Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-25
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.
The Great Fight Depicted ON Canvass
in Chicago.
A Democrat" Reporter Interviews
General Prentiss on Incidents
Thereto.
An Opinion on the Century" Article
of Grant In Regard to McCook.


Those who visit Chicago without seeing
Mon. NJ. Pailpot's latest panorama
The Battle of Shiloh"-would doubtless
turn their backs upon Rome without see
ing the Vatican, or bid goodbye to the
Zion of the Latter-day- Saints without
having seen the Mormon Temple or Tab
ernacle, after travelling thousand miles
of desert to get peep at the curiosities
of Salt Lake City. No one can afford to
miss view OF this greatest of all achieve
ments in panoramic art. Whatever there
is artistic to admire in the "Siege OF
Paris" and the "Battle OF Gettysburg"
on this side the Atlantic, and all there is
of excellence in the several noted pano-
ramas on the continent OF Europe, is so
far outdone in the
MAGNIFICENT WORK OF SHILOH,
That one is led to question the fact of
their being contemporaneous. Mons.
Poilpot has years ago attained the high
est eminence reached by panoramic art
lists, but his Shiloh, on every inch of its
canvass, displays perfection which al
most places his former works in the line
OF experimental and obscure efforts.
This is all true, and those who have raved
over the realistic beauties OF any of these
other admirable panoramas, will find
Shiloh new revelation OF art. This is
due as well to the lessons learned from
the defects in his former works as to the
unprecedented painstaking of the artist,
which in this instance extended over
many long weeks OF patient devotion to
details, Imagine the labor involved in
delineating on the mammoth canvass
FIVE HUNDRED FIGURES
With the strictest regard Tor perfect like
ness in face and form to the various sub
jects. Such was the artists task here,
and those five hundred officers have been
placed in the respective positions which
they occupied in the engagement with
80 near an approach to perfection that in
great number OF cases visitors to the
panorama have recognized and pointed
out either themselves or their command
ers in the heat OF battle. These five
hundred portraits are distributed among
several thousand others, more or less
natural, all of which have been placed
on the canvass with a faithful regard for
historical and natural details. The ar
lists marvellous perspective, his excel
lent portraiture of the field of Shiloh,
with its varied and picturesque surround
ings, and the exquisite care with which
every object is posed and located, consti-
tute an almost faultless reproduction of
THAT BLooDIEsT OF THE CONFLICTS
In the war of the Rebellion. The battle
field of Shiloh, which covered an area of
perhaps forty or more square miles, is
here brought within q radius of little
more than one hundred yards, and by the
almost incomprehensibl ingenuity OF the
artist is made to appear in all its natural
ness of beauty, as these brave soldiers
beheld it on that memorable Spring
morn when, arrayed in silent suspense
they awaited the signal fora conflict that
was destined to leave thousands OF their
numbers lying cold and inanimate on the
broad expanse OF fields and meadows.
The different divisions of both armies
may be easily pointed out by those at all
familiar with the geography OF the en-
gagement, and to aid this and to secure Il
complete view OF the entire country from
the elevated rotunda where spectators
stand, the artist has introduced most
novel feature which adequately exposes
to view an almost exact topography
from Gen. w. III. Wallace's division on
the extreme north to away beyond the
old Corinth road, where Gen. Prentiss
and his command so stubbornly held
their ground all day long ON that mem
orable 9th of April.
TIE PANORAMA REPRESENTS THE ENGAGE
MENT
As it was at about o'clock on the after
noon of the 9Th, when after eight hours
desperate and persistent charging the
Confederate forces were routing the entire
line OF the Federal army. Only General
Prentiss' division refused to retreat be.
fore the pitiless and relentless onslaught
OF the enemy, and that resolute stand
gained for his position, on that day, the
name OF "The Hornets Nest" and also
resulted in his being captured with his
two thousand faithful warriors, early
in the evening, while the rest OF the Fed
eral forces succeeded in retreating in
safety. This feature Of the battle is men.
toned because it cuts an important figure,
both in the panorama and in the explain
atory and descriptive lectures.
GENERAL PRENTIss
is perhaps the most conspicuous figure on
the canvass, and appears in the immed
ate foreground, mounted on his dashinp.
white charger, hat and sword in hand
cheering his men on in their repellant
defense OF what had been all along con.
sidered the key to the Federal stronghold
and position. A stranger may easily
learn who this gallant-looking officer il
by listening to the lecture, for General
Prentiss himself is the lecturer, and the
extreme constituencies and modesty
| which he manifests when in his descrin
tons he points to "The Hornets Nest"
would readily betray the fact before n
name is mentioned
The lecturer is not what is usually
called eloquent, but when touching on
the capture OF 1.-THE Hornets Nesp and
the unwarranted and infamous misrepre.
| sensations connected with it, which have
crept into history, his earnest and pa.
thetic entrcaties and protestations are as
powerful as the eloquence of Demosthe.
mes. lie becomes equally worked M
when referring to General Grant. and his
emotion while denouncng the pernicions
accusations which have been made
against the hero OF Shiloh and his con-
duct on that eventful Sunday, awaltens
the sympathy OF Union and Confederate
| alike. General Prentiss is essentialIv a
| Grant man" and his eyes I'M viii
tears and his voice trembles as he do.
lends the reputation and fame of "the
greatest commander the world has eve,
produced"-to use his own Language.