The National tribune., 1901-01-17
NOT A USELESS APPENDAGE.
Comrade Mcneil Writes About the Value OF
Buells Army at Shiloh.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Comrade
A. l.. Spencer, 18th ILL.,, in your issue of
Dec. 20, quotes from the personal Memoirs
of Gen. Grant, in an effort to prove that
Buelfs army was not needed at Shiloh.
Here is the closing paragraph:
"Victory was assured when Wallace
arrived with his division, even if there had
been no other support. / was glad, how
ever, to see the achievements Of Rueli,
and credit them with doing all there was
for them to do"
This was written by our great chieftain
many years after the bloody struggle at
Pittsburs Landing.
In striking contrast with the above al
low me to quote from dispatch sent
from the battlefield by Grant on Sunday,
April 6, at time when his forces were
being steadily driven toward the Tenne-
see River. 1t Is dated Pittsburg, April 6,
1862, addressed to the Commanding Off
Ger, Advance Forces of Buell's Army, near
Pittsburg, Tennessee" and reads: "The
attack upon my forces has been very spir-
tied from early this morning. The ap-
pearance of fresh troops on the field now
would have a powerful effect, both by in
spring our men and disheartening the en-
envy. If you will get upon the field, leav-
ing all baggage on the east bank of the
river, it will be a move to our advan-
tage and possibly save the day to US. The
TeDel lOTCt IL tSllllldltu OHc uuLuIcu
thousand men. My headquarters will be
in the log building on the top of the hill,
where you will be furnished staff officer
to guide you to your place in the field"
Again, / quote from Gen. Grants Off
cial report-of Sundays battle:
Just at this moment the advance Of Maj
Gen. Buells column and q part of the
division of Gen. Nelson arrived, the two
Generals named both being present. An
alu ip,rn oil 10 ha
point of attack and the enemy was driven
back"
So much for Buell's army being a use
less appendage on Sunday at Shiloh
Nearly all of Premises Division not killed
or wounded had been captured. W. Fl.
l.. Wallace had been MORALLY wounded,
and his division had become fragmentary.
Sherman reported officially of his COM
mand that 1T had become of a mixed
character" Buell. said in his report that
three divisions of his army were on the
front line on Monday, when our forces
drove the enemy from Sherman's camps
of the previous morning, from left to
right, as follows: Nelson, Crittenden,
McCOok, covering a front of one and one
half miles.
Sherman thus speaks of the splendid
fighting of BuelIs army: Here l saw
for the first time the well-ordered and
compact Kentucky forces of Gen. Buell.,
whose soldierly movement at once gave
confidence to our newer and less-disci-
plined forces / am now or
dered by Gen. Grant to give personal
credit where | think it is due and cen
sure where l think it is merited. l con-
cede that Gen. McCook's splendid divi-
sion from Kentucky drove back the enemy
along the Corinth Road, which was the
great center of the field of battle, where
Beauregard commanded In person, sup
ported by Bragg's, Folks and Breckin-
ridges Divisions
Notwithstanding these official statements
from Grant and Sherman and the loss
of more than 1000 killed and wounded
of Buell's troops, on Monday, April Z,
Comrade Spencer says: with the ar
rival of Uew) Wallace's Division of 5000
veterans they would have cleaned the reb-
els out on Monday without the aid of q
man from Buelrs army"
/ have no desire to detract from the
honors due the Army of the Tennessee
but such statements as Comrade Spencer
puts out will not bear the light of investi-
gation.-S. A. MCNEIL, Army of the Cum
berland, Redwood, o.