direction
but which, owing to the floods was in a shock
| ing condition"
General Wallace gave a graphic description of
the long and terrible march over almost impass-
able roads, showing that it was impossible for
him to join General Grants men before evening.
Continuing the lecturer said
My first impulse, on finding myself in the
rear Of the rebel army. as proved to be
the case at the time the was
changed, was to push on and make 3
desperate attack on their rear, but my orders
left me no discretion in the matter. although
subsequently learned, in conversation with
General Grant that he would have pursued
that course under the circumstances. The
bivouac that night was the most trying in all
my experience. terrible rain-siorm came
upon us as we were ranged along the broken
and flooded roads, without a ray from the sky
or even a campfire to light the way"
In the closing portion of his lecture General
Wallace intimated that the developments ON the
morning of the It'll, and the subsequent admis-
sions of various officers, led him to believe that
the orders had been sent to him under mis-
taken impression as to the relative positions Of
the Union and rebel armies the previous day.
He felt that the great general of the war had
been obliged, like all Others to learn by severe
experience the application of the principles
which subsequently proved fruitful in results.
The tone of the lecture, as a whole was in
criticism Of General Grants course on that day.
though the lecture was unstinted in his euology
Of his commander as great soldier General
Wallace was listened to with the keenest inter-
est, and was given hearty ovation at the close