The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-08-01
SHILOH'S BEGINNING.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE
FEDERALS IN CAMP.

A Quiet Evening and Glorious Dawn
AT $50 In the Morning-A Sharp
Musketry Fire-The Battle Begun
surprised.
Early on Saturday, April 5, 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
~ofhcer 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
something 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
tie 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-
1ES sleep on the night of the 5th 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
belonging to one of our field officers
startled me. l jumped up, and there be-
yond the Tennessee beheld as glorious a
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
awakening-ahl Billy Burke climbs into
wagon a little distance to the south
ward, and with his polished copper bugle
sounds the reveille as it was never heard
before in the army of the Tennessee. The
last notes of the bugle had scarcely rolled
away IN grand reVerberations when the
thud or dozen axes were heard prepar-
Ing fuel for 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 a 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 alOngt trough Hurlbut's division
The boys were making al fresco toillettes;
the camp kettles hang oTer a thousand
fires and the veterans" crowded to the
end of their company streets" and
fraternaily gave the newcomers
warm welcome by clapping of
hands, and the usual inquiry: "What
regiment" what >istate?" "BuIly 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 our right. diminishing" was
she remark. A laugh followed. We con.
tinued onward; we saw a number of tents
through the trees to our right; more on
our left. Filing abruptly from the road
20 the left we entered a}pretty piece of I'M
dulating land and soon after halted upon
the ridge of an orchard, at the base of
which bright stream ran gurgling to
the river.
TUE 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.
Tho general had hardly gone 100 yards
wher the diminishing" and the
"pickit firing" burst into ter
rife oar of cannon. We were about
to p. "a our tents, when from the woods
on tt a other side of the stream a vOlley
came over our heads which sounded Ike
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 ravine and
ascend into an opening was the work OF a
few moments.
Inc DdGlle OF onion ndU Degun. ABOUT
2 o'clock p. M, after 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 were 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. He was carried to the rear
after being relieved. In front and flank
the enemy poured brisk ire into our
ranks which cut US down by the score. It
was breckenridge brigade against a reg.
iment. A battery on our right opened on
the enemy, but he steadily advanced
while we sUllenly retired, badly hanI-
mered it is true, with the red flag e a
Louisiana regiment in advance, whose
bearer seemed to have a charmed life.
Near this place and about this time of the
day Gen. Albert Sidney johnson fell
mortally wounded We were the last
troops brought into line of battle on the
a. on the first day.-Ex-Consul Terrell
- Philadelphia Times.
~antIons Concerning Bathing,