The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-04-06
For Assessor
Mr.. l.. G. SMITH of Benton.
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

The Battle of Shiloh was fought in Har-
din County, Tenn, five miles from Pitts
burg Landing, on the Tennessee River, and
eighteen miles northeast of Corinth, Miss,
on Sunday, April 6, 1862, forty-nine years
ago to-day General Albert Sidney john
ston was the communicative chief OF the
Confederate Army and Major GENERALLY. IS.
Grant commBnder- in chief of the Federal
Army.
Pittsburg was simply steamboat land
ing with wooded bluffs rising hundred
feet above the river, wagon road leading
out past small cabin, and hewed log
meeting house standing among the trees,
and now and then little patch of cleared
and plowed land. The Federal troops did
not expect an attack. They were merely
getting reading to march to Corinth and
attack the Confederates at that place, who,
it was expected, would wait to be attacked.
1t was the unexpected that happened
when the Federal camps were aroused that
momentous Sunday morning by the sounds
that denoted the beginning of the greatest
battle ever fought in this country up to that
time. The surprise was complete. A gen.
eral engagement had not been anticipated
or suspected, and the Confederate Army
was still believed to be at Corinth, when in
fact it was close in front of the Federal
picket line, and had been there during all
of the previous night. 1t seems strange
that such movement, involving nearly
three days march-beginning about noon
on Thursday-of about 10000 men on a
main travelled road, was not discovered by
the enemy; but the fact remains that it
was not, and the explanation is only to be
found in the consumate skill in which Gen.
Johnston advanced his army. There had
been several severe skirmishes in the pre-
ceding two or three days, and reports had
reached the enemy of the presence of heavy
bodies Of Confederates in their front; but
this was interpreted by them to mean Moth
ing more than reconnaissance in force.
On Saturday Sherman wrote to Grant: 81
do not apprehend anything like an attack
upon our position" though Johnston was
almost in striking distance, and had his
order of advance been entirely executed,
would have struck the unsuspecting Fed
erals on Saturday instead of Sunday morn
ing. And on the same day Grant tele-
graphed to Halleck, "The main force of
the enemy is at Corinth," adding at a later
hour, q have scarcely the faintest idea of
an attack general one) being made upon
u.s.
Gen. Buell. says that, $50 far as prepar-
alton for battle is concerned, no army
could have been taken more by surprise
than was the army of the Tennessee on the
9th of April
Although Johnston was already day
later in attaining position for attack than
he had planned and anticipated, he COM
pletely surprised the Federal Army. The
leading idea in his mind was that he must
crush Grant before Buell. joined him with
the Army of the Ohio. "This was the
purpose, this was the plan of the Battle oil
Shiloh" says his son, Col. William Preston
Johnston. And had Gen. Johnston's great
and valuable life been spared to his country
only few hours longer on that fateful
Sunday afternoon he would have annihi-
lated Grants Army, and the Battle Of
Shiloh would have been numbered among
'The Worlds Great Decisive Battles, .
and civilization would not have been dis.
graced and the South Inundated and sys.
tematically robbed for eight years by as
vile a set of mercenaries as were evel
spawned upon earth; and furthermore
legislated and Disseminated against fol
nearly half century.
The Battle of Shiloh was Confederate
victory. Grants Army was whipped a
every point, when the victorious Confed.
crate legions were ordered to halt. Zone
more resolute movement forward woulG
have captured Grants whole army" sale
Gen. James R. Chalmers. At the close o.
the day Grant had been forced back to his
last stand on the banks of the Tennessee
Not a single attack had he made upon thu
Confederates during that whole day. AL
his camps and rich spoil of cannon, small
arms and other war material were in tn,
hands of the victorious Southerners.
Just before dark Lew Wallace's Division
of fresh troops came upon the field, fol
lowed by the whole Army of the Ohio
under Buell..