Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-09-18
STORIES . MS :; { 81
CAMpTN D8BA
AND WAR -
DEATH OF GEN. 4. S. JOHNSTON
Member OF the Eighteenth Missouri
Writes Account of Shooting in
Front OF Hornets Nest.

An article appeared in your paper
Of April 6. entitled Shiloh Fifty Years
Ago Today, which repeats, Indirect
~ certain erroneous reports which
were circulated at the time when Gen
eran Prentiss and his brigade were
confined IN Confederate prison and
had no opportunity to correct the er.
ror, hence it was not till after they
were released from their seven
months prison life that they had an
opportunity to cause the truth to be
published, writes Louis Benecke of
Company II, Eighteenth Missouri in
the Kansas City Star.
The point is this: Those who re-
treated from the early morning bat
tlefield and did not stop till they
reached the river reported General
Prentiss' brigade had been taken Dris-
oners early in the day. I suppose their
statement was based upon the fact
that they did OF see anything of
Prentiss' men, because they had gone
to the rear. while Prentiss remained
in front
The fact is. Prentiss' brigade took
possession of washed-out public
road circling the side of slight ele-
walton, from which advantageous po-
sitiOn repeated assaults by a superior
Confederate force were repulsed till
4:30 i'll the afternoon. 1t was not
till fired upon from the side and
rear, which compelled a change Of
position, and it was but a little while
afterwards, when thus completely sur
rounded, that this brigade surren.
dered.
All persons who participated and
have personal knowledge OF the actual
occurrences of that day have known
hat il General Prentiss' position bet
ter known as the Hornets Nest" had
not prevented the Confederates from
moving forward to the Pittsburg Land
ing, that then the disorgauiZed troops
who were at the landing, as we'll as
the immense ordnance, quartermaster
and commissary stores at the same
place, would have been captured.
and there is no telling what the final
results OF the campaign might have
been
1t was in front of the Hornets
Nest that Gen. Sidney Johnston was
shot, and this was at a time he and
a half dozen officers were reconnoiter-
ing. not while leading his troops on Il
charge. as your article stated. and it
was a single rife shot by one William
Wegner of the Eighteenth Missouri
that caused a sudden rush of the
a hasty retreat back to where the
Confederates were
We had orders not to shoot till the
enemy was near tour ammunition
ran shoFt). and it was after repulse
during a temporary lnll when the
several Confederate officers on horse
back were seen advancing towards
our line, evidently trying TO locate US
as we were lying down in the washed
out road with only our heads exposed
when Sergeant William Wegner "a
sharpshooterE took aim and fired at
the group Of officers. For firing his
rifle he was then and there repri-
manded. This was in the afternoon
about two or three o'clock. Later on in
the evening after our surrender We
learned that General Johnston was
wounded about that time while far in
advance of his line accommodating the
field to ascertain why the repeated as
Saults made upon us failed and caused
such terrible loss of life
Now, your article dismissed or pass
ed General Prentiss' most important
action of that battle with the follow.
ing words: "Prentiss was not so for
tunate; he. with 1000 of his men, was
captured
1t is not right to misrepresent or
siightingly pass by the most important
part of the first days battle OF Shiloh.
and | trust that you viii set the rec
ord straight