was chosen, however, because I was confident of finding a cross road to the river road long before the head of the column doubled upon its foot. [See Colonel Ross’ statement of the effort made to accomplish that idea.]

One of the results I confidently anticipated from a reading of the letter submitted, is, that you will be satisfied of the wrong done me (unintentional, I believe), by Colonel Badeau, when, in his book, he describes me as consuming seven hours in marching five miles in the direction of the battle.  The march actually performed in that time was not less than fifteen miles, over an execrable dirt road.

Your opinion, as advanced in your letter to the War Office, July, 13, 1863, that General Morgan L. Smith, had he been put in command, could have had the division in the battle by 1 o’clock P.M., is in direct terms, based upon the condition that General Smith received your orders as you supposed them communicated to me.  But, suppose he had not received the order as originally given; suppose, on the contrary, the order actually received by him had the effect to send him in another direction from Pittsburg Landing; and suppose that, on approaching his objective, he had found himself in the rear of the whole rebel army, and in his judgment compelled, by that circumstance, together with the bad fortune of our own army, to a further movement of quite ten miles—­all of which were terrible realities in my case—­I am sure you are too just a man to have held him accountable for the hours, however precious, thus necessarily lost.

With these remarks I place the letters of the officers named in your hands.  They will satisfy you, I think, that the exoneration I seek will be a simple act of justice.  The many misconceptions which have been attached to my movements on that bloody Sunday, have, it must be confessed, made me extremely sensitive upon the subject.  You can imagine, therefore, with what anxiety your reply will be waited.

    Very respectfully your friend,

    LEW WALLACE. 
    To GENERAL U.S.  GRANT, WASHINGTON CITY.

Colonel Ross to General Wallace: 

    CHICAGO, January, 25, 1868.

General:  Having read the extract from “Badeau’s Life of General Grant,” as published in the Chicago Tribune, of the twenty-fifth of December, 1867, wherein he refers particularly to the battle of Shiloh, and seeing the gross injustice done you, and the false light in which you are placed before the country and the world, I deem it my duty to make a brief statement of what I know to be the facts in reference to your failure to reach the field of battle in time to take part in the action of Sunday, April 6, 1862.

I will first state the position of your command on that morning.  The First Brigade, Colonel M.L.  Smith commanding, at Crump’s Landing; Second Brigade, Colonel John M. Thayer