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


Over the Confederate Dead
stood, but little while ago, upon
the forever memorable and historic field
OF Shiloh. and in the boastful spirit OF
the author who thought it worthy OF
note that be had looked into the tomb
ana seen the dust of Shakespeare, may
rot he who writes these lines esteem it
something that he has trod upon that
famous battle-ground?
Leaving the railroad at Corinth, ride
of eighteen miles in northeasterly di.
rection, over a high ridge road. the same
over which our army marched as it went
out to attack the enemy, carried US
across the border into Tennessee and
brought US to Shiloh church, and we
were on the famous field, where, on the
9th of April, 1868, there met in deadly
combat the magnificent armies of Grant
and Albert Sidney Johnston, the one
fighting to destroy newborn nations
hopes and to humble what they es-
teemed to be rebellious and presump.
tuous people; the other defending the
blood-bought heritage bequeathed to
them by the fathers of American liberty.
Those who met the Southern soldiers
in the deathful clash of war know full
we'll what gallant struggle they made;
and the battle-scars OF thousands of vet
Grams, and the graves of our heroic dead,
scatterd all over the land, bear testi-
mony hat the liberties entrusted to
their keeping were not suffered to de-
part at price less than what they cost.
Besides the fame won by the combat
ants for daring attack and stubborn re-
sistance, there are other things that
make Shiloh memorable. 1t was the
first great open field battle of the war;
both armies were composed, almost en-
tirely, of men fresh from the civil pur-
suits of life, but few having ever before
seen the enemy; and there the South
lost Its illustrious general, Albert Sid
ney Johnston. His death and the de-
feat Al Shiloh were the first steps lead
ing to the downfall OF the Confederate
government.
The only engagements of any note
prior to this were at Manassas, Pea
Ridge and Wilson's Creek; they were
considered sharp battles at the time,
but they fade into insigniflcance COM
pared with Shiloh. There died ten
thousand of the flower of America.
After this Struggle the North and
South understood each other. The
fountains of the great deep were now
broken up and each prepared for a
deluge of blood.
The South once believed that after a
few little battles the white-wlnged dove
of peace would return; the North thought
that it could route the Southern army
with few shots and shouts, but at Shi-
lob it learned that the Southern race
were brave and stubborn people, who
had staked everything, life, liberty and
possessions upon the issue of the war,
and would never yield so long as there
were men and means to wage it: and
after four years of ceaseless warfare,
against overwhelming numbers, the
once glorious army of the South that
had SO often dipped its conquering BAN
ner in the crimson tide, was left a shat
tered remnant, but with souls uncon-
quered still.
Corinth was the base OF operation of
Johnston's army, and is of itself place
of historical interest. There may still be
seen around it's suburbs the grass-grown
bulwarks behind which lay the South
ern army, and over which the enemy
dared not attempt to come. After Fort
Donelson and Fort Henry surrendered
the Southern army fell back to recruit
and to protect the railroads which cross
here.
Grants army had reached Pittsburg
Landing, and was lying in camp await
ing the arrival of the army Of the Ohio,
under Buell.. when Gen. Johnston sur
prised him on Sunday morning.
Shiloh Church, which gave its name
to the battle, was little log house
without doors or windows. 1t was torn
down several years ago and a neat frame
building erected upon the same spot
When the battle began the church
was within the Federal lines, and near
their center. At the close of the day
the Confederates occupied the position
that they the Federals) held in the
morning, and the church was Gen.
Beauregard's headquarters. The Fed
erals had been driven back on the Ten
nessee river, three miles from their
former position. mile to the north
west of the church is Owl Creek. There
rested the Federal right, Sherman's
division, when the battle opened. Their
left, supported by Prentiss' division,
stretched away mile and half to the
southwest To the northeast of the
the church, where the Purdy and Cor
inth roads cross, was Netherlands di-
vision. Two miles back the Corinth
road intersects the road to Crnmp's
Landing; there was w. II. l.. Wallace's
division, and mile to his left was
Hurlbut's. A mile to Hurlbut's left,
near the river, was Stuart's brigade.
Lew Wallacess division was at Crump's
Landing, five miles down the river, and
Buell., with 10000 men, was on the way
from Columbia, Tenn. Neither arrived
until after the battle OF the first day
was over Half a mile south of the