The age-herald., 1902-04-06
BY ". E. HUGHES.

of Columbia, and marched by way of Mt Pleasant and Gainsboro to Savannah, on the Tennessee River. On the 18th day of March General Buelis army left Col umbia eighty-lve miles distant from Sa- vannah. which point it did not reach until the fifth day of April. sixteen days to cover a distance of eighty-flve miles, little more than five miles a day.
 On the 9th day of April General Grants forces at Pitsburg Landing consisted of five divisions, commanded by Generals Charles F. Smith, McClelland, Lew Wal lace, Hurlbut and Sherman Lew Wal lace's division was located at Crump's Landing, five miles below Pittsburg Land- ing and four miles above Savannah. The total of Grants forces on this day was 5000 men. The force under General Buell. advancing to his relief was 4o,000. New recruits had been arriving at Savannah and as fast as they came in were organ ized into brigades and placed under the command of General Prentiss At this time the force under General Albert Sid ney Johnston, at Corinth, was variously estimated at from 50.0O0 to 10000; 50,000 was probably nearer the number, because the official records of the Confederate War Department show that there were 4o,355 men equipped and ready for duty on that day. Johnston well knew that Buell. was advancing to join his force with Grants and he determined if possi- ble to crush Grant before Buell's arrival and in turn defeat the latter, thus de- stroying the entire Federal army in the Southwest and make the cause of the Southern Confederacy secure beyond doubt Thus what the people of the North had expected for a month took place on the morning of the 9th day of April. when Generals Johnston and Beauregard pre- ciptated the battle of Shiloh. the most f.Y- H,l ment up to that time and fraught with consequences the most vitai.
 The attack began early on Sunday morning; at that time Grants forces were | arranged in a line extending from Snake i Creek on the south General Sherman 1 with his division was posted on the ridge 1 to the extreme right. This was the key | to the entire position. McClelland was
 next to Sherman on his left. Then came Prentiss. with his division of raw recruits.
 and on the extreme left of Prentiss was General Stuart. with one brigade of Shermans division. General Hurlbut.
 with his division was in the rear of Prem
 tiss's. Smiths division, commanded by w. H. L. Wallace, because of Smiths ill., ness. was held in reserve in the rear of Sherman on the right. This line was rest
 ing on Owl Creek, a branch of Snake Creek.
 Now we have all the facts and condi- tions preceding and leading up to the bat tie of Shiloh.
 General Albert Sidney Johnston had on the 9th of April moved the Confederate army from Corinth to within striking dis tance of the Union lines, and early on the morning of the 9th, as soon as 1t was light enough to see, he moved forward and drove in the pickets of General Sher- mans division and fell with a strong force on a brigade of that division con- sisting of three Ohio regiments that had never before been in action, and being so unexpectedly attacked they made as able resistance as possible, but were forced to retire, and then the Confederate lines encountered a division of General Prem tiss, which also consisted of raw re- cruits undrilled. undisciplined, and that had never heard the roar of war. These two were forced, after a struggle to seek the support of the troops immediately in the rear. By half past o'clock the at- tack had become general along the entire Tine. General Grant who was at Savan- nah awaiting the arrival of Buell.. heard
 the roar of the artillery md hastened to | join his army, which he felt sure was en- | gagged in desperate conflict that had not | been unexpected. The impression existed
 immediately after this battle was fought.
 and even to this day 1t Is entertained by
 very many people that Grants army was l | that Prentiss's division was captured
 while 1t was preparing breakfast. and
 that Prentiss himself was taken prisoner | while he was in bed. That this Is rot
 true is evidenced by the fact that General
 Prentiss and his division were not cap
 tured by the Confederates until late In
 the afternoon, and that they fought val
 iantly throughout the day, and General | Grant asserts that he talked with Prem | tss as late as 430 o'clock.
 | That the Union army was not surprised
 is proven conclusively by the fact that l the superior force and superb generalship | of the Confederates were unable to de- | feat and destroy this army, which largely consisted of troops never before in ac- tion. General Grant arrived upon the field at O clock. At that time the fire of the Confederates had become continuous and the shower of shot, the bursting of shells. and the roar of the Confederate artillery was calculated to bring dismay to the hearts of those untried soldiers. and at one time the commanding officers feared that a panic would seize them and precipitate disaster surpassng that of Bull Run, but the coolness and bravery of the generals prevented such an out come, and at the time of Grants arrival the entire line from Lick Creek to Owl Creek was standing firm and fighting like veterans, with the exception of two regiments that had been taken from the field by order of their colonels, when the bullets began to whistle uncomfortably near. This was not through any coward
 ice on the part of the men, but was due entirely to the cowardice of the command ing officers, for on many hotly contested field subsequently, these same soldiers proved that they were as brave as any that ever faced leaden hail.
 Immediately upon Grants arrival, sec ing that the engagement was general, he | dispatched one of his aides hurriedly to 1 General Wallace. who was at Crumps
 Landing, five miles below, with 5000 | troops. directing that officer to at once
 bring his force to Pittsburg by the river
 road. About this time the fire of the l Confederates for a few moments dimin-
 ished. but was soon reopened more fierce
 ly than ever upon the left and center of
 General Sherman's division, which was | driven back with great loss, exposing the | division of General McClelland which
 was on his immediate iert. to the de- structive fire of the advancing Southern | CTS. who appeared to be concentrated at
 this particular point, hoping thus to trun Grants right and sweep around so as to get between his line and the river, but | after ten minutes Grants whole army | was formed in line again and his brave l soldiers. extending for three miles, began | to return the fire of the foe with steady | and continuous volleys of musketry, thus | for the time being shattering the hopes | of the Confederate chieftains, who had | expected another Manassas. During period of four hours the deadly strife | continued, the Confederates displaying | degree of obstinate courage and dash