Today in History:

446 Series I Volume X-I Serial 10 - Shiloh Part I

Page 446 KY., TENN., N. MISS., N. ALA., AND SW. VA.

[CHAP. XXII.

field and rendered efficient service. The extended line of my brigade rendered their duties difficult and dangerous. Major Rogers and Captains Blakemore and Anderson remained on the field; the first two until the evening of the 6th, and the latter until the evening of the 7th instant. Captain Anderson had two horses shot under him and was slightly injured by a shell. Major Rogers and Captain Moore returned to the brigade on the field on the 7th instant.

Very truly, your obedient servant,

B. R. JOHNSON,

Brigadier General Comdg. 1st Brig., 2nd Div., 1st Army Corps,

Army of the Mississippi.

Major J. D. PORTER, Jr.,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


Numbers 158. Report of Colonel Preston Smith, One hundred and fifty-fourth Tennessee Infantry.


HDQRS. FIRST BRIGADE, SECOND DIVISION, FIRST GRAND DIVISION, ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
April 19, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following as the report of the part taken by my command in the engagements of the 6th and 7th instant:

In obedience to the order of Brigadier-General Johnson I moved forward my command, the One hundred and fifty-fourth Senior Tennessee Regiment, at daylight on Sunday morning, on the road leading to Pittsburgh, and proceeded to form a line of battle, my regiment being on the right and Blythe's Mississippi regiment on my left; these two regiments forming the right wing of Brigadier-General Johnson's brigade, this wing resting on the right of the road and the brigade held in reserve to support Brigadier-General Clark's brigade.

We followed the movements of that command until about 8 a.m., when an order was received from Major-General Bragg, through an officer of his staff, directing me to lead my regiment into action. This order was executed by moving my regiment by the right flank through a large open field, exposed the while to the shot and shell of the enemy's guns, placed in a road in front of us. I continued to march the command by the flank until it had crossed a muddy creek, some 300 yards from the enemy's battery, when the line of battle was formed under a galling fire from the battery, infantry, and sharpshooters.

At this point the gallant Captain Marshall Polk, with a section of his battery, advanced to my immediate front, and poured into the enemy's works and on his battery a heavy and well-directed fire a grape and canister. After he had fired seven or eight rounds I directed him to cease firing and ordered my regiment forward.

Right here I received orders from Major-General Bragg to push my command forward. The order was promptly executed and in gallant style, driving the enemy from his guns with much loss and capturing his battery of four pieces. In this charge I lost heavily, but continued to press on the enemy, now driven beyond his first encampment some 600 or 700 yards, capturing a section of another battery, containing


Page 446 KY., TENN., N. MISS., N. ALA., AND SW. VA.