The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-01-25
NELSON'S DIVISION AT SHILOH.

Col. Ammen, of the gath Ohio. arrived
at Savannah about noon on Saturday,
April 5, and went into camp. The other
two brigades, under Hazen and Bruce,
together with our supply and ammuni-
ton trains, were still some distance
back on the road toward Waynesboro.
Nobody expected a fight, and SO there
was no need of a forced march. The
day before we reached the Tennessee
Gen. Nelson received a dispatch from
Grant saying that we need not hurry;
that we could not possibly go over to
Pittsburg Landing for some days.
Gen. Buell. and two of his staff-Capt.
Fry and Lieut.. Fitzhugh-stayed over
night at our headquarters in Savannah,
and were with us at breakfast when the
battle opened at Shiloh. OF course, all
was excitement at once, and all prep
arations made to go forward. Nelson
went down to see Grant at his headquar-
tiers on the bank of the river, and from
him received orders to come on up to the
battlefield just as soon as we could get
ready. 1t was my understanding that
Grant said that the country roads be-
tween Savannah and the Landing OPP
posite the scene of the battle were i'm
passable, and that he would send boats
for us. Nelson WIS so impatient that
he directed his Acknowledgement, Capt.
j. NJ. Kendrick, to take a squad of cav
airy and explore the country toward
Pittsburg Landing and see If he could
find a road. In the meantime all of
the rest of the division, together with
the trains, were ordered up. Rations
were cooked and a big supply of am
munitiOn slowed away in the cartridge
boxes and in the pockets of the men.
Hour after hour slipped away, and still
the expected steamers did not come. All
of this time Nelson was as impatient
as Gagged lion. Finally Kendrick came
back from his tour of observation
after having killed a number of horses
by hard riding-and reported that he
thought that the infantry might make
II, but that the road was utterly i'm
passable for artillery. By this time it
was after ~ o'clock, and that is why
We never got off until after / o'clock.
II Gen. Grant ever thought of his prom
Use to send boats for US / never heard
of it. Our troops found the swamp a
terrible place to get through. A great
many Of the men threw away their over
coats and knapsacks on the march.
When we arrived at the battlefield we
saw many boats in the river and thou
sands of skulkers under the bank. Con-
fusion reigned supreme. 1t seemed that
there was no one to direct us where to
60. The moment the boat that ferried
US over touched the south bank Of the
river a great wave Of demoralized men
IN blue poured over the lower decks, ex-
ceeding in number the force we had
carried over to the field. There was no
reasoning with them and not a bit of
fight left in them. The stragglers who
could not get on the boat called on us,
saying: For Gods sake, do not go up
to the top of the bank. You will all be
killed." Nelson's lips have long since
been sealed in the everlasting silence of
the grave, yet there are still thousands
left to testify to our forced march
through those almost bottomless
swamps of the Tennessee to relieve our
comrades of the Army Of the Tennes-
see I'm that awful hour of almost ire
trieyable disaster. / am one who be-
Heves that Buell's army saved Grants
army from destruction or capture, but
do not think that we deserve any espe-
eial credit for Ii, for we were only doing
our duty-something we started out to
do when we entered the service In 81.
] know that Nelson-that Ursus Major
OF the quarterdeck-was the hero of
Shiloh, and ought to have a monument
on that field so big and SO high that
the eternal SHOWS of Winter would rest
upon it.-A. y. Ellis, NJ. D., Medical
Director, Department of Kentucky. G.
A. r., Mayville, KY.