The National tribune., 1886-05-06
SHILOH.
C0mrade Lee Criticizes Gen. Buells Article on the
Famous Battle.

Famous Battle.
To THE EDITOR: Having Just read Gen. d.
c. Buells article on Shiloh" have come to
the conclusion that Grant and his army were
not there at all, and that the illustrious gentle
man whom Gen. Bragg chased back to the Ohio
River at Louisville, KY, was the great savior
of the day at Shiloh on both days of the battle.
| Now that the gallant old commander sleeps at
| Riverside, this distinguished gentleman from
| Kentucky has had a resurrection, and informs
| the American people that he was the Moses who
| led US through the wilderness at Shiloh. How
like grand !" Rip Van Wrinkle " story this long
article of BuelFs will read to the gallant army
under Grant at Shiloh, who faced death and
the overwhelming rebel forces from a. NJ. till 6
p. M while Mr.. Buell. and his army lay back at
Savannah, only eight miles away, with Lew Wal
| lace's Division at Crump's Landing, or trying
| TO find their way to US, when the battle was
raging fiercely every hour in the day, and both
these commands had been ordered by Gen.
! Grant to get upon the field early in the morn
ing; yet Nelson's Division lay at Savannah I'M
til p. NJ, and as Buell. himself did not arrive
on the field until that hour how could he have
known what was transpiring at the front, ex-
| cept by hearsay? Nelson's Division" he says,
needed guide" The roar of battle was GER
tainlya sufficient guide TO tell them where they
| were needed. He infers that Grant was not on
the field until five hours after the battle was
opened This every member of the Fourth Di-
vision knows to be false, for Gen. Grant rode
through the ranks of the 41st Ill. between the
hours of and 8 clock a.. m, and proceeded to
the right front, where he remained some time
with Sherman and McClernand. Returning, he
said to the 41st Ill. boys, "YoH will soon have
something to d." which was soon verified by
the assaults Of Breckenridge and Folks rebel
Divisions at the Peach Orchard, just left of the
Hornets Nest" where Gen. Hurlbuts gallant
Fourth Division repulsed three different charges
of ha raha hpfnra hn Urna
hero (Buell) arrived on the field. How Mr..
Buell. would like to claim the honor of having
defeated the last charge Oh Sunday evening !!
Will he please tell US how many men he lost on
that Sunday evening at Shiloh?
But what are the facts. They are that Col
]. ID. Webster, of Grants staff, under the per-
sonal direction of Gen. Grant, formed all the
batteries of artillery as they came in off the
field in a line along the brow of a ridge, where
the last line of defense was to be made, and
where Hurlbuts Division and the other divis-
ions formed to receive the final assault OF the
enemy. The siege battery had been got up and
light works thrown up, and on the right of the
line the commands of Hurlbut, Sherman and
McClernand formed. The lines in some places
were two and three columns deep, and let me say,
once and forever, that before that line could
have been broken men would have been led
on top of men, for there were no towards in
that line, but they were men who had fought
from early morning until that hour, with the
exception of having time enough to refill their
cartridge-boXeS and form the new line. The
rebel host came on expecting to capture the
army, aud when that line of artillery opened
on them with the infantry, they nor any other
troops could stand such whitening fire. Thsy
were driven back out of reach of the guns of
that line, and thus ended the last assault on the
Union troops at Shiloh on Sunday evening. 1t
is true that two reg iments of Ammen's Bri-
gade of Nelson's Division did arrive on the field
in time to send few parting shots at the fast
retreating enemy. But if there one in
these regiments wounded on that Sunday even
ing we have never heard of it. Again, Mr..
Buell. undertakes TO make light of the idea of
Gen. Grant leading charge at the close of the
struggle on Monday evening. Gen. Grant never
said he led the charge; but he did say he led
them to within musket range, and there let them
pass by and ordered them to charge, which was
done with cheers and on the run; all of which
is certainly true Mr. Buell., for !, with others,
witnessed that scene. l saw them form the
line, take Off their hats, and give three cheers
for the Union and the old flag, and then, under
orders from the gallant old commander, U. S.
Grant they swept forward like a cyclone,
sweeping everything before them, and driving
the rebel army in perfect rout from the field !;
and these troops were not the gallant Buell's
men, but were the Second Brigade of the Fourth
Division, commanded by Gen. Veatch. of In
diana, and Gen. S. A. Hurlbut, of Illinois, and
the 18th and 18th Ill. were in the charging col
umH. Now l trust l have made these points
clear to Mr.. Buell. and to ALL for was in the
line and participated and saw these things with
my own eyes, and did not get them second
handed nor from some newspaper reporter
L. Il. LEE, Secretary, 41st ILL.,, Fourth Divis-
ion at Shiloh, Cerro Gordo, Ill.