WEBSTER'S GUNS STOP THE REBEL ADVANCE. 65 commanding the roads whereby the Rebels must approach. Gunners proving scarce, Dr. Cornyn, surgeon of the 1st Missouri artillery, volunteered in that capacity, and proved himself a workman who needed not to be ashamed. There was rare virtue inherent in those 22 guns, and men around them who knew how to evoke it. At 4 P. M., our surprised but | remaining guns-22 only-and plant otherwise over-matched army, apart them on the bluff in a semicircle, from Lew. Wallace's division, had been crowded back into a semicircle of three or four hundred acres immediately around, but rather to the left of the Landing. It could retreat no farther. A deep, rapid river in its rear could only be crossed with the loss of half its remaining men" and every thing beside. Of its five divisions, two had been beaten back; the other three utterly routed. Our artillery was half lost or disabled; our field-hospitals overflowing; our tents and camp-equipage mainly in the hands of the enemy; our losses in men enormous; and those who had not fallen were in good part disheartened; not less than 5,000 men in uniform, possibly twice that number-to say nothing of sutlers, commissaries, and the usual rabble of camp-followers-were huddled under the bank of the river, not all of them privates, but all repeating the stereotyped excuse, "Our regiment is all cut to pieces," and resisting every entreaty of their more zealous officers to bring them again into line. But the Rebels, whose losses had also been heavy, fearing a trap, hesitated for a few minutes to follow W. H. L. Wallace's division, as it recoiled from the position it had so long and so stoutly defended. Those moments were incalculably precious, and were thoroughly improved. Col. J. D. Webster, chief of staff to Gen. Grant, a believer in artillery, improved the opportunity to collect our 02 Among the apocryphal anecdotes in circulation, one represents Gen. Buell as remonstrating, two or three days afterward, against the soldiership which placed Grant's army on the south rather than on the north bank of the Tennessee. "Where was your line of retreat?" VOL. II.-5 It was hardly 6 o'clock when the Rebel batteries, once more in position, opened, at a distance of a few hundred yards, on our last possible holding-ground. Our next recoil must be over the bank, into the hideous, helpless massacre of a grander Ball's Bluff. Promptly and most efficiently, Webster's guns make reply. Soon, the Rebel infantry was seen crowding up to their guns, opening fire at rather long range, to find our shattered battalions reformed and giving abundant answer. At this moment, the gunboats Tyler and Lexington, which had all day been chafing at their impotence, opened on our left, firing up a deep ravine that seemed to have been cut through the bluff on purpose. Seven-inch shell and 64-pound shot were hurled by them diagonally across the new Rebel front, decidedly interfering with the regularity of its formation, and preventing that final rush upon our guns and the supporting infantry whose success would have perfected their triumph. So, far into the evening of that busy, lurid Sabbath, our asked Buell. "Oh, across the river," responded Grant. "But you could not have ferried over more than 10,000 men," persisted Buell. “Well, there would not have been more than that," replied Grant. Temerity was then so rare among our Generals that it seemed a virtue. batteries and boats kept up their | repairing roads and rebuilding the thunders, fairly silencing the Rebel guns, and compelling their infantry to take post farther and farther back, in order to be out of the reach of our shells; and all through the night, at intervals of 10 to 15 minutes, the gunboats continued to send their compliments into the Rebel lines, as if the pouring rain which fell at midnight might not suffice to break the slumbers of the weary thousands who had lain down on their arms wherever night found them, to gather strength and refreshment for the inevitable struggle of the morrow. Before seeking his couch in the little church at Shiloh, the surviving Rebel leader dispatched a messenger to Corinth with this exhilarating dispatch for Richmond: "BATTLE-FIELD OF SHILOH, "Via Corinth and Chattanooga, "April 6th, 1862. "Gen. S. COOPER, Adjutant-General: "We have this morning attacked the bridge over Duck river at Columbia; which place Gen. B. himself left with his rear division on the 2d of April; reaching Savannah with his