The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-04-16
BATTLE OF SHILOH.
The 9Th Iowa Was in the Fight without n
COMMANDMENTS Losses, and Reasons for
Them.

EDl1bR NA1IDNAls lkibhNh- a hii
-four years ago, April 6, 1862, was Sabbath
morning. The sun rose bright and clear, a
warm southern breeze stirred gently the
twigs of the budding trees, and the birds
! chirruped their happy notes as the sun rose
over the hilltops.
Inas prisa'e soldier in Co. /, 9th Iowa.
I and my regiment occupied the extreme ont
! post Of Grants army. Ii fell to my lot 10
he on the picket-line that morning Fear tie
! Corinth load, with no Union soldier nearer
/ the approaching enemy. My position was a
perilous one. yet i remained ut my post un-
! III more than u 900 Confederate soldiers
! had passed by not 40 rods south of ne. z ing
east 10 commence their deadly work on the
! left of ShcrmaA's Division, to which our
! regiment belonged.
Nv orders were 10 not fire on the enemy.
stood behind a hickory tiee nomontarily
exreciing that some Confederate soldier
wen d make short work of me, but so eager
were the C0nfedera.cs 10 attack the center
of our army they paid but little attention to
me, only OEce tearing down the fence north
oil them, few soldiers getting into the open
ground, remaining there, however, but a
short time, when they crossed back INTO tie
road, and passed rapidly along with the great
body of armed men.
Long before any orders came 10 me to fall
back and join my regiment, the rattle OF
mus Ike nv and the boom of The cannon told
10000 loyal men that the enemy was upon
Us.
Orders came TO join the regiment, and we,
who had been on the picket-line all night.
slowly walked back toward our camp, stol-
ping only once while some rebel General and
staff rode up within 30 steps OF us. The
greatest opportunity of the entire battle WAS
preseiteJ 10 this squad Of 20 well drilled,
well armed and good mas ksmen, and yet the
Captain in cha &c, as well rs his First Lieu
tenant, positively forbade as TO fire.
We .ell back into our camp. The regi-
ment WAS gone; the rebel sharp>hooters
were there, but they were so surprised 10
see us in their rear that they made a basty
retreat TO the southeast, which permitted the
company TO form and double-cHick and JOIN
the regiment. 1t was now about 8 O'Clock,
| and heavy firing and lard fighting was going
on not half mile cast of where were.
The enemy appeared on our left flank and
in front Of u.s. and after few yolleys they
retired and we again fell back 10 position
about ono-balf mile, perhaps a little over
that nor beast Of Shiloh Church.
Here misfortune beieli our regiment thick
and fast, and here in this article / give 10
tie public, for the first time, so far as
know, facts which, at that time, were hu-
initiation 90 every comrade Of the 9th Iowa.
At about 10 =. NJ. we were fiercely as
saultel by a heavy column Of the enemy,
and we were without a field officer TO COM
mand us.
The Colonel, John Adair NJ. Mcdowell,
who commanded The brigade, while riding
Il
in order, was thrown from his horse, and
being a very large and leshy man, was so
seriously hurt that he was carried from the
field. The Lieutenant Colonel had distilled
so much old Kentucky bourbon whisky
that his sword had been taken from him,
and he WAS happy as lord sitting in front
of a blackjack tree, firing shots into the air
from a caTbne.
The Major, (afierward Msior-General, }
John Nj. Corse, was one of Gen. Pope's staff
over in Missouri and there we were, Go of
ms, the enemy in front Of u.s. 10 the right Of
us and 10 The left Of as, and no one TO COM
mand us in whom we had learned 10 place
our tIust Capt. Williams, of Co. O., took
command, but he had scarcely made a move
before he was so severely wounded that he
was carried from the field, and we were LETT
10 take care of ourselves.
Back and forth the great storm of leaden
hail went. Sometimes The Stars and Stripes,
held 10 the breeze by loyal men with a brave
heart, made the advance; then again, like
an avalanche, the horde of disloyal men,
with the Stars and Bars, would sweep down
upon and drive us from our position,
leaving the ground covered with the dead,
dying and wounded men.
Five times did we drive the enemy quite
distance, but as many times In turn were
we compelled TO give mp the ground we
gained. While fighting without a field
officer In command Gen. Sherman came TO
us and personally directed our movements,
aud about 2:30 o'clock ordered to fail
back. We did so, taking a position on hill
nearer the landing aud nearly 4 mile south
west OF it. Here, under Shermsn's direc-
tiOns. we made breastwoTks Of feDce-rals
but the enemy had driven in our soldiers
VINO were farther east Of us, and we were
again ordered by Gen. Sherman TO fall back
He led us 10 the 6i-pound cannon, halted us
in rear of them, and told us 10 die in our
tracks rather than give up those guns.
We remained in line close in rear and
around those heavy-cslibeIed guns until
next morning, when We were relieved, and
again went TO the front under command of a
ment. Capt Williams who commanded the
regiment while it hadn't commander on
April 10, reported TO the brigade commander
! that less than $50 were engaged in the fight I;
4 that Ga were killed, 100 wounded, and AZ
missing a total Of oil and of the missing
! thr.e were afterwards found dead in the
/ brush, having died of their wounds.
Although our regiment suffered so seri-
ously we gathered ourselves together, aud
on the second day were attached 10 Gen.
Garield's Brigade, and did our share of the
second days fighting. / was but boy
scarce IL years old, my life had been pas sed
on farm, and i knew nothing of the ter
rors of war; but when the fighting ceased
while older men shrunk from the terrible
scene OF dead men on every hand / went
TO work, aiding in burying the dead and
caring for the wounded, aud did not cease
my abors until the last man was buried
which was not until Friday evening. A
sadness comes over me whenever / recall
those CHASTITY scenes and reflect upon the
dishonor and disgrace which some of my
comrades caused to overtake them in that
fight.
But our record is made. and IL il was one
Of incompetency aud drunkenness, or one oil
honor and merit, il is individually of ouI
choice. The rank and file of the 9th Iowa
can have no finger of shame pointed at them
AUSTIN L. LowERY, Co. l, 9th Iowa
Des Moines. Iowa.