The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-06-13
Masterpiece of Battle Description by Famous
Brigadier General Who Was a Boy in
the Midst of the Terrific Two
Days Fighting.

, force and was within IA miles. There
would be a battle and he wanted to
see our company ready. He inspected
the arms, equipment and ammunition
carefully, and gave instruction and
advice We were required to lie,
will not say sleep, on our arms
Whence came the Information, l dc
not know There was no secrecy
the whole regiment anticipated a
late. and others remained up all night
Among the latter, Colonel Peabody
who communicated with General
Prentiss that evening, and expressed
his belief that preparations should be
made for an energetic defense. Sc
accurate was his information or cor
rect his convictions, that during the
night he ordered the two reliefs OF
the brigade guard not on post to pa
field officer of the day.
This developed force believed to
be the enemys picket. AS a vigilant
commander, the colonel upon getting
the information sent out three COM
panies. They drove in the enemy S
p.cket, and developed his main force
about one and a half miles from our
| hn a
Of the Twenty first Missouri infantry
20 re-enforce Major Powell's command
and in the engagement that followed
Colonel Moore lost leg.
General Prent:ss' Threat.
At daybreak, wounded were being
brought into camp, and the COM
panies were formed in their streets
prepared for battle. No orders COM
ing from division headquarters, Col
onel Peabody ordered the 'long rolf
beaten and the regiment formed in
line. The alarm was taken up by
regiment after regiment, and spread
throughout the army. Shortly Cen
eral Prentss came riding rapidly
down the line to our colonel, jerked
up his horse, and with great earnest
ness. if not anger, exclaimed: Col
onel Peabody, I will hold you per-
sonally responsible for bringing or
this enga cement
The colonel, with severe dignity and
illy-conce aled contempt, answered in
his clear, strong voice.
General Prentiss, l am personally
responsible for all my official acts"
This stormy interview was seen, Il
the words were not heard, by hun
dreds of men; and my brother, Mar,
Gus. later a lieutenant of the regiment
and captain of Forty third Missouri
Infantry, was orderly for the colone
at the time, and both heard and saw
what occurred.
/ Each regiment of the brigade moved
at once directly to the front to sup
a port Colonel Moore apd meet the
enemy in advance of our camp. The
line was in action led by my regiment
quarters of mile out little in the
rear, but considerably to the right Of
Colonel Moore's skirmish line.
l will digress TO say that the guns
, of the only battery in the division hat
were camped on the right Of the
| brigade. Some three-fourths of {
, mile to the right of this gunless bat.
/ terry was the left of Sherman's di.
t vision, its right somewhat advanced
Opposite this interval to the front, bu
nearer Shermans left, was Shiloh
, church, a mere log country meeting
, house
The regiment was standing at rest
, The skirmishing and the fact that the
next regiment came up, overlapping
our left causing some confusion, di-
INGFlcO dtIcHtlOn III tIidt VII CStlOIi
Looking to the front again saw com.
Ing down gentle slope, within easy
range, the Confederates, massed ma ny
lines deep. Reflect for one moment
upon the profound ignorance of war
| two hostile armies hunting each Other
without a single skirmish line, or adj
vance of any kind! Lieuten ant Col.
onel r. T. Van Horn, our regimenta
commander, gave the command: "At
tention; ready-aim-fir
The moving mass was decimateo
and staggered. Its heavy loss, its
very density, prevented a vigorous re.
ply A heavy fire was poured upon
them in their deployment. But soon
our men began to fall thick and fast
Then we sought the shelter of the
trees, for we were in a heavy oak
timber, pretty free from underbrush
This position was held until our I'M