270

PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE.

o'clock, and, after a deliberation of two hours, it was resolved to strike their enemy a blow before the dawn. Pointing toward the Union camp, at the close of the council, Beauregard said: "Gentlemen, we sleep in the enemy's camp to-morrow night.'

a April 6, 1862.

991

The greatest precautions were now taken by the Confederates to prevent any knowledge of their presence reaching the Nationals. No one was permitted to leave the camp, and no fires were allowed, excepting in holes in the ground. It was a chilly and cheerless night, and many of the soldiers lay down in the gloom supperless. At three o'clock in the morning the whole army was in marching order, in three lines of battle, the first and second extending from Owl Creek on the left to Lick Creek on the right, a distance of about three miles, supported by the third and a reserve. The first line was commanded by General Hardee, and was composed of his own corps and Gladden's brigade of Bragg's corps, with artillery following by the main road to Pittsburg Landing. The cavalry was in the rear and on the wings. Bragg's corps, composing the second line, followed in the same order, at the distance of five hundred yards. At the distance of about eight hundred yards behind Bragg was Polk's corps, in lines of brigades, deployed with their batteries in rear of each brigade, also moving on the Pittsburg Landing road, supported by cavalry on the left wing. The reserves, commanded by Breckinridge, closely followed Polk's (third) line, its right wing supported by cavalry.

W. J. HARDEE

In this order the Confederate army was slowly advancing to battle early on Sunday morning, the 6th of April, over the rolling wooded country, while the Nationals were reposing in fancied security. It was one of the most delightful of those spring mornings, which so often give exquisite pleasure to the dwellers in that region; and he who in the gray dawn of that eventful day should have stood at the house of the widow Rey, on a branch of the Owl Creek, within the sound of voices of Sherman's camp near the Shiloh Meeting-house, would not have believed a prophecy that within an hour that Sabbath stillness would be broken by the tumult of battle, and those quiet woods just robed in the most delicate green, and enlivened by the songs of birds, would within sixty minutes be filled with sulphureous smoke, and all the hideous sounds

1 Statement of "An impressed New Yorker" (Thirteen Months in the Rebel Army, page 147), who was on Breckinridge's staff, and was present at the council.

2 General Johnston issued a stirring order to his troops when they were about to move, saying: "I have put you in motion to offer battle to the invaders of your country. With resolution and disciplined valor, becoming men fighting as you are, for all that is worth living or dying for, you can but march to decisive victory over the agrarian mercenaries who have been sent to despoil you of your liberties, your property, and your honor." He told them that the eyes and hopes of eight millions of people were resting upon them, and assured them that their generals would lead them to victory.

OPENING OF THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

271

Hardee's advance first touched

The

and images of infernal war. So it was. heavily and destructively Sherman's left,' and glancing off from that commander's skillful foil, fell with crushing force upon Prentiss's division. pickets of each and five companies under Colonel Moore, sent out by Prentiss to reconnoiter, were driven in at daylight, and the advancing foe reached the camp of the Nationals almost as soon as did the assailed out-lying troops. It was a complete surprise. Many of the officers were yet slumbering; others were dressing; others were washing or cooking, and others were eating breakfast. Their guns were unloaded, and accouterments were strewn around without order. Many of the troops were without a sufficient supply of ammunition. The first intimation that the Confederates were close upon them in force, was the wild cry of the flying pickets rushing into camps, and

the

the

'www.

PICKETS ON DUTY,

scream and crash of shells, and the whistle of bullets as they flew on deadly errands through the tents and the forest. A few minutes afterward, Hardee's eager troops were pouring like a flood into the camps of the bewildered Nationals, fighting desperately here, driving half-dressed or half-armed fugitives there, and dealing death and terror on every hand. It was an unexpected assault, followed by the most fearful results.

Hildebrand's brigade of Sherman's corps, which was the first attacked, was lying near Shiloh Meeting-house, at which point Sherman's artillery, under Captain Ezra Taylor, was stationed. Ruggles's division of Bragg's corps, with Hodgson's battery, made the direct assault, and Hildebrand's brigade, composed largely of comparatively raw troops, was driven from its camp almost without a struggle, for a panic seized some of the companies at the first onslaught. Buckland's and McDowell's had just time to fly to arms and form in battle order, when they, too, were attacked by the brigades of Pond and Anderson, of Ruggles's division, with a heavy artillery fire. For a

The troops here attacked were those of the brigade of Colonel Hildebrand, composed of the Fifty-third, Fifty-ninth, and Seventy-seventh Ohio, and Fifty-third Illinois; Colonel Buckland's brigade, composed of the Forty-eighth, Seventieth, and Seventy-second Ohio; and Colonel McDowell's brigade, composed of the Sixth Iowa, Fortieth Illinois, and Forty-sixth Ohio.

