The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-07-07

reach of our shells; and all through the night,
at intervals of 10 to Is minutes, the gunboats
continued to send their compliments into the
rebel line, as if the pouring rain which fell
at midnight might not suffice to break the
slumhers of the weary thousands who had lain
down on their arms wherever night found
them, to gather strength and refteshment for
the inevitable struggle of the morrow.
Before seeking his couch in the little church
at Shiloh the surviving rebel leader dispatched
a messenger to Corinth with this exhilarating
dispatch for Richmond:
| BATTLEFIELD OF SHILOH,
| VIA CoRINTH AND CHATTANOOGA.
| april 6. l86;
| Gen. s. COOPER, Adjutant- General: We have
| this morning attacked the enc ny i'll strong
position il front of Pittsburg; and, after a
severe battle OF 10 hours, thanks to Almighty
God, gained a complete victory, driving the
| enemy from every position.
| The loss on both sides IS heavy including our
COMMUNICATIVE Chief, Gen Albert Sidney john
ston, who fell CALAMITY leading his troops into
G. T. BEAuREGARD.
Gener Il comEi lnding.
| Mai Gen Buell's long-expected Army of
the Ohio had been delayed on its march from
| Nashville, repairing roads and rebuilding the
bridge over Duck River at Columbia, which
place Gen. Buell. himself left with his rear
division or April 2, reaching Savannah with
evening of the 5th; the remaining divisions
were strung along the road from Columbia at
intervals of six miles.
A halt to rest on reaching the Tennessee
was generally expected; but, on the morning
of the 9th, ominous and persistent reports of
musketrv as well as cannon in the direction
of Pittsburg Landing dispelled this illusion.
Buell. fastened TO Gen. Grants Headquarters,
only to learn that he had just started on a
steamboat for the Landing, having lett orders
Tor Gen. Nelson, with Buells advance, to
push on up the right bank of the river, leav-
ing his cannon, because of the badness OF the
roads, to he taken by steamboats,.
Though it was still believed at Savannah
that there was nothing going on above more
serious than an affair of outposts Gen. Buell.
sent orders TO his rear divisions to hurry for
ward and, taking steamboat, proceeded 10
the Landing, where the multiplicity and con-
slant increase of stragglers soon convinced
him that the matter in hand was urgent and
important.
Finding Gen. Grant at the Landing he re-
quested the dispatch of steamers tn Savannah,
for Gen. .Crittendens. his Second Division,
while he landed to take part in the fray.
Gen. Nelson, sta ting at 1:30, arrived at
p. m. opposite the Landing with his leading
kSol- DfiSt9lc, WHICH
ately crossed and formed in line, under fire
of rebel artillery, on the right of Webster's
guns. Ammen's men were just able to put
IN an appearance before dark, firing few
yolleys and repulsing a rebel charge on their
guns at 6:30 p. M, when the enemy DIES. sted
and withdrew. BY Z the whole division was
over and soon in position, lying down on
their arms, under orders from Buell. to ad
vance and attack at early daylight, which
| were implicitly obeyed.
Crittenden's Division reached Savannah at
nightfali of Sunday, and was forwarded by.
steamboats, directly to the Landing; where it
rapidly debarked and formed on the right of
Nelson.
Buell's nextdivsion, Gen. A. Med McCook
was II miles from Savannah when it received
orders, which it made haste TO obey. arriving
at Savannah at Z to 8 p. m; bot, finding
there no boats ready for its service, McCook
routed up the Captains of the boats living at
the dock. and embarked Rousseau's Brigade,
with which he reached the Landing at a.
M; his other brigades, Coils Gibson and
Kirk. arriving some time later. Oh boats
which had been pressed into service as they
successfully reached Savannah. The residue
of Buell's army was too far behind on the
| Columbia road to be even hoped for. Two
brigades of Woods Division arrived, how
ever, just at the close OF the battle.
RENEWAL OF THE BATTLE.
The fighting reopened along the whole
line at daylight of the 9TH, and under con-
ditions bravely altered from those of the day
preceding. The arrival of part of Buell's
and Lew. Wallace's commands had brought
10 the field not less than $4,000 troops;
fresh, so far as fighting was concerned, for
this days action; while Beauregard, whose
men throughout the 9th had been on foot is
hours. and. fighting most of the time, had
barely 3,Go0 left of his reserve wherewith to
match them.
hls force had been fearfully reduced by
the casualties of battle, and scarcely less by
sknlking or scattering in quest Of plumber
faults common to all raw troops, bat of
| which he complains in his report as though
they were novel and amazing He had
hitherto been buoyed up or at least had
buOyed up the spirits of his soldiers, by ex-
peeations and assurances that Gems. Price
and Van Dorm, with some 80, 900 men from
across the Mis- issippi were close at hand,
and would reach him in time for this days
battle. But they did not come, and Buell's
did
The hot fire of musketry and artillery
pDuieu HUM DtIOrt
| rise gave him ample assurance Of this, while
his soldiers, exhausted and stif1encd by yes
| terday's protracted efforts, and chilled, like
| ours, by the rain of the intervening night,
| stood to their arms firmly, but without
| alacrity or enthusiasm.
| Nelson had quietly aroused his men at 4
a. m, and he advanced in parade order at
$50. soon concentrating upon himself the
lire of half the rebel army. Not having re-
Iceived his artillery, his infantry, annoyed
| by two rebel bat cries, began at 100 to give
ground; when, on applying to Gen. Buell., the
battery Of Capt Mendenhall, and at 0 that of
Capt Terrili both Reguiars-were sent to
MS support, and the rebel batteries in front
thereby silenced.
Meantime the rebel concentration upon
this division was continued, but its behavior
was splendid, especially that of Ammcn's
| Brigade, admirably handled by its chief
while that Of Hagen, on the right, main
tanned its position with equal gallantry.
The loss by this division Of 80 out of a, 241-
more than half of it i'm Hazen's Brigade eat
tests the tenacity of the rebel resistance this
day.
Crittenden's and McCook's Divisions were
engaged later but not less earnestly. Ad-
vaucing across a ravine McCook's right and
center were Immediately attacked in force,
but the steady vaior of Rousseau's Brigade
prevailed, and their assailants recoiling
were pursued nearly mile, when they were
| rein forced and rallied amono the tents