advance division, Gen. Nelson's, on the evening of the 5th: the remaining divisions were strung along the road from Columbia at intervals of six miles. A halt to rest on reaching the Tennessee was generally expected; but, on the morning of the 6th, ominous and persistent reports of musketry as well as cannon in the direction of Pittsburg Landing dispelled this illusion. Buell hastened to Gen. Grant's headquarters, only to learn that he had just started on a steamboat for the Landing; having left orders for Gen. Nelson, with Buell's advance, to push on up the right bank of the river, leaving his cannon, because of the badness of the roads, to be taken by steamboats. Though it was still believed at Sa enemy in strong position in front of Pitts-vannah that there was nothing going burg; and, after a severe battle of ten hours, thanks to Almighty God, gained a complete victory, driving the enemy from every position. "The loss on both sides is heavy, including our commander-in-chief, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, who fell gallantly leading his troops into the thickest of the fight. "G. T. BEAUREGARD, "General Commanding." Maj.-Gen. Buell's long-expected 'Army of the Ohio' had been delayed on its march from Nashville, 63 His official report says: "As we proceeded up the river, groups of soldiers were seen on the west bank; and it soon became evident that they were stragglers from the engaged army. The groups increased in size and frequency, until, as we approached the Landing, they numbered whole companies, and almost regiments; and at the Landing the banks swarmed with a confused mass of men of various regiments. There could not have been less than 4,000 or 5,000. Late in the day, it became much greater. Finding Gen. Grant at the Landing, I requested him to send steamers to on above more serious than an affair of outposts, Gen. Buell sent orders to his rear divisions to hurry forward, and, taking a steamboat, proceeded to the Landing; where the multiplicity and constant increase of stragglers soon convinced him that the matter in hand was urgent and important." Finding Gen. Grant at the Landing, he requested the dis Savannah to bring up Gen. Crittenden's division which had arrived during the morning, and then went ashore with him. The throng of disorganized and demoralized troops increased continually by fresh fugitives from the battle, which steadily drew nearer the Landing; and with these were intermingled great numbers of teams, all striving to get as near as possible to the river. With few exceptions, all efforts to form the troops and move them forward to the fight utterly failed. In the mean time, the enemy had made such progress against our troops, that his artillery and musketry began to play into the SECOND DAY'S FIGHT AT PITTSBURG LANDING. 67 patch of steamers to Savannah, for | later, on boats which had been pressGen. Crittenden's, his 2d division, while he landed to take part in the fray. Gen. Nelson, starting at 1:30, arrived at 5 P. M. opposite the Landing with his leading (Col. Ammen's) brigade, which was immediately crossed and formed in line, under a fire of Rebel artillery, on the right of Webster's guns. Ammen's men were just able to put in an appearance before dark, firing a few volleys and repulsing a Rebel charge on their guns at 6 P. M., when the enemy desisted and withdrew. By 7, the whole division was over, and soon in position; lying down on their arms, under orders from Buell to advance and attack at early daylight; which were implicitly obeyed. Crittenden's division reached Savannah at nightfall of Sunday, and was forwarded by steamboats directly to the Landing; where it was rapidly debarked and formed on the right of Nelson. Buell's next division, Gen. A. McD. McCook, was 12 miles from Savannah when it received orders, which it made haste to obey, arriving at Savannah at 7 to 8 P. M.; but, finding there no boats ready for its service, McCook routed up the captains of the boats lying at the dock, and embarked Rousseau's brigade, with which he reached the Landing at 5 A. M.; his other brigades, Cols. Gibson and Kirk, arriving some time vital spot of the position, and some persons were killed on the bank, at the very Landing." "He says: "From this agreeable duty [of praising the meritorious], I turn to one in the highest degree unpleasant one due, however, to the brave men under me, as a contrast to the behavior of most of the army who fought so heroically. I allude ed into