The National tribune., 1897-10-07
Saws Halleck Was Rash.

Edmund Marsh, st. Louis, Mo-, writes
"Comrade NJ. j. Clerihan, Co. B, 10th ILL.,,
takes exception to my assertion that from
the extreme of rashness at Shiloh, Gen. Hal
leck had gone to the extreme of caution at
Corinth.
He says he is at loss to know what
Gen. Haileck had to do with the battle of
Shiloh. l must insist that Gen. Halleck
had a great deal to do with the battle of
Shiloh, Notwithstanding it was neither
planned nor executed by him nor by his
subordinate, Gen. c. T. Smith, under whose
orders the first troops to arrive were placed
on the west side of the river, at Crump's
and PIttsburg Landings, and there lett for
weeks exposed 10 attack from the rapidly
concentrating Confederates under Johnston
and Beauregard, without adequate support
or the protection of temporary intTench
ments.
"Halleck's rashness manifested itself then
in that unnecessary and reckless exposure
of small detacbments Of his army on the
side of the river nearest his enemy, while his
main forces were scattered from st. Louis,
Mo-, to Murfreesboro, Tenn. His failure
to order the proper intrenchment Of his ad-
vance-posts stands out in strong contrast
with his overweening caution, two months
iabCi, III ibNlOuNbibR uoiiy amy f.ioeiJ
superior to his antagonist during his hating
and fruitless advance on Corinth.
ut will not do to say Gen. Halleck had
nothing to do with the battle of Shiloh.
History, in the numerous kilograms from
him at that time, establishes beyond ques-
tion that his blunder in throwing out the
unprotected outpost at Pittsburg Landing
tempted the Confederate attack that so
nearly proved fatal to the Union arms. If
| the zig-zag fever had attacked him in
March, instead Of May, 1862, and suggested
to him the intrenchment OF the narrow strip
of ground between Snake and Lick Creeks,
west of Shiloh Church, 10000 men (the
same number that were killed and wounded
in the battles Of April aud Z, 1862, could
have successfully defended Pittsburg Land
ing against the entire Confederate army
with a loss of ten hundred, instead of ten
thousand men. That would have left the
$4,000 other troops-so hurredly rushed up
there to hold neaTIy untenable position
free to operate IN some other field.
Just before that time Gen. Halleck lin
his secret correspondence with the War
Office, recently made public) expressed great
reluctance to place important commands
lsucb, for instance, as western Missouri) in
the hands of what he facetiously dubbed
the Mustangs But it was the Mustangs
whose courage and endurance saved the day
at Shiloh.o
Brigade Commanders who Were Eilled.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: l have
| studied your NATIONAL TRIBUNE Ii
BRARY, Vol. /, No. 3, Miscellaneous Mem
oranda," General Officers Killed in the War.
Tnis is the most accurate lis. that have
yet seen. Still, there are some omissions.
Brey't BriR-Gsn Fred Winthrop, and, /
think, Col. Geo. A. Gotham, 111th Pa, both
commanded brigadss at the time they were
killed, and aome Of the others give below
II you put on the list the Colonels who
commanded brigadss, why not the Brevet
Brigadier-Gcnsrals who were killed during
the war? They were: w. Babcock, 18th
N. T., killed October 1864; L. F. Broad
head, 1st Mich, second Bull Run; L. Bone
dict, 162d N. Y, Port Hudson, April 8, 1864
A. II. Dutton, 2lst Ccnn June, 1864; G. A.
Gotham, 111th Pa, Teach Tree Creek, Ga.
July 20, 1864; G. E. Elstner, 50th Ohio, At
lanta, Ga, Aug. 8, 1864 l.. b. Francine, 7th
N. j.. Gettysburg, Pa July 9, 1868; w. N.
Green, 173d N. Y, May, 1864; H. H. Cosy,
46th Ohio Dalton, Ga, May 90, 1864; G.
W. GowAn, 46ih Pa, Petersburg, Va, April
2. 1865; A. Gardner, 14th n. II, Opequon
Va; F. w. Humphrey, 95th H., Greentown,
Mo-, June 10, 1854; S. G. Hill, 35th Iowa.
Nashville, Tenn, Dec. Is, 1864; A. Willis
l24th N. Y. Gettysburg, Pa, July 2, 1863
]. II. Kitching 9th N. Y, 1865; ]. A. Mul-
lgan, 23d H., Winchester, Va. July, 1864
j. McConihe, 169th N. Y, Cold Harbor. Va
juno /, 1864; F. II. Peck, 18th Conn. Win
chester, Va, Sept. 10. 1864; H. L. Patten
Goth Mass, September, 1864; G. L. Prescott
32d Mass, June /, 1864; Theo Reed. High
Bridge, Va, April 6, 1865; p. j. Revere
20th Mass, Gettysburg Pa, July 2, 1863
G. A. Steadman, 1lth Conn, August, 1864
w. II. Sackett, 9Th n. Y. Cav, June, 1864
f. Washburne. 4th Mass. Cav; G. ii. Ward
34th Mass Cav, Cedar Creek, Va, Oct. 13
1864; F. Winthrop, Five Forks, Va April
| !, 1665.-JoHN ID. VAUTIER, 731 Federal
street, Philadelphia, Pa