From the foregoing account it will be seen that the following telegram, sent by Beauregard to Richmond, is not far from literally true: 

“BATTLE-FIELD OF SHILOH,
Via Corinth and Chattanooga, April 6, 1862.

“GENERAL S. COOPER, Adjutant-general,—­We have this morning attacked the enemy in strong position in front of Pittsburg, and after a severe battle of ten hours, thanks to Almighty God, gained a complete victory, driving the enemy from every position.

“The loss on both sides is heavy, including our commander-in-chief, General Albert Sidney Johnson, who fell gallantly leading his troops into the thickest of the fight.

“G.T.  BEAUREGARD,
General commanding.”

The morning of Monday, April 7th, was dark and gloomy; the men were weary and stiffened by the exertions of the previous day, and from the chilling effects of the rain which fell during the night.  The dead of both armies lay strewed over the field by hundreds, and many of the desperately wounded were still groaning out their lives in fearful agony.  At five A.M.  I was in the saddle, though, scarcely able to mount, from the pain in knee and side; and in making my way to General Beauregard’s staff, my head reeled and my heart grew sick at the scenes through which I passed.  I record but one.  In crossing a small ravine, my horse hesitated to step over the stream, and I glanced down to detect the cause.  The slight rain during the night had washed the leaves out of a narrow channel down the gully some six inches wide, leaving the hard clay exposed.  Down this pathway ran sluggishly a band of blood nearly an inch thick, filling the channel.  For a minute I looked and reflected, how many human lives are flowing past me, and who shall account for such butchery!  Striking my rowels into the horse to escape from the horrible sight, he plunged his foot into the stream of blood, and threw the already thickening mass in ropy folds upon the dead leaves on the bank!  The only relief to my feelings was the reflection that I had not shed one drop of that blood.

I took my position on General B.’s staff at six o’clock in the morning, and remained near him most of the day.  The Federal forces had already commenced the attack, and the tide of battle soon turned.  Grant’s reinforcements had come up during the night, but Beauregard’s had not, and early in the day it became evident that we were fighting against fearful odds.  Beauregard sent forward 3000 of his best troops, held as a reserve during the first day.  They did all that so small a number could do, but it was of no avail.  Step by step they drove us back, while every foot of ground was yielded only after a determined resistance.  The battle raged mainly on our left, General Breckenridge’s division doing but little fighting this day, compared with the first day.  General Grant seemed determined to outflank our left, and occupy the road behind us, and as the Confederates had not men enough to hold