St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-12-08

front Of Il II IN open Asld. over whvcl
the Confederstss he'd 70 pass 70 attach
it. Hindmsn's brigade. which had SWEEP
everything before Il In other parts 81
the field. made the first assault, and
was repulsed with great los. A. r.
Stewards brigade shared the same fate.
Then Gibson's made several gallant
but fruitless charges that strewed tA>
ground with tho dead. Tho famous IA
hundred in their charge 1t Balaklavs
immortslised by the poets pen, dis
played no greater heroism than these.
For hve hours, under murderous fire,
With unabating fury, the Confederatea
dashed against this seemingly impreR.
nable position, like angry waves against
. rocky shore. Tho slaughter WAS ter.
rible there; the ground was hid by the
bodies OF those who fell, and the blood
ran down the trenches.
The crisis had now come. The enemy
bad been driven back In every part Of
the deld save this, and 1t seemed i'm.
possible to move them there. Gen.
Johnston rode up. and seeing the situa-
tion. said, 'They sssm to b offering
stubborn resistance here. We must give
them the bayonet Come, I will lead
you" With last great effort, and de-
terminsd purpose TO conquer or perish.
the daring Tennssseeans and noble Mis-
sissippians dashed into the open field.
The Federal line blaxed from end to
end; the attacking column withered be-
fore the hail Of lead. but never paused
until it had gained the crest and the
enemy was flying before them.
In new position they made another
stand. and with terrific nre of musket
and artillery made desperate tight to
hold their ground. One brigade held it
too long and fell into the hands Of the
Confederates. They also lost some OF
their artillery. captured BY Col. John
H. Miller's regiment Of Mississippi
cavalry.
The day was won at the cost Of tho
chieftain's life, and the Confederate he
roes wore the laurels-but only for day.
At 4 o'clock Gen. Johnston was shot
with musket ball and died from loss
Of blood. He lived to see tho whole
army driven back in utter confusion be.
fore his advancing lines.
Gen. Beauregard succeeded him in
command. A general advance Of tho
whole line would now have completed
tho victory. Wallace had fallen, and
his division had entirely lost its organi-
xstion. Sherman's was swept from the
field like chat before the wind, and
Prentiss' division Of 1900 had surren-
dered. Tho river bank was crowded
with thousands Of terror-stricken stray
glers who had thrown down their arms
and fed, like the wicked, where NO man
pursued. The whole army, officers and
men. were completely demoralised and
would have surrendered.
But IN advance WAS not made, and
the army rested whore it, leaders death
had left it; precious moments and price,
less hours slipped away; night came
and Buell. and Lew Wallace came with
thousand reinforements for
the enemy.
Gen. Beauregard. ignorant Of the ar.
rival OF Buell., renewed the battle ON
the morning Of the 7th and held the
enemy in check until two o'clock in tho
afternoon, when he realized that no
Vas fighting fresh troops. and ordered
, retreat, falling back in perfect order
70 his fortified position 1t Corinth.
Thus ended tho great battle Of Shiloh.
that promised decisive victory for tho
Southern arms. but, - ct Manassas, the
gained WAS not followed up,
nothing was achieved.
There il NO doubt that had Albert
Sidney Johnston lived four hours there
would have been . complete victory;
he fate Of the Union army would. have
,een worse than the French 1t Water
GO, and Grant would have been known
n history only - the man who lost An
'rmy 1t Shiloh.
Gen. Johnston died under . whiteoak,
he stump Of which is in the possession
Il farmer who sells chips from it to
elic hunters. A cedar tree now marks
he spot where he fell.
Az I looked upon the ground made
scred by its baptism with the blood Of
,eroes, my thoughts turned backward
o the dark days Of the war that cast it,
hadow over my childhood days and in |
/ could SEQ it, heroes.
thought Of tho poor soldiers that |
led far from home and loved ones,
Without the touch Of gentle hands and
he sound Of loving voices to soothe
hem in the hour Of death, and OF the
unering wounded that lay out upon
he cold dark field Or endured the sur
cons torturous knife and saw.
thought Of the wives that were made
and the children fatherless,
nd Of the mothers that incurred for
heir sons and refused TO be comforted
ecause they were not
thought Of the nation that perished
bat our fathers defended. Of the nag
hat We loved, and the blood that was
he'd for its glory.
As looked upon the graves Of the
outhern dead and then upon those OF
DO North, though Of the contrast BE-
ween the victor and the. wang uished.
he bones Of the Northern dead have
ing ago been gathered up and buried
, the nations beautiful cemetery.
heir graves sre marked with slabs Of
larble, and over them floats their
3untry's nag, but the FORGOTTEN dead
the Lost Cause still sleep in unknown
raves on the battle field. They have
o government to honor their memories
nd mark their last resting places, for
10 nation on whose altar they died
YES only in history and in the hears
those who fought beneath her sacred
amer. But history shall b their
onument and in future ages, when
q ph1A eh~11 havo ~eumhlnA %n duaA