brigade on its right in the woods; and thus advanced,
steadily and slowly, under a heavy fire of musketry
and artillery. Taylor had just got to me from
the rear, where he had gone for ammunition, and brought
up three guns, which I ordered into position, to advance
by hand firing. These guns belonged to Company
A, Chicago Light Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant
P. P. Wood, and did most excellent service.
Under cover of their fire, we advanced till we reached
the point where the Corinth road crosses the line of
McClernand’s camp, and here I saw for the first
time the well-ordered and compact columns of General
Buell’s Kentucky forces, whose soldierly movements
at once gave confidence to our newer and less disciplined
men. Here I saw Willich’s regiment advance
upon a point of water-oaks and thicket, behind which
I knew the enemy was in great strength, and enter
it in beautiful style. Then arose the severest
musketry-fire I ever heard, and lasted some twenty
minutes, when this splendid regiment had to fall back.
This green point of timber is about five hundred
yards east of Shiloh meeting-home, and it was evident
here was to be the struggle. The enemy could
also be seen forming his lines to the south.
General McClernand sending to me for artillery, I
detached to him the three guns of Wood’s battery,
with which he speedily drove them back, and, seeing
some others to the rear, I sent one of my staff to
bring them forward, when, by almost providential decree,
they proved to be two twenty-four pound howitzers
belonging to McAlister’s battery, and served
as well as guns ever could be.
This was about 2 p.m. The enemy had one battery
close by Shiloh, and another near the Hamburg road,
both pouring grape and canister upon any column of
troops that advanced upon the green point of water-oaks.
Willich’s regiment had been repulsed, but a
whole brigade of McCook’s division advanced
beautifully, deployed, and entered this dreaded wood.
I ordered my second brigade (then commanded by Colonel
T. Kilby Smith, Colonel Smart being wounded) to form
on its right, and my fourth brigade, Colonel Buckland,
on its right; all to advance abreast with this Kentucky
brigade before mentioned, which I afterward found
to be Rousseau’s brigade of McCook’s division.
I gave personal direction to the twenty-four pounder
guns, whose well-directed fire first silenced the enemy’s
guns to the left, and afterward at the Shiloh meeting-house.
Rousseau’s brigade moved in splendid order steadily
to the front, sweeping every thing before it, and
at 4 p.m. we stood upon the ground of our original
front line; and the enemy was in full retreat.
I directed my several brigades to resume at once their
original camps.
Several times during the battle, cartridges gave out;
but General Grant had thoughtfully kept a supply coming
from the rear. When I appealed to regiments
to stand fast, although out of cartridges, I did so
because, to retire a regiment for any cause, has a
bad effect on others. I commend the Fortieth
Illinois and Thirteenth Missouri for thus holding
their ground under heavy fire, although their cartridge-boxes
were empty.