The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-01-25

flank of the Union Army of the Tennessee.
The plan OF the enemy was to turn the left
flank of Grants line and roll it up to the
right, hence he began on Prentiss. Prem
tiss, at least, was not caught mapping;
neither We're his men, On the evening of
the 5th, Saturday, he doubled his grand
guard and sent out pickets mile or more
to the front.
Among the pickets were four companies
of the Sixteenth, under command of Lieut.
Col. Cassius Fairchild. Before daylight
on Sunday, the 9Th, the videttes reported
some activity on tho 'front.' and the reserve
pickets nasched out in q body 10 recoAnoi
ter SeeiDg come ea7slgy at a distance
they moved toward thea, but the Skin
mishers, on S2prGachin9 q rail fence, were
startled to see behind it, hgggipg the
ground, full line Of Confederate troops
ready for battle. The ConfedeKates opened
fire and the captain and orderly sergeant Of
"a" company of the Sixteenth were killed.
The Confederates evidently belonged to
the Second Arkansas, of Hindman's divi-
sion Two companies of the Twenty-frst
Missouri (Union) were on picket with the
Sixteenth and may have participated in
the skirmlsh, but the record is clear that
the Wisconsin men suffered at the first fire
in that much discussed battle. They got
in early, and they staid and fought so long
and hard that their losses in killed and
wounded exceeded those of any other regi-
ment in Prentiss division.
On receiving the fire of the enemy Col
Fairchid marched his men back, and with
some re-enforcements the enemy was de-
tanned in his advance until Prentiss got
his troops in line to defend his camps. The
Sixteenth formed it's line eighty rods in
front of the tents and engaged the enemy
until Gen. Prentiss ordered a change OF
front and then retreat to a new position,
forty rods in rear of the first. The enemy
meantime was advancing in overwhelm-
ing numbers and keeping up a terrible
fire. For him everything depended upon
the destruction Of Prentiss, so that the at
tack might be pushed down the Union line
against Sherman.
After changing position three times the
Sixteenth stood directly in front of its regi-
mental tents and made Il desperate fight
for its encampment. its commander, Col.
Allen, had one horse shot down under
him, and as he was about to mount a soc
ond it was killed at one blow. Col. Fair
child was wounded at the same time and
carried from the field. The Confederates
moved forward from the right, front and
left against Prentiss, bringing their artil
lery into play whenever it was feasible.
The Sixteenth men, with the others of the
division, made a hot and stubborn fight,
and the Confederates suffered heavily from
their well aimed bullets, the artillerists
especially being made targets.
The struggle over the camps lasted some
hours, no one can tell how long, for no
ore takes note Of time in such a whirl-
wind. Regiments and brigades became
disrupted, but still the men fought on.
Some one has called Shiloh a soldiers
fight, on the Union side. 1t is true the
men stood up individually and did their
best, even if they did it blindly
Abont O'Clock Prentiss saw that further
defense of his camps would he useless, and
told his colonies one by one to take to the
trees with their men and make their way
to high wooded ground about half a mile
in the rear. That position was reached by
the most of the men, firing as they slowly
made the backward step. Whom the Six
tenth reached there the cartridge boxes OF
the men were empty, and after these had
BEEN refilled it took its place in line. Prem
hiss posted his troops so as to overlook the
main road of the region as it passed dag
onally across his front
They were screened from the enemy by a
growth of scattered trees standing on the
edge of a dense thicket Of bushes The
Confederates charged, firing rapidly and
mildly, but their bullets went over the
heads of Prentiss' men, who lay fat on
their stomachs in the thicket. The entire
Union line blnned with musketry, and at
intervals the artillery was given play. At
the first taste of this deadly fire the Goa