The National tribune., 1899-09-14


started to the front When about a hall
mile south of the right of the 25th Mo. camp
We met the 10Th Mich pickets falling back
bringing their killed and wounded with
Ithem-about six, think. Col Moore per.
mitted the wounded to be carried on, but
detained the able-bodied and compelled
them to fall in with the 21st Mo-, Col. Moore
having at the same time sent back for his
other battalion, which soon came up.
Our march to the front was resumed in a
| southwesterly direction. We had moved
| in this direction nearly half mile, when
we struck what is known as the "Seely
about one mile and quarter south, ol
nearly south, of Shermans left.
The "Seely field" was nearly an oblong
square lying north and south, and perhaps
contained not far from 20 acres. A small
branch is crossed at the northeast corner
flowing in northwest direction; the blind
road We were following runs along the fence
on the north side of the field; the length
of this side of the field being but little more
than the length of the regiment.
AS the head of the regiment reached the
high ground near the northwest corner of
the field We were fired on by the enemy's s
skirmish-line.
This was about S o'clock, or shortly after
sunrise, and marks the time and place
where the battle of Shiloh began, and the
21st Mo. is the regiment that rang up the
curtain, in fulfllment of the prophecy made
by Col. Moore the evening before when he
said I'VE will have h in the morning" !"
IL e. 4 L.. Al
and moved south into the open field, and
ordered bayonets fixed. His excuse for
this movement, given afterwards. for mov-
ing from the shelter of the timber, was:
Il intended to give them cold steel" But
before he could execute this threat we
were fighting, and it was hot out there in
the open field, with the enemy in the timber
beyond. Col. Moore lost his leg here;
Lieut.. Marr was wounded in the head
Hugh Shirley, Bruce Kennedy and Mike
Connell were killed. and several men wound
ed. Iieut.-Col. woodward moved us by
the left flank to the northeast of the field
when we took a strong position on a ridge
and in the timber.
We held this position some time, and
until We were being outfianked on the right
and left, when We again fell back to the next
ridge. will say right here that up TO this
time, at least one hour, perhaps longer, we
had been fighting the advance of Hardee's
Corps alone, and he had only succeeded in
pushing us back about half mile at that
At this, our third, position part of the
10th Wis. came 10 our asss ance. Our
Major, B. b. King, was morta y wounded
at this stand, and died while Ee ng carried
from the field. We were now about one
fourth of a mile in front Of our camp. Col.
Peabody here came up with the 25th Mo.
and 18th Mich.
The enemy's line, in two columns, soon
pushed us back, capturing two guns of our
battery 18th Ohio, that had taken position
about 100 yards in front of the 21st Mos
tents. Col. Peabody was killed about this
time, while trying to rally the 10Th Mich.
The hour now was about 7:40 a. m. Thus
it will be seen We had been fighting about
two hours and 40 minutes in front of our
division camps.
1 have not mentioned the balance of
Prentiss's command, because | do not
know what part they took in front, but that
they were there and did their duty is not
doubted. Gen. Prentiss made the mistake
in general with other division commanders
in fighting his command in detail-a regi-
ment here and a brigade there.
There is little more to tell Of the part the
21st Mo. took in the battle, and it may be
told by quoting Col. II. NJ. Woodyard's re-
port. He says:
an falling back through our camp the
regimental line became broken, and the
men scattered and fell in with other COM
mands, but continued to fight through the
day."
The loss sustained by the 21st Mo. during
the first day was 80 killed and mortally
wounded, 80 wounded and 68 taken pris-
oners in the Hornets Nest, total from all
causes Of 24S. The battle of Shiloh was
fought and won on the first day. The
repulse of the last assault on our lines by
Gen. Chalmers about p. M warrants
this conclusion. Coupled with the fact
that Grants forces had been forced
back to a position near the landing
that could not be approached except
from the front, and with the q, ZOO men,
one division U.ew Wallace's) fresh men,
and SO pieces Of artillery, Grant could and
would have held the narrow ridge less than