2 This was composed of the Twelfth Michigan, Sixteenth and Eighteenth Wisconsin, Eighteenth, Twentythird, and Twenty-fifth Missouri, and Sixty-first Illinois.

This is from a sketch by W. Homer, published in Harper's Weekly, showing the manner of watching for an enemy by out-lying pickets in the woods.

272

FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE

while the conflict raged fiercely along the whole of Sherman's line. That gallant officer was seen in the thickest of the fight, exposing his life to quick destruction every moment, in encouraging his men to resist the tremendous assault, and escaping with only the hurt of a bullet passing through his hand. He tried in vain to rally Hildebrand's brigade, but he kept those of Buckland and McDowell steady for some time, while Taylor's heavy guns did admirable execution. These, heavily pressed, were soon compelled to fall back to an eminence across a ravine, where they made a gallant stand for a while.

In the mean time, McClernand, who lay in the rear of Sherman,' and at first supposed the firing to be only picket skirmishing, had thrown forward his left to the support of the smitten Hildebrand, and these troops for a while bore the shock of battle. This was at about seven in the morning, and before nine o'clock a greater part of Sherman's division was virtually out of the fight. His flanks had been rolled up by fresh troops under Bragg; and Polk, with the third Confederate line, was soon moving toward Sherman's rear, endangering his communication with the rest of the army and with the river. He collected and reorganized his broken columns, keeping up a desultory fight until, in the afternoon, he formed a new battle-line on a ridge in advance of a bridge over Snake Creek, by which General Lewis Wallace's division, ordered up from Crump's Landing, had been expected.

Turned by the steadiness of a portion of Sherman's division, and the troops of McClernand, the Confederates threw nearly their whole weight

upon Prentiss. Only his first brigade, under Colonel Peabody,' was there to receive them, the second brigade being near the landing. These men, though surprised and bewildered, fought obstinately for a while, but in vain. The foe was in their midst, and a wall of living men, strong with ball and bayonet, was closing around them, ready to crush them out and make an open way for the Confederates to the river. Prentiss had asked Hurlbut for help. Veatch's brigade was sent, but it was not suf ficient. Then the brigades of Williams and Lauman were ordered to his assistance, when back upon these Prentiss was pushed by Wither's division of Bragg's corps. At that perilous moment seeming relief came, but it was only a mockery. McArthur's brigade of W. H. L. Wallace's division had been sent to the aid of Stuart's brigade of Sherman's division, on the

B. M. PRENTISS.

1 McClernand's division was composed of three brigades. The first, commanded by Colonel Hare, was composed of the Eighth and Eighteenth Illinois, and Eleventh and Thirteenth Iowa. The second brigade, commanded by Colonel C. C. Marsh, consisted of the Eleventh, Twentieth, Forty-fifth, and Forty-eighth Illinois. The third brigade was led by Colonel Raith, and was composed of the Seventeenth, Twenty-ninth, Forty-third, and Forty-ninth Illinois. Attached to this division were the fine batteries of Schwartz, Dresser, McAllister, and Waterhouse.

The Twenty-fifth Missouri, Sixteenth Wisconsin, and Twelfth Michigan.

FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

273

extreme left, which was in danger of being cut off if Prentiss's hard-pressed troops should perish. McArthur took a wrong road, and came directly upon Withers. He engaged him gallantly, and for a time there seemed to be a prospect of salvation for the environed troops. But McArthur was soon compelled to fall back. Prentiss's second division was hurried up, but it was too late. In the struggle, Peabody had been killed, Prentiss had become separated from a greater portion of his division, and it fell into the wildest confusion. By ten o'clock in the morning, it had practically disappeared. Fragments of brigades and regiments continued to fight as opportunity offered, and a large number of the division drifted behind new-formed lines, particularly those of Hurlbut. Prentiss and three of his regiments, over two thousand in number, maintained an unassailed position until late in the afternoon, when they were captured, sent to the rear of the Confederate army, and then marched in triumph to Corinth, as prisoners of war.

