The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-04-11
BATTLE OF SHILOH.
"reminiscences OF the Great Battle in Which Many Sons
Of the South Spilled Their Life Blood

This day and tomorrow, forty
years ago, was fought the battle OF
Shiloh. The first days fight has
been pronounced by high military
critic as ga day unsurpassed in the
history of warfare for it's daring
deeds, brilliant achievements, and
heavy sacrifices"
The stirring events leading up tc
this great struggle between the un-
trained volunteers of the Southern
and Western States are too famil-
lar to be repeated here. How the
fall of forts Donelson and Henry
compelled Gen. Polk to abandon his
stronghold at Columbus, KY; how
Grant and Buell., Selling the oppor-
tunity offered by the withdrawal of
all the Confederate forces from
Kentucky, pushed their columns
on to the rendezvous at Pittsburg
Landing; how Grant, flushed with
his signal victory at Donelson, and
eager for the fray without waiting
for Buell. to come up, disembarked
his splendid army and selected his
battle ground on the west bank of
the Tennessee river; how that peer
less Captain Albert Sidney John
ston, adopted Napoleon's plan of
attacking Grant before Buell. could
reach him-all this is common his
tory.
1t is also needless to speak of
what might have been but for the
untimely death of the Confederate
leader; and the inexcusable order
of Beauregard, withdrawing the
Confederate forces from the field
Just as Bragg and Polk and Hardee
had pressed the enemy panic
stricken and crowded in morgan
lied masses on the river bank.
The purpose of the writer is to
briefly sketch some of the incidents
connected with the parts the ia
nous Sixth Tennessee regiment
took in this memorable battle.
The sixth regiment was composed
of eight companies from Madison
county, one from Fayette and one
from Haywood, and was mustered
into service 1900 strong, May Is,
1861, with the following field Off
GERS and captains;
VIM. H. Stephens, Colonel; t. p.
Jones, Lieut. Col; Geo. c. Porter,
Major; DR.. r. r. Dashiell, Surgeon;
A. U. Thomas, Adjutant; Milton
Brown, Jr., Seargt.- Major Com
pany A, Captain w, M. r. Johns.
Co. B, Captain John J. Brooks. Co.
c, w. w. Freezing. Co. D, J. A.
Wilder. Co. E, J. M. Woodland.
Co. F, Jno. f. Newsom. Co. G, 10.
B. Freeman. Co. H, W. G. Penn.
Co. l, ]. B. Collingsworth. Co, X,
John Ingram.
On May 20 the regiment had or
ders to move to the front Who
that witnessed the march of this
splendid regiment through the
streets of Jackson on that beautiful
morning can ever forget
he scene and incidents of the day?
Two trains were in waiting at the
VI. g. O. depot. The whole town,
md half the people in the county
lad gathered there to see the boys
off, The good-byes from sweet
hearts, the blessings from parents,
md the sweet kisses from the lips
IF Madison county fair daughters,
served as a stimulus, holy incen-
i've, to deeds OF valor that were
lot forgotten through the four
ong years OF suffering and danger.
The camp life at Union City
he march across the county to
New Madison, Mo.,-the winter
quarters at Columbus, Ky.-all
hese are passed by, and the read
RS attention is directed to the
'art the Sixth Tennessee regiment
ook in the bloody drama that was
nacted forty years ago OH the field
f Shiloh.
About 3 o'clock Friday afternoon,