The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-05-27

is abundant evidence both from Union and
Confederate sources, 10 prove that Gen.
Prentisss troops were in line of battle soon
after daylight, and when the pickets fell
back the whole line was advanced one-fourth
of mile before the battle commenced in
their front The 2lst and 25th Mo. and part
of the 10th Wis were sent out the evening
before TO reinforce the pickets, and, according
10 the best Confederate authorities they at
tackled the rebel outposts and brought on
the battle. According 10 the same authority
they held the Confederate advance at bay for
an hour, after which they fell back TO their
division. The first line sent against Prentiss
was shattered, and not until the
SECOND LINE OF FRESH TROOPS
attacked Prentiss did he fall back and aban-
don his camp, which was at about a. m.
But we viii let Gen. Pnentiss speak for him
self The following is an extract from an
address delivered by him at Cincinnati, Jan.
-, 1882:
/ I had been admonished on the Friday evening
/ before the battle OF Shiloh that enemy OF some
force in front On the evening of Saturday,
| before the sun had set the details made and
the order given throughout my division 10 advance
the pieNeis and strengthen them. sent 10 the
! front Col Moore with five of his companies. On
! my len two companies Of the 18th Wis. were ad
Vanced one mile 10 the front. In the center one
company Of the 6lst III and one company of the
18th Mo. were sent forward as extra pickets with
instructions 10 see If they could capture some Of
! the marauders In our front. Barry sunday morn
! ing had heard the musketry firing of hot skir-
nshing In our front, when an Orderly came gallop-
ing into camp. General, the compliments of Col.
Moore. lie requests me TO say 20 you that he has
met The enemy. send him his utherfiv companies.
and he will lick them" I sent him The other five
/ companies of his regiment. The long roll was inn
mediaiey beaten aud the division was put in line
Of battle. The right brigade. under Col. Peabody,
was sent 20 the front TO support Moore. The battle
I bppan 10 with The entire division "
sent 10 the front one quarter of mile in advance of
/ the encampment In few moments the enemy
in sight We hatled 10 the best Of our ability.
After two hours and half Of terrible struggling
upon that field the troops my left began TO give
way, and the enemy poured in between US and we
Were gradually forced back for about onefourth of
mile back of our encampmenis A woTnout road
proved excellent defense of natural rifie-pits, an
! which my men, all from the country, took posi-
ton"
They held this position against all the
Confederate troops massed against them un-
! I'll late in the evening, when Gen. Preniiss
was surrounded and taken prisoner with
what remained Of his command.
There remain but two more brigades to
notice that were on the front line. Col.
Stewart commanded the Second Brigade Of
Sherman's Division, which was encamped on
the extreme left near the Tennessee River,
and Col. Mcdowell the First Brigade, joining
our brigade on the extreme right AS the
/ first attack was made near the center Of our
line, it gave the troops on the fanks
AMPLE TINE TO PREPARE
for the conflict before the battle reached
them; therefore il is useless TO hunt for the
sleeping soldiers in their camps.
One of our most prominent military critics,
who has not been partial to either Gems
Grant or Sherman, in his criticism of the
! life of the Confederate Gen. A. s. Johnston
by his son, Col w. p. Johnston, sums up the
subject as follows:
Col. w. j. Johnston states that Gen. A. 6. John
/ ston timed the first gun. which was az IA minutes
past O. He quotes Col. Preston, Of Gen. Johnsion's
/ staff. saying that Pren;iss camp was captured
/ between aud q. m. Gen. sherman says About
a. m. became satisfied for the FIRST time that the
enemy designed determined attack the whole
/ camp"
This was when he saw the advancing line
A singular time for the army TO be asleep.
in conclusion j would state that letter
lies before me from Gen. Buckland, dated
/ April 5, 1880, in which be says:
No more courageous lighting was ever done than
was done by the 4sih. 70th aud I'D Ohio on Sunday
4 morning al Shiloh. We drove The enemy back
repeatedly and held our line until ordered back
/ the Purdy road. ] do not think our brigade has
ever received from the public the credit il deserves
fOr the first three hours fight