Today in History:

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

Page 582 KY.,TENN.,N.MISS.,N.ALA.,AND SW.VA. Chapter XXII.

galloped back to my right. About half of the Twenty-third Tennessee and 60 men of the Sixth Mississippi had reformed. With these I advanced directly to my front, through the enemy's encampment, the enemy having retreated as soon as my left had broken their right. Colonel Patterson, of the Eighth Arkansas, connected his regiment with my remnants of two regiments, and remained fighting with me until about 12 or 1 o'clock.

At this time Captain Harper, commanding the remnant of the Sixth Mississippi, marched it to the rear. Its terrible loss in the morning, the want of all its field and most of its company officers, had completely disorganized it and unfitted it for further service. I saw it no more during the battle, but would respectfully refer you to the reports of Col. J. J. Thornton for its after proceedings.

Soon after this I ordered the Twenty-third Tennessee to the rear, with directions to reunite with other portions of the regiment which had got separated from it in the repulse of the morning. I was now left without a command on this part of the field, and was proceeding along the rear of our line to join my left wing, when I met General Hardee. I reported my situation to him. He ordered me to collect and bring into the fight a large body of stragglers who were thronging the encampments in our rear. This, after great exertion, I partially succeeded in doing, but finding this kind of a force would not stand anything like a heavy fire, I determined to rejoin my own command on the left, which I did about 2 p.m.

I found the Fifth and Twenty-fourth Tennessee and Fifteenth Arkansas halted under the brow of an abrupt hill. The Second Tennessee had suffered so severely in its charge of the morning it had to be moved back to reform. Moving forward immediately after I lost sight of it, and it did not connect itself with my brigade any more during the fight. I would respectfully refer you to Lieutenant-Colonel Goodall's report for its after proceedings.

On reaching the ground I ordered an immediate advance. It was delayed, however, by one of our own batteries firing across the line of my intended advance. As soon as I succeeded in stopping this fire I sent out skirmishers and pushed directly forward. The Twenty-third Tennessee Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Neil, came up at this juncture and advanced with me.

After moving forward about half a mile I was fired on by the enemy again, my skirmishers driven in, and soon my main body [the Fifteenth Arkansas excepted] was heavily engaged. This engagement lasted half an hour, when the enemy gave way.

My men were out of ammunition. Owing to the nature of the ground my ammunition wagons could not follow, so I had to send a strong fatigue party back, and the men carried boxes of ammunition on their shoulders up and down the steep hills for more than a mile. As soon as supplied with ammunition I again advanced, and continued to move forward until checked by a heavy fire of artillery from the enemy's field artillery and gunboats. When this firing ceased I again advanced until halted by an aid of General Beauregard, who informed me we were not to approach nearer to the river.

It was now dark, so I returned, and encamped in one of the enemy's encampments near the Bark road.

It rained heavily during the night. Every fifteen minutes the enemy threw two shells from his gunboats, some of which burst close around my men, banishing sleep from the eyes of a few, but falling chiefly among their own wounded, who were strewn thickly between my camp and


Page 582 KY.,TENN.,N.MISS.,N.ALA.,AND SW.VA. Chapter XXII.