service as they successively reached Savannah. The residue of Buell's army was too far behind on the Columbia road to be even hoped for. Two brigades of Wood's division arrived, however, just at the close of the battle. The fighting reopened along the whole line at daylight of the 7th, and under conditions bravely altered from those of the day preceding. The arrival of part of Buell's and all Lew. Wallace's commands had brought to the field not less than 25,000 troops; fresh, so far as fighting was concerned, for this day's action; while Beauregard, whose men, throughout the 6th, had been on foot 16 hours, and fighting most of the time had barely 3,000 left of his reserve wherewith to match them. His force had been fearfully reduced by the casualties of battle, and scarcely less by skulking, or scattering in quest of plunder-faults common to all raw troops, but of which he complains in his report as though they were novel and amazing." He had hitherto been buoyed up, or at least had buoyed up the spirits of his soldiers, by expectations and assurances that Gens. Price and Van Dorn, with some 30,000 men from across the Mississippi, were close at hand, and would reach him in time for this day's battle. But they did not come, and Buell did. The hot fire of musketry and artillery poured in upon to the fact that some officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, abandoned their colors, early in the first day, to pillage the captured encampments; others retired shamefully from the field on both days, while the thunder of cannon and the roar and rattle of musketry told them that their brothers were being slaughtered by the fresh legions of the enemy." his entire front before sunrise, gave | tured by a charge of Col. Buckley's him ample assurance of this; while 5th Kentucky; while McClernand's his soldiers, exhausted and stiffened by yesterday's protracted efforts, and chilled, like ours, by the rain of the intervening night, stood to their arms firmly, but without alacrity or enthusiasm. Nelson had quietly aroused his men at 4 A. M.; and he advanced in parade order at 5; soon concentrating upon himself the fire of half the Rebel army. Not having received his artillery, his infantry, annoyed by two Rebel batteries, began, at 74, to give ground; when, on applying to Gen. Buell, the battery of Capt. Mendenhall, and at 9 that of Capt. Terrill-both regulars-were sent to his support, and the Rebel batteries in front thereby silenced. Meantime, the Rebel concentration upon this division was continued; but its behavior was splendid, especially that of Ammen's brigade, admirably handled by its chief; while that of Hagen, on the right, maintained its position with equal gallantry. The loss by this division of 739 out of 4,541more than half of it in Hagen's brigade-attests the tenacity of the Rebel resistance this day. Crittenden's and McCook's divisions were engaged later, but not less earnestly. Advancing across a ravine, McCook's right and center were immediately attacked in force; but the steady valor of Rousseau's brigade prevailed, and their assailants, recoiling, were pursued nearly a mile; when they were rëenforced and rallied among the tents whence McClernand's left had been so hurriedly driven the previous morning. Two of his guns, being now turned against us by the enemy, were finally cap headquarters were retaken by Rousseau, who, impetuously pursuing across a level field, opened too wide a gap between his right and Gen. Crittenden's division, which was filled by Col. Willich's regiment advancing, under a deadly fire of shell, shot, and musketry, to its support; rushing up for a bayonet-charge to within 200 yards of the enemy's line, when the latter gave way, and the regiment was deployed in line of battle to give them a hastening volley. Disordered by bad management, which brought its skirmishers under a fire of our own regiments on either side, Col. Willich's 32d Indiana hastily fell back; but was soon reformed and deployed, advancing with the entire division until the retreat of the enemy was decided. Lew. Wallace, on our extreme right, with Sherman and McClernand between him and Buell's divisions, had likewise opened fire at daylight, dismounting a gun of the Rebel battery before him. Throwing forward his right, by Gen. Grant's personal direction, until his line, which had been parallel, formed a right angle with the river, he advanced en échelon, preceded by skirmishers, across a ravine to the opposite bluff, where he waited for Sherman to come up; and meantime, finding his right secured by a swamp, attempted to turn the enemy's left, which was thereupon heavily rëenforced, being effectively cannonaded by the bat teries of Thompson and Thurber. An attempt was made to capture Thurber's battery by a dash of cavalry, which was easily defeated by the skirmishers of the 8th Missouri; BEAUREGARD RETREATS FROM PITTSBURG LANDING. 