The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-28
A "REMINISCENCES OF SHILOH.


Is
opinion of the battle of Shiloh?'' asked
a veteran of the civil war. Receiving
an affirmative response, he proceeded:
I was farmers lad in northern I'LL
nois and joined the Fifty fifth Illinois
In its march south when was IS years
old My experience was that of every
boy under similar circumstances
Buoyed up by enthusiasm and natural
youthful spirits, I took kindly to the
drill and in a short while considered
myself a model soldier was admitted
to be an excellent shot and took great
pride in my target practice
In the spring Of 1862, during the
first few days in April, 1 had all the
chance desired for target practice and
awaited myself of it AS every one
knows, Grant was in charge Of the
Union forces and had landed about 3d.
600 men down below the little Shiloh
chapel at place called Pittsburg Land
ing. The Confederates had been run out
of Nashville and were concentrating all
their forces at Corinth, a little place
over the line in Mississippi, while
Grants object was to cut off their COM
municatiOns in western Tennessee.
People may say what they please
about General Grants intentions and
plans and knowledge of the enemy at
Shiloh, but have never yet seen pri-
vate who did not admit that the attack
by General Albert Sydney Johnston on
the morning of the 9th was a we'll plan
ned and complete surprise. do not see
how the Union army could have been
surprised more perfectly.
Take our own regiment, for example,
We were, most of US, cleaning our guns
or sitting around talking A few were
them they had better be going to church.
I was myself practicing at a target
down by the creek, where large crowd
of the boys were washing. We had heard
continuous musket firing since very
early in the morning, but as this hap
pened every day no attention was paid
to it Some of us were surprised at the
cannonading we heard, and one man
mentioned it, but that was all
Presently a volley of musketry opened
up right in our faces, and not so yards
from us was the front line of the rebels.
Talk of surprisesl If you had seen our
men running and lodging through the
woods that morning, some without
boots, some without hats or coats, some
even without shirts and nearly all with
out guns, you would need no further
evidence to convince you as to the COM
pleteness of the surprise. Why, we
didn't have single picket or guard out.
Well at first it was simply a race,
but as soon as the camp was cleared out,
which was very speedily done, the race
stopped, for the Confederates at once
abandoned us in order to plumber our
tents This gave nearly all our men the
time necessary to escape.
The Fifty-ffth had scattered in every
direction, as had number of other regi-
ments / found myself running along
with member of some Michigan regi-
ment, and having been down at the creek
washing when the enemy came up he
had on not thing except pair of draw
ers There were few of the enemy still
following US, and as bullet came whiz-
zing along and scraped the inside of his
arm he turned off to one side and ran
off down the ravine, while 1 cut across
a little open place as fast as 1 could to
some denser timber. The bullets Whizzed
around me in quite lively manner as
I was going across the open, but as soon
as got under cover / determined to turn
the tables
It now became almost like squirrel
hunting or a game of hide and seek
Away off to my right was a bluecoat,
while opposite him as opposite me were
several rebels watching a chance to pick
Us off. We were better shots than they
were, however, and they showed their
realization of it, after few shots, by
keeping behind trees Presently saw a
rebel creeping up till he got behind the
front tree in the opposite timber, OBJ
iQuely off to my right, and just where he
could get a good shot at the Union sol
der on my side. He did not see me at
all, and for the first time since L entered
the army took deliberate aim at sin
gle human being.
Firing as one of crowd at another |
crowd is a very different thing from
picking out an individual human being |
and deliberately taking his life away.
This thought flashed through my mind,
and had no sooner raised my gun and |
taken aim than I at once lowered it |
again It was too much like plain MUIR |
der. And yet there he was raising his |
gun and preparing to kill my ally and /
my friend If he had been close enough |
for me to be sure of ''winging' him by |
breaking his arm, my mind could have |
been made up easily, but he was so far
away. What should / do?
All this rushed through my mind |
while he was raising his gun to his |
shoulder, and my decision was formed |
in flash as / threw my gun up and |
fired. He fired an instant after / did, |
but my ball had shattered his elbow, |
and by destroying his aim had saved the
life of my bluecoat friend My comrade
took in the situation as the Confederate, |
with an oath, leaped into the open space,
his arm hanging limp by his side. Wav-
ing his thanks to me, the bluecoat broke |
from his shelter and ran down the hill |
with an entire regiment of rebels after |