The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-26
SHHOH'S BEGINNING.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE
FEDERALS IN CAMP.

Musketry Fire-The Battle Begun
Surprised.
Early on Saturday, April 8, 1862 we
passed Savannah, the headquarters of the
general commanding; at noon we made
fast to Pittsburg Landing. About an
hour afterward we landed, or rather
marched up the steep bluff, and encamped
200 feet south of the landing. Four com
panies, with our ammunition and tents,
were sent forward to the advance of the
whole army, extreme left of Pentiss' di-
vision. l was appointed Immediately
~oflicer of the day" of the remaining six.
This was our first day upon the soil of
Tennessee.
Soon as we had selected our quarters"
upon the smooth grass, with the fair
blue sky overhead, we set about getting
sonnet thing to eat and drink. The night
soon fell and, as its shades began to creep
from the east, the merry soldiers near the
landing departed for their respective regi-
ments; the stove was closed; the suffers
under canvas let down "the flies" and
covered up their truck; the men riding
horses trotted into the budding woods;
the shades grew nearer, but all was
quiet, save an occasional shot to the
southwest This. and only this, broke
the stiffness of the early evening of the
eve of the battle of Shiloh.
Not a sound of battle upon the air, no
vision of to-morrow's strife mingled with
the first slumbers of the Union thou
sands as they gathered their blankets
around them and sank into sweet, sooth-
ing sleep on the night of the 9Th of April.
1862. In the morning the rustling of
harness, the patter of the mules, indicated
that those useful, hardy animals were re-
freshed; yet the darkness was still in
tense.
GLORIOUS DAWN.
a loud whinny from big gray horse
belor ging TO one of our field officers
startled me. 1 jumped up, and there be-
yond the Tennessee / beheld as glorious n
dawn as ever mortal eyes beheld. In a
few moments the sun rose over the dusky
landscape and rent the network of night
Birds twittered and sang in the recesses
of the ash and the elms; the camp was
awakeniDg-ahl Billy Burke climbs into
a wagon ii little distance to the south
ward, and with his polished copper bugle
sounds the reveille as 1t was never heard
before i'll the army of the Tennessee. The
last notes of the bugle had scarcely rolled
away in grand reverberations when the
thud of al dozen axes were heard prepar-
ing fue! Tor the matutinal meal. Six
hundred men making their toilet al fresco
was curious scene. 1t was the first
time they had to sleep upon the ground
and dress" in public. Alas! it was the last
night and first of more than score of
these jocund hearts, who kept bantering
each other upon the mirror he was using,
the kind of soap he had and the scent of
the oil he put into his hair.
1t was fully $50 o'clock in the morning
when we set out toward our camp. We
didn't know where it lay. We didn't ask
many questions about it as we briskly
marched aiongt through Hurlbuts division
The boys were making al fresco toillettes;
the camp kettles hung o-er a thousand
fires and the veterans" crowded to the
end of their company streets" and
gave the newcomers
a warm welcome by clapping of
hands, and the usual inquiry: What
regiments' What stateg' Bully for
your etc. But no preparation to repel an
enemy. We had barely cleared the line
of tents when a sharp musketry fire was
heard on Cur right. "Skirmishing," was
the remark. A laugh followed. We con-
tinued onward; we saw n number of tents
through the trees to our right; more on
our left. Filing abruptly from the road
to the left we entered a pretty piece of I'M
land and soon after halted upon
the ridge of an orchard, at the base Of
which a bright stream ran gurgling 90
the river.
THE BATTLE BEGUN.
Again the muskets rang out. The gen.
erals horse reared and almost threw the
rider, who slightly changed color as he
firmly held the reins and guided the
frightened animal, which Immediately
dashed into the thicket on the right, fol-
lowed by the aide-de-camp He was Ben
Prentiss. Of Quincy, Ills.
when the diminishing" and the
picket firing" burst into u ter
rifle roar of cannon. We were about
to pitch our tents, when from the woods
on the other side of the stream n volley
came over our heads which sounded like
the whirring of partridge. We heard no
shot in our immediate front. We saw no
one To fall in, take our musketS and re-
tire by the left flank down a ravine and
ascend into an opening was the work of a
few moments.
The battle of Shiloh had begun. About
O'Clock p. m, after a long tramp in the
sun, we moved forward and halted Am
balances passed us with their freight of
human suffering, and blood oozing from
the floor joints. Forward and halt
again for the order. Still the guns thun-
dered and the wounded We're borne past
us pale and powerless, but tenderly cared
for by all. Forward once more. Halt
and lie dow. a sudden volley ON our left
found its way to our front. In an instant
we were on our feet The first man to
fall was the color-bearer, but he rallied
on the instant, while the blood from his
forehead tinged the flag he held with an
iron grip. lie was carried to the rear
after being relieved. In front and flank
the enemy poured q brisk fire into our
ranks which cut us down by the score 1t
was breckenridge brigade against a reg
iment. y battery on our right opened on
the enemy, but he steadily advanced
willie we sullenly retired, badly ham
mered it is true, with the red flag of a
Louisiana regiment in advance, whose
bearer seemed to have charmed life
Near this place and about this time of the
day Gen. Albert Sidney johnson fell
wounded. We were the last
troops brought into line of battle on the
left on the first day.-EX-Consul Terrell
In PHILADELPHIA Times