69 when the battery was charged by in- | thing before them. At 4 P. M., our fantry; who were easily repelled by Col. Morgan L. Smith's brigade. soldiers held the original front line whence we had been so hurriedly driven 34 hours before; and the whole Rebel army was retreating, unpursued, on Corinth." Gen. Sherman, with two brigades and the cavalry, went out a few miles next morning on the Corinth road, and had a smart skirmish with a small Rebel force, mainly of cavalry, which he repulsed, destroying a camp, and capturing a hospital, wherein he found 280 Confederate and 50 Union wounded; returning with the former to his camp near Shiloh next morning. Meantime, Gen. Sherman, who had waited for the sound of Buell's guns upon the main Corinth road, advanced at 8 A. M., steadily and slowly, under fire, until he reached the point where the Corinth road crosses the line of McClernand's abandoned camps, and saw Willich's regiment, on his right, fighting gallantly for the possession of a point of timber some 500 yards east of Shiloh church. Hence the Rebel army could be seen re-forming its lines to the southward, with a battery by the church, and another near the Hamburg road, pouring grape and canister into any column of our troops that advanced upon that green point of timber whence Willich's regiment had just been repulsed, but into which one of McCook's brigades (Rousseau's) was now advancing. Directing the fire of two 24-pound howitzers of McAllister's battery posed of; and the enemy was evidently reupon the Rebel guns, Sherman form-ceiving fresh reenforcements after each ed his two brigades (David Stuart's, repulse; accordingly, about 1 P. M., I determined to withdraw from so unequal a connow commanded by Col. T. Kilby flict; securing such of the results of the vicSmith, and Col. Buckland's) to ad- tory of the day before as were practicable." vance in line with Rousseau; which they did superbly, sweeping every "An Impressed New-Yorker" says: "No heroism of officers or men could avail to stay the advance of the Federal troops. At 3 P.M., the Confederates decided on a retreat to Corinth; and Gen. Breckinridge, strengthened by three regiments of cavalry-Forrest's, Adams's, and the Texas Rangers, raising his effective force to 12,000 men-received orders to protect the rear. By 4 P. M., the Confederates were in full retreat. The main body of the army passed silently and swiftly along the road toward Corinth; our division bringing up the rear, determined to make a desperate stand if pursued. At this time, the Union forces might have closed in upon our retreating columns and cut off Breckinridge's division, and perhaps captured it. A Federal battery threw some shells, as a feeler, across the road on which we were Beauregard, in his official report, states that his effective force had now been reduced, "from exhaustion and other causes, from 40,000 to less than 20,000 men;" and adds: "Hour by hour opposed to an enemy constantly reenforced, our ranks were perceptibly thinned under the increasing, withering fire of the enemy; and, by 12 M. [of the second day], 18 hours of hard fighting had sensibly exhausted a large number; my last reserves had necessarily been dis This is pretty fair, but not strictly accordant with the dispatch which retreating, between our division and the main body; but no reply was made to them, as this would have betrayed our position. We passed on with little opposition or loss, and by 5 o'clock had reached a point one and a half miles nearer Corinth than the point of attack Sabbath morning. Up to this time, the pursuit seemed feeble, and the Confederates were surprised that the victorious Federals made no more of their advantage. Nor is it yet understood why the pursuit was not pressed. A rapid and persistent pursuit would have created a complete rout of the now broken, weary, and dispirited Rebels. Two hours more of such fighting as Buell's fresh men could have made would have demoralized and destroyed Beauregard's army. For some reason, this was not done; and night closed the battle." |