We have seen how McClernand's left hastened to the support of Hildebrand. As Sherman's line fell back, McClernand was compelled to bring in the remainder of his brigades to the protection of his left; for against that the Confederates, elated by their success in demolishing Prentiss, now hurled themselves with great force. McClernand's whole division formed a front along the Corinth and Pittsburg Landing road, with his batteries in good position, and there, until ten o'clock, he foiled every attempt of his foe to gain that road. Very soon a new peril appeared. The falling back of Sherman gave the Confederates a chance to flank McClernand's right, and quickly they seized the advantage. They dashed through the abandoned camps and pressed onward until driven back by Dresser's rifled cannon, which had smitten them fearfully. But reserves and fresh regiments pressing up toward the same point, with great determination and overwhelming numbers, compelled McClernand to fall back. His batteries were broken up,' many of his officers were wounded, and a large number of his men lay dead or mutilated on the field. The division fell slowly back, fighting gallantly, and by eleven o'clock it was in a line with Hurlbut's, that covered Pittsburg Landing.

We have alluded to the perilous position of the brigade of Stuart, of Sherman's division, on the extreme left of the National line,' to whose assistance General W. H. L. Wallace sent McArthur. It was posted about two miles from Pittsburg Landing on the Hamburg road, near the crossing of Lick Creek. Its position was isolated, and could be easily reached by the foe by a good road from Corinth; but, as it was intended to land Buell's forces at Hamburg, it was thought the brigade might be safely left there until that event. But the Confederates did not wait for the arrival of Buell; and now, when they were thundering away at the front of Sherman, McClernand, and Prentiss, his advance was more than half a day's usual march away. The isolated brigade was, therefore, placed in great peril. So isolated was it, that the first intimation its commander had of disaster on

1 Dresser had lost several of his rifled cannon, three caissons, and eighteen horses. Schwartz had lost half of his guns and sixteen horses; and McAllister had lost half of his 24-pound howitzers.

* David L. Stuart was a resident of Chicago, and was then, as colonel of a regiment from Illinois, acting brigadier-general, in command of a brigade composed of the Fifty-fifth Illinois, and Fifty-fourth (Zouaves) and Seventy-first Ohio regiments.

VOL. II.-56

274

IGRANT ON THE BATTLE-FIELD.

'the right was the cessation of firing in that direction, the scream of a shell in its passage among the branches above him, and in the apparition of a Confederate column of cavalry and infantry bearing down upon him by the forest road from Corinth to Hamburg. That column was mostly composed of Breckinridge's reserves. He had planted batteries on heights near the ford, and under cover of these his troops rushed to the attack. For ten minutes a desperate conflict ensued, when Stuart fell back and sent to Wallace for aid. It was furnished, as we have seen, but missed its aim. McArthur, however, so vigorously fought the Confederates that Stuart's force was saved from capture, and was enabled to retreat to a place of comparative safety, where its shattered members were brought into order.

April 6, 1862.

It was now twelve o'clock at noon." The Confederates had full possession of the ground on which lay the first line of the National army in the morning, and of the camps of Sherman, McClernand, Prentiss, and Stuart. Three of the five divisions of that army on the field had been thoroughly routed, and all were hemmed within a narrow strip of ground between the triumphant Confederate line and the broad and rapid Tennessee River. General Grant, who was at his head-quarters at

ULYSSES 8. GRANT.

Cherry's, eight miles away when the battle commenced,' had hastened to the field at the summons of the cannon's roar. He reached it at about eight o'clock, and at ten was with Sherman, when the battle was hottest. He comprehended the peril that threatened his whole army, and he took vigorous measures to avert it by re-forming the shattered brigades, re-establishing batteries and new lines, and ordering General Lewis Wallace, at Crump's Landing, to hasten to the field of strife with his fresh division. Buell's advance was at Savannah, but could not come in time, perhaps, to assist in

the struggle, and he believed that he must win or lose the battle without

them.

The gap made by the demolition of Prentiss's brigade and Stuart's retreat, through which the Confederates expected to rush upon Hurlbut and push him into the Tennessee River, was speedily closed by General W. H. L. Wallace, who marched with his remaining brigades and joined McArthur, taking with him the Missouri batteries of Stone, Richardson, and Webber, which were all under the command of Major Cavender. Hurlbut had been stationed in open fields; now he fell back to the thick woods between his camp and

1 There was some disposition to censure General Grant for having his head-quarters so far away from the bulk of his army. It is proper to remember that Savannah was the point toward which his expected re-enforcements, under Buell, were to join him; and it was essential for him to be where he could, at the earliest moment, confer with that commander, after he should reach the Tennessee. Grant spent most of each day with his main army, returning to his quarters in a steamer at evening.