Today in History:

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

Page 590 KY.,TENN.,N.MISS.,N.ALA.,AND SW.VA. Chapter XXII.

No. 214 Report of Lieutenant. Col. Robert Cantrell, Twenty-third Tennessee Infantry.


HDQRS. TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT TENN. VOLS., Camp Hill, Miss., April 22, 1862.

In obedience to Special Orders, No.-, I submit the following report, showing the number detailed as hospital corps, the number detailed as guard or fatigue parties, and the number actually engaged in the battle of Shiloh on April 6 and 7; also the instances of individual bravery of this command and the names of those who behaved themselves badly on the field of battle:

Lieutenant. Col. James F. Neill was in command of the regiment, gallantly leading it till he fell wounded on the field of battle near the close of the engagement on the 7th. I therefore have to rely upon the reports of company commanders for the information required, which shows the following facts:

Number detailed as hospital corps, 34. No guard or fatigue parties, except a guard to take charge of some prisoners late in the day on the 6th; number not known. Number engaged on April 6, field and company officers, 33; non-commissioned officers and privates, 537. Captain Dorch and 7 of his men, who escaped from Fort Donelson, attached themselves to the regiment and fought bravely, making the whole number engaged [officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates] 578.

I have no particular instances of individual bravery to note. The regiment as a regiment [though laboring under disadvantages from being accidentally and, I might add, unavoidably separated in the early part of the engagement, while charging a battery through a thicket] fought bravely and, with but few exceptions, did their whole duty, and many of the men were disarmed by shots from the enemy, but immediately procured other arms and continued in the engagement. Others received severe wounds, but continued in the thickest of the fight till they saw the enemy retreating from the field of battle.

I have but one case of bad conduct to note. A young man by the name of James B. Ferrell, Company E, left his company and regiment early on Sunday and did not get with them any more, but returned to camp with his ammunition and a good supply of Yankee goods.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

ROBERT CANTRELL,
Lieutenant Colonel, Comdg. Twenty-third Tennessee Regiment.

No. 215 Report of Brig. Gen. S. A. M. Wood, C. S. Army, commanding Third Brigade.

HDQRS. THIRD BRIG., THIRD CORPS, ARMY OF THE MISS, Near Corinth, Miss., April 15, 1862.

SIR: The undersigned begs leave to submit the following report of his brigade in the battle of Shiloh on Sunday and Monday, April 6 and 7:

The brigade was composed of the Eighth Arkansas Regiment, Colonel W. K. Patterson, about 280 muskets; a battalion of the Ninth Arkansas Regiment, Col. John H. Kelly, about 140 muskets; Twenty-seventh


Page 590 KY.,TENN.,N.MISS.,N.ALA.,AND SW.VA. Chapter XXII.