Woman's enterprise., 1922-04-07

safely housed in Fremont tents kept
perfectly dry. Every fifteen minutes
we could hear the signal guns of the
enemy as their reinforcements came
in. The next morning you should have
seen US, not expecting a battle that
day, we loaded ourselves with every.
thing that we could lay our hands on
To give you an idea of what we had
| will give you an inventory of my
pile: | had fine blue cloth suit
entirely new, which fitted me admir-.
ably (the coat had a pair of very
neat pretty epanlets), an oil cloth
to spread over my blanket, fine
overcoat, a haversack full Of parched
coffee, one full of soda crackers
cheese and boiled ham, another filled
with gild-edged paper, envelopes, two
ambrotypes, love letters, copy of
McClelland's Tactics and all sorts of
little mementoes, a canteen and a
splendid Enfield rifle. When we were
ordered to fall in, we were all hoping
it was to march back to our Camp
at Monterey, but the booming Of
cannon and whistle of shells told US
that we had more bloody work to
perform.
Our brigade was soon pushed for
ward and ordered to charge a battery
which was playing with terrible effect
on our lines. In order to do this we
were obliged to march double quick
through swamp and then cross two
open fields, all the time exposed to
raking fire.
Between the two fields was a deep
ravlne. We crossed the swamp and
the first field, crossed the ravine, and
in two minutes would have taken the
battery at the point of the bayonet,
had not General Ruggles countermand
ed the order. Six times we were or
dered to take the same battery and
every time we got to the top of the
ravlne the order was countermanded
We were in this ravine two hours and
a half, just half way between our
battery and that of the enemy, con-
sequently, we had a good view of it.
l have not the slightest doubt, but it
excelled the famous duel of artillery
at Manassas. Finally the Federal's
battery was silenced by ours, and we
were sent to another part of the field,
where the battle was raging between
the infantry. When we arrived Cen
eral Beauregard rode up to VI, with
smile on his face, looking os cool
and collected amid the hail-storm of
minnie balls as if he had been in a
drawing room, taking off his hat to
US as he passed, he said: "Men, the
day is ours, you are fighting a whip
ped army, fire low and be deliberate. ."
With three cheers we rushed into the
midst Of the bloody fray. and
though before this, all of US were
tired and worn out yet the sight of
our beloved General refreshed every
one Of US. How he escaped is a won
der to me, for at one time when some
OF our men were breaking, he seized
a battle flag, and rushed almost to
the very ranks of the enemy, and
yet he escaped unhurt. For three
hours the battle ragged in this spot.
Both sides fought with desperation.
Our troops were worn out with long
marches and two days fighting, while
theirs were perfectly fresh.
About 4 o'clock P. NJ. Gen. Breck-
enridge took up position about a
quarter of a mile in our rear and we
fell back behind him. We waited
some time for the enemy to renew the
attack, but they retreated to their
gun-boats. Gen. Breckenridge slept
on the battle field, and burned the
enemy's tents. Our brigade fell back
to our camp and thus ended the
bloody battle of Shiloh.
The first day the prisoners and
wounded asserted that they had one
hundred and twenty-five thousand
men. This was confirmed by their
immense encampment, which extended
seven miles on the banks of the Ten
nessee river, and three or four miles
into the country. Besides this we