The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-03-31

dred yards of the river, the gunboats opened
an aimless fire in the direction we were
moving. We halted and formed line of
battle, and sent forward scouts and skir-
mishers, preparatory to attacking or re-
Stunning the march toward the river. While
at this, met my general of division, Gen.
Ruggles, and he told me the order ,cas to
halt. 1t was yet light. l am not sure the
sun was down. You could see as we'll as
at mid day. 1t was before twilight. think
we had at least one good battlefront re-
naming. My conviction is that, had Gen.
Johnston survived, the victory would have
been complete, and his army would have
planted the standard of the Confederacy on
the banks of the Ohio. Gen. Johnston s
death was a tremendous catastrophe.
There are no words to express my own
conception of the immensely of the loss to
our country. Sometimes the hopes of mil
lions of people depend upon one head and
one arm. The West persisted with Albert
Sidney Johnston, and the Southern country
followed"
Gen. James R. Chalmers, of Mississippi,
whose brigade did some of the best fighting
at Shiloh, says:
''One more resolute movement forward
would have captured Grant and his whole
army, and filled to the letter the battle plan
of the great Confederate General, who died
in the belief that victory has ours, and that
his own reputation was fully redeemed"
Gen. Leonidas Folks report says:
''The field was clear; the rest Of the
forces of the enemy were driven to the
river and under its bank. We had one hour
Or more of daylight still left, were within
$50 to 400 yards of the enemy's position,
and nothing seemed wanting to complete
the most brilliant victory of the war but to
press forward and make vigorous assault
on the demoralized remnant of his forces"
Gen. Glmer, in a letter to Col. w. P.
Johnston written September II, 1872, says:
81 know the condition of Gen. Grants
army at the moment, as had reached a
high, projecting point on the bank of the
river about mile above Pittsburg Land
ing, and could see the hurried movements
to get the disordered troops across to the
right bank. Several thousand had already
passed, and a confused mass of men crowded
to the landing to get On the boats that were
employed in crossing. l rode rapidly to
Gen. Bragg's position to report what had
seen, and suggested that if he would sus-
pend the fire of his artillery, and marshal
his infantry for a general advance, the
enemy must surrender. Gen. Bragg de-
cided to make the advance, and authorized
me and other officers to direct the COM
manders of the batters to cease firing. In
the midst of these preparations, orders
reached Gen. Bragg from Gen. Beauregard
directing the troops to be withdrawn and
placed in camp for the night-the inten-
ton being to resume the contest in the
morning. This was fatal, as it enabled
Gen. Buell. and Gen. Wallace to arrive on
the scene of action; that is, they came up
in the course of the night
The battle was renewed about 5 O'Clock
Monday morning and waged with vigor
and great determination against the COM
bined forces of Grant and Buell-now
nearly two to one-untl about O'Clock in
the afternoon, when the heroic Confederate
Army fell back on Corinth, retiring slike
a lion, wounded but dauntless, that turns
and checks pursuit by the grim defiance in
his face. The Federal Army was we'll con-
tent to recover its lost ground, and win
back that field from which it had shrunk
covering and beaten the day before.''
Gen. Sherman is reported to have said
that Sundays battle was 1.-THE most terri
BILE that he had witnessed during his whole
and Gen. Grant com pared Shiloh
only with the Wilderness.
Gen. Beauregard reports the loss of the
Confederate Army: Killed, /, 728; wound
ed, SOP; missing, $50; total, 1921. To-
al loss of the Federal Army, $1,000.
The death of Gov. George w. johnson.
Of Kentucky, was severe loss to the Con-
Federacy. His great influence in Kentucky
would have resulted in incalculable benefit
o the Confederacy. Gov. johnson, who
vas fighting on foot in the ranks of the
fourth Kentucky, was shot through the
body and mortally wounded.
The First, Fourth, Eleventh, Thirteenth,
sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Nine
eenth and Twentieth Louisiana Regiments,
Crescent REGIMENT First ou;e;ano gov