Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-10

n division by a recent assignment,
It's regular commander, Gen. @. +.
Smith, being then at Savanna, disabled
by. an accident which resulted in his
death a few weeks later.
, All these were under the chief COM
transcendant military genius finally
led us, to victory.
Truth requires 1t to be said that his
faults-principally of omission-were
great in this campaign, yet, after the
battle had commenced, many Of the
characteristics which give him his
place in history, shone out brightly,
and finally resulted in rescuing VIC
tory from defeat.
would fall largely upon subordinates.
but with the imperturbable, grim sill
ence which formed so marked a trait
of his character, he bore it all without
a word. When night had. finally clos
ed in upon this flaming war picture,
General Grant had completed his mill
tary education, and was fully equipped
to become the champion of human
liberty.
The front line Of the union army, SO
far as 1t was q. line, was situated as
follows: On the right was McDowell's
brigade, resting near Owl creek. Next
to the left, a quarter of a mile dis
tant across a heavy, ravine, came
Buckland's brigade resting it's left
upon Shilah church. Hildebrand's bril-
gade came next forming it's at the
church, but with its left regiment,
b3d Ohio, detached from the rest of
the brigade and located across a ra-
vine, some two hundred yards distant.
These were of Sherman's division.
To the left and front of these three
hrigades and from three-eights to
one-half a mile away, we find Prem
tiss's raw division encamped. The in
terFal between him and Sherman was
considerably increased by the advance
OF his line Immediately before the mo-
ment of attack.
To the left and rear of Premises
brigade, and fully ree-quarters of a
mile distant stood an isolated brigade
commanded by Stuart, belonging
nominally to Sherman's division. It
was SO located %ostensibly for the
purpose of covering the crossing of
Hamburg road over Lick creek. As
a matter of fact, however, it was more
than half a mile away from the cross
ing, and the highest ridge upon the
battlefield lay between. There was
also more than half a mile of territory
uneeeupied between Stuart's left and
the river.
A route touching the various posi-
tlons just described would be circuit
ous, and a much greater distance
than a direct line from Owl creek to
Lick creek or to the river. 1t will be
readily perceived that less one-haH of
this front IA actually occupied by
troops. In the unforeseen and over
whelrning attack that followed, all
these u~noccupied spaces became
points of danger, through which the
confederate hosts poured, and inn
mediately lanked every separate body
of federal troops.
green. Not one regiment had, as yet
been under fire. Prentiss's brigade orr
g~anizations were not yet completed.
Many Of the regiments had just ar
rived. Some were still arriving. Some
Of the troops received their ammuni-
ton only the day before the battle,
and n regiment, when the battle OPP
ened had no ammunition at all.
Considerably more than one mile in
was camped. To the left and rear of
Sherman, a half a, mile or more, lay
McClernand's division. More than two
miles to the rear of the front line and
to the west and real of the Landing,
Gen. w. III. L. Wailace's division was
located. General Lew Wallace's divi-
sion was at Crump's Landing, six or
ScScH flille5 uONH Tie IlVST, his Lnre6
brigades stretching inland toward Pur-
dy, more than three miles. The artillery
and the cavalry We're at various
places, in a state of unrestfuI commo-
ton, seeking their new positions un-
der an order for re-assignment issued
but two days before. Precision in
camping was not exacted, and in many
instances. convenience more than cor
rect alignment determined the loca-
ton of the different bodies of troops,
All the veteran troops belonging to
the army were located from one to
eight miles in the rear of the front
line.
The two TANKS of the army could
not have been better protected than
they were, by the waters and marshes
of Lick and Owl creeks. THE TANKS
of its different sections could not have
been more exposed than they were,
by the nature of the ground and lack
of continuity.
No attempt was made to construct
defensive works, although the ground
and timber We're admiringly adapted
to that purpose. Such details hardly
as yet belonged to the domain of field
operations, and no presentment ex-
listed that they would be needed. Or
binary e of human knowledge