Today in History:

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

Page 593 Chapter XXII. PITTSBURG LANDING, OR SHILOH, TENN.

Twenty-seventh Tennessee, Eighth Arkansas, Ninth Arkansas Battalion, and Forty-fourth Tennessee.

At the request of Brigadier-General Ruggles I marched to the right, to his support. The enemy was driven towards the river and back upon his batteries.

I received an order from Major-General Hardee to move to the center and front, which was immediately obeyed, bringing my command under the fire of the gunboats; but we pressed on until we found that the shells, in the main, passed beyond our line. Coming upon a line of troops immediately in my front I halted and ordered the men to rest, selecting a position the most secure from the shelling. From the shells at this point I had 10 killed and many wounded.

In a short time I saw the line in my front moving to the rear and around my right. A staff officer then ordered me to fall back to the encampments we had last passed, and to allow my men to get something to eat and rest for the night.

On Monday, the 7th instant, the brigade was formed in line of battle early in the morning by Colonel Patterson. The firing of shells by the enemy during the night had prevented the men from sleeping in a great degree. I received an order to move forward, and had thrown out skirmishers, when orders from General Beauregard reached me to take position on the right of a long line of troops formed in some woods to my left and rear, and conform to their movements. The position indicated was at once taken. The line advanced, and, throwing out skirmishers to cover my front, I advanced with it. The whole line moved forward toward an open field.

MAP.

The enemy, as we advanced, unlimbered a battery to the left, and waited until nearly two-thirds of the entire line was in the open ground. They then opened, expecting that the left of the line, which was on the flank of the battery, would charge and take it. I continued to advance, and had nearly crossed the open field to the woods beyond when the whole line to my left precipitately retired, falling back to the cover of the woods. I faced my command about and marched back. Having reformed on the right of the same line, a staff officer of General

38 R R-VOL X


Page 593 Chapter XXII. PITTSBURG LANDING, OR SHILOH, TENN.