The National tribune., 1903-08-27
THE FIRST DAY AT SHILOH.
observations of an Iowa Soldier.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: When
the new line was formed at Shiloh, about
8 a. m. Sunday, Gen. w. II. L. Wallace
posted two brigades in the interval be-
tween McClernand and Prentiss-Tuttle's
Brigade, composed of the I'd, It'll, 18th
and 14th Iowa, in the center. Sweeny,
with part of his brigade, on the right,
two OF his regiments, the Sth Iowa and
18Th H., being placed ON Tuttle's left.
The I'd Iowa occupied the ''sunken road"
Duncan's field being in front The
ground with dense growth OF
saplngs in front. \ battery Of list
Mo. l.. A. occupied a knoll among the
trees close in our rear. and maintained
duel with the enemy's batteries for six
hours-I say batteries, for if there was
only one, it was the biggest battery in the
war. Our artillery fred high above our
heads. but the other fellows did business
nearer the ground. as our losses proved
There we lay all day, cur mental suffer
ing being intense.
The left of my regiment 81 Iowa. ex-
tended onto bottom land. where the road
was not sunken. there being neither fence
hot uHuerSToN III .cT iToleclIoIl. TOT lily
part, although not permitted to fire at the
enemy. / surely made an impression"
on the soft soil of that old field. Fat men
were at a discount. Capt. Bob Littler.
of my company, while walking around
punching the boys, admonishing them to
''lay low" had his arm blown off by a
shell. Gen. Sweeny came riding along
our front from the right. drawing Il show.
er of bullets from the enemy, and also a
s.(,af n'barnff
fellows lying on the ground; but the old
one-armed, long-haired. wiry Mexican
war veteran lcisUrely rode to Lieut.-Coi.
Baker and asked him to help him out"
The right wing of the regiment was given
him, the boys jumping up and following
him, glad to have something to do. The
left wing had been asserting its superior
fly because of the "hot time" it lad at
Fort Donelson, and the right wing was
anxious for an opportunity to cover itself
with glory, also. They did some decisive
work for Sweeny and returned eXultant,
although they had left n number of their
comrades on the CORY field.
Looking across the field at long muske:
range, we could see. during the day. the
movements OF the Confederate troops 10
the right and TO the left. In the after
noon we could see indistinctly their ma
nuyers i'll the vicinity of the Hornet
Nest" They would arrange their ranks
and then rush into the thickets on our
left We could hear the awful roar OF
battle when they assailed the three Iowa
regiments, and those OF Prentiss beyond
Invariably, they returned. without form
and void
About p. m. the enemy made rapid
movement to our left All sounds on cul
right had passed toward our rear. Wal
lace's right never did connect with any
troops, the nearest command in that di
rection, Veach's Brigade, having beer
driven back, exposing Wallace to attack
In his rear. In our front all was quiet
the firing being nearly in our rear. Som.
one passed hurriedly with orders. w,
were quickly moved over the knoll, and
then we could see great deal. Looking
backward from the high ground, and see
Ing only the Cd and 7th Iowa coming,
remarked to comrade: "Some one has
blundered. Good-by to the 18th Iowa
and those other fellows"
With ranks compact, our guns at righ
ghoulder-shift, We followed "Old Yallcr'
-Tuttie's war horse, going at a double
quick when the ground was favorable. TIC
our right, as far as we could See through
the open timber, great L.ass of blue
was slowly receding a. thin fringe Of
smoke shooting backward from its rear
Following the blue was q tumultuou: