Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-06-27


line during the momentary lull encouraging
the men to make gallant stand, he heard
a well-known voice growing:
why IN thunder didn't they Civ a Teller
a chance ter git a bite ter eat afore they
driv US inter this fight"
"Oh, shet yer mouth, Max, ur gunner'n
think it's cannon n ram swab inter it,"
said cheerful voice at his side. The
Colonel recognized the gray locks and
SLOUGH hat as belonging 70 Arkansaw Tom.
" Thank God the brave old fellow is stlll
alive" said the Colonel.
The enemy was determined TO follow up
every advantage they had gained, and
again poured down upon the army they had
driven from it's position. Hooting, yelling,
shouting and screaming like SO many fiends
let loose from the internal regions, they
again struck the Union line Of battle. The
roar OF firearms and laundering crash Of
artillery made the earth and heavens
quake.
This was Shiloh all day long. u was az
if hell had suddenly been uncapped, and
fiends, fire and sulphur turned upon the
earth. Shot and shell flew like rain among
the men and trees. There was no distinct
nring, but terrific, continuous roar, while
the whole horrible scene was at times
vailed by cloud Of smoke From out the
lines OF white vapor there issued continu-
Gus Jets of flame which ran along from
line to line, never entirely dying away.
:" My Godi what a scene p cried an officer
near Colonel Mason.
Well might he so exclaim. AS a soldier
who was IN the hornets nest once said TO
the writer
IN sOGS q day in heRo'
The incessant roar, the crash of cannon,
falling Of branches ana even trees, cut
down by the artillery the dying mon and
horses, and rivulets so tiuged by human
gore as TO look like streams OF blood, with
piles Of slain in every direction, made
it seem like day in perdition. The half of
Shiloh never has been. and never can be
told. Ten thousand incidents escape the
minds of narrators every time they at
tempt its description. The narrator only
remembers that for hours the earth trem-
bled, and men fell like grass before the
scythe. Friend and foe were at times so
intermingled that il was difficult to tell one
from the other. Blinded by smoke, deafened
by acknowledgement and burning with
thirst they scarce were humans. The forest
was filed with small game, such as abound
in the woods. The poor little birds and ami
Gus roar and din, seemed incapable OF
flight.
Luke saw birds sitting on limbs from
which they refused TO stir until knocked of
by the soldiers or hit by q stray shot.
Hares were so frightened that they sat
crouched upon the ground until kicked over
by the soldiers and then they would only
hop away a short distance and crouch TO the
earth again, too much terrified to leave the
field.
1t seemed to Luke the longest day of his
life. IL seemed as if Joshua had again COM
manded the sun to stand still, and that il
would never go down. Oh, that night or
Buell. would come was the prayer of both
officers and soldiers, for every body real
lied that this was Waterloo for one of the
armies in the field.
IL was five O'clock in the evening, and the
Federals on the right and left of General
Prentiss' brigade had fallen back, and the
rebels taking the advantage they had over
the brigade, swung their lines around
to the rear of il. Luke discovered that
their object was TO flank them, and with
what remained of his regiment succeeded
in cutting his way through TO the rear, thus
escaping capture; for almost all the re-
mainder of the brigade was taken-with
them brave old General Prentiss.
1t was nearly night when they finally fell
back under bluff on which Colonel J. ID.
w ebster, of General Grants staff, had ar
ranged about twenty-five pieces of artillery.
These cannon soon added their thunder to
the general din. Luke was sure he had
never seen artillery handled so effectually
before. Their grape and canister moved
down the Confederates, checked them, and
saved the Union army.
Thus ended day OF carnage. When
night came the firing had almost ceased.
A cold rain fell during the night, but men
lay in their ranks on their arms, while all
over the field went up the most piteous
cries and groans of wounded that ever ear
heard.