The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-04-02
SHILOH REVIEWED.
Buell. and Sherman In the Evening of tn
First Day ut shiloh.


Under the title of '.Shiloh Reviewed.
General ID. G. Buell. contributes to the
March Century his account of probably
the most disputed battle of our war.
From it we quote us follows: ''In the
dusk of the evening after the close of
the engagement on Sunday, | walked
out with my chief-of-statl, following the
road and the line Of the troops. My OBJ
ject was to gain information by which
to determine the formation of my divis-
ions, and | not only observed all that
could see at such an hour, but | made
inquiry as ! passed along. | came TO
Hurlbut's left five hundred yards from
the river; | passed to the front and
came to troops that answered as Me
Clernand's, and WHICH supposed ut the
time TO constitute his division, but
which were probably his First Brigade
only; / passed to the front of these
troops, and when turned in toward
the road again, came upon Sherman's
line, us il happened, not far from where
he was, and was conducted to him. 1t
was then growing dark. Judge the
distance to have been about thrce-quar-
tiers of mile from the river-less than
half a mile from Hurlbut's left, and
think now that il was near the camp of
COl.Sweeney's regiment, the Fifty-second
Illinois, that found General Sherman.
1.-The impression made upon my mind
by that interview has remained us vivid
as the circumstances were peculiar. |
had no thought of seeing Gen. Sherman
when set out, but on that very score
was glad to meet him, and l was there
TO gain information. by what precise
words sought and he gave it, would
not pretend at this day to repeat. 1t is
sufficient for the present To say that
learned the nature of the ground i'm
front; that his right flank was some
three hundred yards from us; and that
the bridge by which Lew. Wallace was
to cross Snake Creek was TO his right
and rear mt an angle, as he pointed, of
about forty degrees. l do not know
whether l asked the question, but l
know now that it was mile and
quarter from his flank, and that he did
not cover it i'm any practical sense,
though in advancing Wallace would APP
proach by his right and rear.
"Of course we talked of other Incl
dental matters. i'm all his career he
has, | venture TO say. never appeared
to better advantage. There was the
frank, brave soldier, rather subdued,
realizing the critical situation in which
causes of some sort, perchance his own
fault chiefly, had placed him, but ready,
without aiiectation or bravado, To do
anything that duty required of him. He
asked me what the plans were for the
morrow. i answered that was going
TO attack the enemy ut daylight, and he
expressed qualification ut my reply,
though apparently not because OF any
unmixed confidence i'm the result l had
had no consultation with General Grant,
and knew nothing of his purpose. |
presumed that we would be in accord,
but had been only few hours within
the limits of his authority, and did not
look upon him as my commander,
though 1 would zealously have obeyed
bis orders. General Sherman allowed
me to take with me the map of which a
fac-simile accompanies this article, /
never imagined that in the future IL
would have the interest which now ut
tachos to it, and after the battle it was
laid aside and forgotten.
within two years after that meeting,
quite contrary opinions developed them
selves between Gen. sherman and my
self concerning the battle of Shiloh, and
his Memoirs give different account of
the interview above described. He says
that he handed the map to my engineer
officer, Captain Michlcr, who in fact,
was not present, and complains that it
was never returned to him. He says
that grumbled about the stragglers,
and that he feared would not bring
my army across the river. One would
suppose that his fears would have been
allayed by the fuct that ut that very
moment my troops were arriving and
covering hfs front as fast as legs and
steamboats, could carry them"