The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-04-06

Descriptive Story by J. A. M. Collins.

Fdfty-one years ago today, on
bright Sunday morning away dow
on the Tennessee river, was fougl
the battle of Shilo, in some respect
the most important engagement OF tt
late war.
After remaining silent for so man
years, | now feel called upon as or
OF the few remaining survivors, I
give partial account of that battl,
but more particularly, how part OF tn
Hornets Nest Brigade" were ou
thanked and captured. also how tw
of the regiments thereof escaped
similar fate at that time.
In all published as well as verba
accounts of that memorable engage
ment in which the End, 7th, Stf, 12tl
and 14th Iowa init. regiments partici
pated under the command of Genera
w. II. Il. Wallace, there is no eyl
dence that one of the writer's O.
speakers had any intimate or person
al knowledge of the causes which lee
up to the withdrawal from the line OF
battle of the End and 18th regiments.
Some are unable to account fol
such withdrawal on any other grounds
than that of self preservation. Other
wise, 1t is argued how was it possible
for the confederates to appear on the
right flank and rear of the remainder
OF the brigade, unless these two regi-
ments deserted their post of honor
and fled from the field.
Again many of these speakers and
historians fall into the error of insist
ing that the End and 18th regiments
only saved themselves from capture
by actually fighting their way to the
rear.
My impression Is, there was not a
shot fired by any man in either regi-
ment during this movement until az
ter they had marched back on the
Ccrinth road nearly three-quarters of
mile, where after forming a juno
ton with the reserve, they may have
exchanged few shots at long range
with the enemy.
The writer of this article was the
last union soldier to pass over the
route taken by these regiments From
the spot where Wallace was killed to
where they swung into position on top
of the hill above the landing there
was not dead or wounded soldier
observed by him, which leads him to
believe that there was no fighting.
OF course, 1t sounds and reads better
in an account of the battle, to have it
appear that we performed the impos-
sible feat of cutting our way through
a superior force of the enemy. While
such an impression might reasonably
follow, as the scenes and surround
ings were most fitting to excite the
Imagination into making such a state
ment, nevertheless, | am forced In
the interest of true history to dis
agree with any such claim On the
contrary, We marched in perfect order,
in full view of the enemy who were
marching in the same direction on
our left; under command of the gener-
al who originated the movement, but
who unfortunately for its successful
execution, was killed at the moment
the rear OF the column swung into po-
sition on the Corinth road We were
thus not only prevented from receiv-
ing any advantage by this mastery
movement UP to this point, but like
wise prevented from sending orders
to the commander at the head of the
column to halt, and face to the left,
which would have brought 1t into line
facing the confederates, and at the
same time cover the right flank of the
remaining regiments of the brigade
one hundred and fifty yards distant,
who were still in their original posi-
ton Of the early morning.
q
The Order Never Came.
The End and 7th regiments still un-
der orders to march continued on to-
ward the landing, and were far be-