St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-12
The True Story Of the Big
Scoop" of Maj. William
Carroll.
Gen. Grant Sleeps on a Bench
the Night After the
Battle.
Buell's TreaeherouS Hostility
--GPant on the Field at
$50 A. II.
CaproIFs Pepopt Of the Fight
CarrolIs Report Of the Fight
First Appears in the New
York Herald.

Washington Post.
The author of what the New York
Herald claimed, at the time, was the
greatest piece of newspaper enterprise
ever witnessed in connection with the
reporting of a great battle, is resident
of Washington. This man is Maj. Will
lam o. Carroll, now clerk in the pension
Office. 1t was the major who wrote and
put upon the wire the first report OF the
battle of Pittsburg Landing, or, as it
was afterwards called, the battle of
Shiloh.
AS compared to the work of the Her
aid in publishing an interesting story of
the battle of Shiloh forty. eight hours in
advance Of all other publications, the
work Of the London Times dwindled
into insignifcance. The Herald also
stated that the government depended
upon the report of the Herald for its in
formation, which its editor had sent to
President Lincoln, and which the presi-
dent had, in turn, transmitted to the
senate and house of representatives,
then in session. How Maj. Carroll came
TO achieve this triumph is an exceed
ingly interesting story.
Early in April of 1862 Maj. Carroll.
who had been at Island No. 10 for the
New York Herald. met Gen. Logan
there after he had been wounded at
Fort DoneIson. The general had been
made a brigadier general, and by
previous arrangement Maj. Carroll
Joined him as a member of his staff.
Gen. Logan went to Fort DonelSOn on
business matters and ordered Carroll to
20 up the river to Savannah, Tenn,
and to report TO Gen. Grant as one Of
Logan's aids.
Before this, however, Carroll had met
the great soldier and gained his conf
dence, and was the only newspaper
man in his cabin about the Goth of
March. 1862, when Grant was presented
with the sword of brlgadier general.
That sword is now in the National
museum in this city. and Maj. Carroll
says it was no proper Identification
further than that it is portion of the
effects of Grant. He has expressed the
intention OF furnishing its history to the
museum.
i Post reporter met Mai. Carroll. and
found him in q reminiscent mood. When
asked to tell this interesting story he
did so as follows:
Buell. PurpOseIy Delayed His March
Gen. Logan went over to Fort Don
elSOn and started Tor Savannah, reach
ing there about daybreak the morning
of April g. 1862. | reported at Gen.
Grants headquarters to Adjutant Raw
Inns. afterwards his secretary of war,
with whom at that time | was well &C
Quainted. BuelPs army arrived in the
rear of Savannah the night of the 9Th,
although he had been due by ordinary
marches some eight OF ten days preyi-
Gus. This march, / believe, was pur-
posely delayed by the commanding
officer of that army"
The MAYOR then recited number of
incidents of the first days fight; how,
when he got III from a short stroll, he
heard firing and saw Grant embark on
his headquarters boat to 90 up the river
to see what the trouble was. The maj or
asked permission to accompany the eX-
petition, and did so. Gen. Lew Wal
lace's command was found at Crump's
Landing and ordered to await instruc-
tons. Gen. Grant reached Pittsburg
Landing at $50, and not, Maj. Carroll
insists, at noon, as has been claimed.
After going through much of detail of
that famous first days fight, and reciting
the details of the artillery duel engaged
in between the enemy and the heavy
guns of the Union forces, which were
not mounted until late in the day, and
which then done such effective work,
the major related an incident that will
be of interest.
1t has long been a matter of dispute
as to the whereabouts of Gen. Grant on
the night of the first days fight. Maj.
Carroll relates that that night the head
rfa Iva n viii Of
log, the only mark bywhich they could be
located. Here the officers slept in hard
rain. During the night Grant and Car
roll arose and went to the log house
used as an hospital, in which Rawlins
had already taken refuge. The major,
speaking Of this incident, said:
The general was utterly exhausted
and had no insignia of rank upon him,
and l thought it best he should not be
known, for l wanted him to get good
nights rest. l attempted to get place
for him to sleep. but could not. | found
bench large enough for two and sat
down upon it, the general by my side.
He fell asleep and | took his head in
my arms and held him there for four OF
five hours, only revealing his identity
to his adjutant, Rawlins. He was in
quired for time and again, but no one
knew he was there but myself and Raw
Inns, and we thought he needed the
sleep and let him have it.
Finally, at the approach of day, an
Ofhcer came in saying that he was posi-
tive Grant was there, and that he had
information that the commanding officer
must be possessed of. | called RaWlins
and we awOke the general. He held a
short conference with the officer and Is
sued an order for firing to begin at day
break. Despite all the reports to the
contrary there was where Gen. Grant
spent that night-getting the rest he so
much needed.
1.-The result of the second DAYS fight
Is matter of history" continued the
major, "but there are some circum-
stances connected with that victory that
should be noticed. On the first day the
enemy got possession of our camp and
all our supplies, and the largest amount
OF suffers goods ever found in the Army
of the Tennessee. The Confederates
had revelry that night if ever an army
had one. So it happened that in the
morning great part of that army was
drunk and had lost a whole nights rest
by beng Shelled byOur gunboats. This
left them in an exhausted condition. al
though they were our superior in num-
bers. In the meantime Wallace came
fight the enemy was in retreat"
The Enemy in Retreat.
This brought the major I'D 10 the
newspaper part of his story. In the
afternoon of this day, while the enemy
was in retreat, he was in ravine off the
COrinth road, and met Gen. Buell. and
his staff. Knowing the whereabouts of
this officer it so happened that he again
hnt ~ ION i
delivery of certain orders, and a colloouv
took place between Gen. Buell. and Car
roll, in which the officer catechiZed Car
roll as to the purpose of Gen. Grant. To
these questions the major was unable
TO give answer, but stated that Grants
troops were too exhausted to pursue the
enemy and capture them, if it could be
done within five miles. Continuing,
Maj. Carroll said:
~ had a further conversation with
Buell's staff officers, and discovered the