The three Illinois regiments in immediate support of this battery stood for some time; but the enemy’s advance was so vigorous, and the fire so severe, that when Colonel Raith, of the Forty-third Illinois, received a severe wound and fell from his horse, his regiment and the others manifested disorder, and the enemy got possession of three guns of this (Waterhouse’s) battery.  Although our left was thus turned, and the enemy was pressing our whole line, I deemed Shiloh so important, that I remained by it and renewed my orders to Colonels McDowell and Buckland to hold their ground; and we did hold these positions until about 10 a.m., when the enemy had got his artillery to the rear of our left flank and some change became absolutely necessary.  Two regiments of Hildebrand’s brigade—­Appler’s and Mungen’s—­had already disappeared to the rear, and Hildebrand’s own regiment was in disorder.  I therefore gave orders for Taylor’s battery—­still at Shiloh—­to fall back as far as the Purdy and Hamburg road, and for McDowell and Buckland to adopt that road as their new line.  I rode across the angle and met Behr’s battery at the cross-roads, and ordered it immediately to come into battery, action right.  Captain Behr gave the order, but he was almost immediately shot from his horse, when drivers and gunners fled in disorder, carrying off the caissons, and abandoning five out of six guns, without firing a shot.  The enemy pressed on, gaining this battery, and we were again forced to choose a new line of defense.  Hildebrand’s brigade had substantially disappeared from the field, though he himself bravely remained.  McDowell’s and Buckland’s brigades maintained their organizations, and were conducted by my aides, so as to join on General McClernand’s right, thus abandoning my original camps and line.  This was about 10 1/2 a.m., at which time the enemy had made a furious attack on General McClernand’s whole front.  He straggled most determinedly, but, finding him pressed, I moved McDowell’s brigade directly against the left flank of the enemy, forced him back some distance, and then directed the men to avail themselves of every cover-trees, fallen timber, and a wooded valley to our right.  We held this position for four long hours, sometimes gaining and at others losing ground; General McClernand and myself acting in perfect concert, and struggling to maintain this line.  While we were so hard pressed, two Iowa regiments approached from the rear, but could not be brought up to the severe fire that was raging in our front, and General Grant, who visited us on that ground, will remember our situation about 3 p.m.; but about 4 p.m. it was evident that Hurlbut’s line had been driven back to the river; and knowing that General Lew Wallace was coming with reinforcements from Cramp’s Landing, General McClernand and I, on consultation, selected a new line of defense, with its right covering a bridge by which General Wallace had to approach.  We fell back as well as we could, gathering in addition to our own such scattered forces as we could find, and formed the new line.