The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-12-08

impossible. when he would have to sur
render. The battle was fought as
planned, and nothing but the untimely
death Of the great general-who little
knew that he carried with his life the
issue of the battle, and possibly the
fate OF nation--prevented its comr'ete
execution.
The most interesting part OF the field
t the visitor is skirt OF woods,
dense thicket mile southeast Of the
church on the crest OF hill, and known
as 'eThe Hornets Nest" Within its
shadows were massed the divisions Of
Wallace, Hurlbut and Prentiss. In
front of it is an open field, over which
the Confederates bad to pass to attack
it. Hindman's brigade, which had swept
everything before it in other parts OF
the field, made the first assault, and
was repulsed with great loss. A. P.
Stewards brigade shared the same fate,
Then Gibson's made several gallant
but fruitless charges that strewed the
ground with the dead. The famous six
hundred in their charge at Balaklava,
immortalized by the poets pen, dis
played no greater heroism than these.
For five hours, under murderous fire,
with unabating fury, the Confederates
dashed against this seemingly impreg-
nable position, like angry waves against
a rocky shore. The 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
had been driven back in every part Of
the field save this, and it seemed inn
| possible to move them there. Gen.
Johnston rode up, and seeing the situa-
ton, said, "They seem to be offering
stubborn resistance here, we must give
them the bayonet. Come, will lead
YOU" With last great effort, and de-
termined purpose to conquer or perish,
the daring Tennesseeans and noble Mis-
sissippians dashed into the open field.
The Federal line blazed 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 fire of musket
and artillery made desperate fight 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
II. Miller's regiment of Mississippi
cavalry.
| The day was won at the cost of the
chieftain's life, and the Confederate he-
roes wore the laurels-but only for day.
| At o'clock Gen. Johnston was shot
with musket ball and died from loss
of blood. He lived to see the whole
army driven back in utter confusion be-
fore his advancing lines.
Gen. Beauregard succeeded him in
command. A general advance OF the
whole line would now have completed
the victory. Wallace had fallen, and
his division had entirely lost its organi-
cation, Sherman's was swept from the
| field like chaff before the wind, and
Prentiss' division of 1900 had surren-
dered. The 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 demoralized and
would have surrendered.
But an advance was not made, and
the army rested where its leaders death
had left 1t; precious moments and price,
less hours slipped away; night came
| and Buell. and Lew Wallace came with
twenty-five thousand reinforements for
the enemy,
Gen. BedGregard, 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 the
afternoon, when he realized that he
was fighting fresh troops. and ordered
| retreat, falling back in perfect order
to his fortified position at Corinth.
Thus ended the great battle of Shiloh,
that promised decisive victory for the
Southern arms, but, as at Manassas, the
| advantage gained was not followed up,
nothing was achieved.
There is no doubt that had Albert
Sidney Johnston lived four hours there
would have been complete victory;
the fate of the Union army would have
been worse than the French at Water
loo, and Grant would have been known
In history only as the man who lost an
army at Shiloh.
Gen. Johnston died under whiteoak,
the stump of which is in the possession
of a farmer who sells chips from it to
relic hunters. A cedar tree now marks
the spot where he fell.
As looked upon the ground made
sacred by its baptism with the blood of
heroes, my thoughts turned backward
to the dark days of the war that cast it's
shadow over my childhood days and in
imagination / could see its heroes.
/ thought of the poor soldiers that
died far from home and loved ones,
without the touch of gentle hands and
the sound of loving voices to soothe
them in the hour of death, and Of the
suffering wounded that lay out upon
the cold dark field or endured the sur
reon's torturous knife and saw.