Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-05-29

memorials and with monuments is the
work Of the state commissions A good
hrginuiug has been made and much more
has been planned for N this direction.
Massachusetts was the FRS; TO send 6
commissions, it made the hrst appropria-
lion for monument anu mas the honor
Of holding the arst dedication exercises
in the park
shiloh.
The battlefield Of Shiloh viii always
stand forth In the history Of, the Civil
Var as the field of blur ders and as the
death place OF Albert sidney Johnston,
The Confederate general who lad planned
the battle and was the only one who
could have conducted II successfully for
his side, who was stricken early In the
light
Shiloh will also be remembered. for It
was there that Grant mace bis name
known He, though clearly beaten carly
in the night, piucked victory from defeat
and fought the bloodiest and most des-
perate conflict that had then been wageJ
thus far IN the %sr,
On January /, 1892, General Johnston
was In command OF all the Confederate
forcen Of Tennessee and Kentucky and
was occupying a line Of defense from
Columbus. KY. through Forts Henry and
Donelson to Bcwling Green. KY, where
be had his heRdqu rters. At the same
time the Union forces in that section
were the Departments OF the Missouri
and ohio, commanded by Generals Hal
leck and Buell., respectively. The former
had his headquarters at st. Louis and
the latter at Louisville, Ky. Generals
Halleck and Buell. for sometime had been
canyRssinR plans for an attack upon the
confederates and the former was desir-
Gus OF having the government place him
In supreme command.
In the meantime General Grant %.
tanned permission TO attack Fort Henry,
Aided 10y Commodore Foote Grant cap
tured the fort on February 0. and then
moved on DOneison. taking II. with 1900
prisoners. on the 18th.
This achievement OF Grants brought
his name Into prominence, and Incidental
ly brought down on his head the wrath
OF Halleck who, on pretext unworthy
of him, suspended him.
Johnston, with his line broken In the
center, retired and formed new line
on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad
and the Union troops at once began 20
move down upon him. On March Il the
Union forces in that section were turned
over to General Hallcck, who then re-
stored Grant to a command and later
April gave him command Of the entire
Army Of the Tennessee.
General Buell. was ordered to Join the
Army Of the Tennessee for an advance
on Corinth. when the unexpected hap
spened. General Johnston when he fell
back after the loss Of Forts Donelson
and Henry had been reinforced and On
March 20 he consolidated all the com-
mands into one army-the Army OF the
Mississippi--of which he assumed com
msnd. when he learned Of the move
ment Of the Union troops and OWNED
the meaning be determined to assume
the offensive and on April ordered his
troops forward to Mickey's, eight miles
from Pittsburg Landing, with the inten-
ton Of attacking Grant O. sunrise 90
the 9Th.
Heavy rains, bad road, etc. delayed
the arrival at Mlekey's until the night n
the 5th. but the troo, took position. Cor
the attack was planned for the following
morning. 10 the meantime, however, there
had been more or less diminishing in the
nelghborhood, but the real fighting began
early Sunday morning and lasted until
Monday Afternoon, when the Union troops
were heavily reinforced by Buell. aud
the Confederates retired TO Corlnth and
the Union army to it's camps occupied
before the battle
The heaviest blow 10 the Confederates
was at 230 o'clock Sunday afternoon.
when while personally directing the move
ments Of his reserves. General Johnston
was struck by mimic ball aud instantly
killed II was Johnston who hud planned
the battle and he could have probably
brought about different result, but fate
decrerd otherwise. ana though Generals
Bragg and Ruggles fought their men with
sklI and courage all through the next
dav the dHy was lost to them.
The battlefield Of Shiloh was created
into public park In order that the
armies OF the Southwest which served IN
the Clyii war like their comrades OF the
Eastern armies at Gettysburg and those
Of the Central West at Chichamauga,
may have the history OF one OF their
memorable battles preserved on the
ground where they fought" with those
words begins the act that Congress passed
In 1894. and the commission appointed
began It's work the following year
To visit the various battlehelds and read
the stories told upon the markers OF iron
and stone will be the privilege accorded
TO future generations. and. as they read.
they will learn that the bitterness OF the
war has gone forever; that the North
and the South stand now under one Tag
and yet honor those who fought for The
principles they thought were right