The National tribune., 1899-06-29
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: e

left Out of 57s who went into the fight
1863 were killed or wounded
The regiment stool its ground unwav
eringly, holding this rayine for hours
during Sunday mornings fighting, well
knowing our, supports had left us from
both our fianks. The slaughter was hor-
rible, and when ordered to retreat our dead
and wounded lay so thick along our battle
line in the ravine that a man could have
walked from the head of our line to the foot
on their bodies. Towards the last of the
fighting at this point Capt. Robinson, of
of the regiment was falling back. l told
Capt. McCleary what Robinson said. We
had received no orders to fall back, so
Cos. l and X continued to fight on.
1t was but short time after the right
ment came at double quick by the left
flank and formed in our front not 10 PAGES
from us and poured volley into U.S. Their
colorS stopped so near to us that could
count the stars on 1t. l remember well
the stars We're in a circle on their flag.
When they delivered the yolley we turned
to get out, many of us running down the
ravine towards the river, in preference to
climbing the side of the ravine to our rear.
1t was this voley that killed and wounded
so many of Cos. ! and X, and it was al
this point, at the junction of the two ravines,
where Serg'tMaj.. Sydney Phillips fell,
fighting in the ranks Of Cos and X.
After leaving the ravine we again formed
few of us, and fought as skirmishers
from behind trees. We found Coils. Mer-
sey and Phillips with small remnant OF
the regiment, with their cartridge-boxes
again filled with ammunition, moving
out to the front again. We also replen-
ished our cartridges, got something to eat,
and then followed.
When we found our regiment it was
again in action. At that time it must
have been four o'clock in the evening.
of our artillery above the landing, remain,
ing there all night.
Monday morning there were but few OF
us left We then had Coils. Mersey and
Kneffner, both of them wounded, yet with
us, We prepared for the coming day {
fighting, and, as our lines advanced all
| that day, we followed close up with our
line of battle, ready and willing again to
| take part if called on or needed. 1t was
during Monday afternoon, while the battle
was going on i'll our front, that another
stampede of the stragglers in our real
took place. 1t did not amount to much
yet for a short time it looked serious from
our standpoint on the field.
Col. Mersey gave the command to fix
bayonets and form square to repel cavalry
We got the Colonel and his horse in oul
center and formed all around him. While
| in that position there were so few left o.
us that he (Col. Mersey) said aloud: MY
poor boys-all gone; my poor little 9th
And so it was.
The next morning. Tuesday, a few o
| the boys of Co. X went out on the field t.
care for our wounded. carrying them t.
the boats at the landing. We buried tn.
dead of Co. X, and also the Ohio boys wht
fell fighting in our ranks. We buriet
| them all in one grave. placing Serg't Sloar
at the right of the boys. carrying them ou
| of the ravine to the top of the hill in thu
rear of our line. Sunday afternoon. dur
ing the battle, the leaves and grass tool
fire and many of the boys of the righ
wing who lay in the ravine, wounded
were burned to death.
After the battle every man in the regi
ment was accounted foro and there was
not one straggler from oar ranks. which
was circumstance which did not happer
with any other regiment during the whole
| war. 70
Col. Fox. in his Published work. "Regi
mental Losses in the,American Civil War,
has this to say in regard to the 9th Ill.
1T has now become clear that the creates
loss sustained by any infantry regimen
in any battle of the war, occurred at Shiloh
in the 9th III. This gallant command
fought on that field at the deadly poin
known as the Hornets Nest where i
suffered a loss of 1866 men out of SIS en-
gagged, 103 of whom were killed outright
JAMES OATES, Cincinnati. Ark.