if necessary.

I will return to Pittsburg Landing at an early hour to-morrow, and ride out to your camp."

On Saturday, April 5th, the enemy's cavalry was again very bold, coming well down to Sherman's front. This day, the head of Nelson's column arrived at Savanna, and Nelson himself reported to Grant, who in person directed him to march his command to a position south of Savanna, and about five miles from the point opposite Pittsburg Landing; there, he was to hold himself in readiness to reënforce the army on the left bank, in case of need. The order was obeyed, and Grant having made all his preparations for removing his headquarters to Pittsburg on the morrow, remained to meet Buell, as that officer had desired.

The battle-field of Shiloh is a thickly-wooded and broken country, interspersed with patches of cultivation, and reaching back from the bluffs at Pittsburg Landing, from two and a half to three miles. Snake creek on the north, and Lick creek on the south, run almost at right angles with the Tennessee, and empty into it about three miles apart. These were the right. and left defences of the national line, and between them the battle was fought. Owl creek, a small stream running north, and nearly parallel with the Tennessee, empties into Snake creek, about three miles from the river, and covered part of the right front of the national army. All these streams were flooded. The line faced mainly to the south and southwest; and the enemy, coming from Corinth, was thus compelled to attack almost wholly in front. Sherman was posted on the right, in advance of the rest of the army, and near a log chapel, known as Shiloh meet

On

ing-house; his division lay directly across the main Corinth road, but his right was refused, resting on Owl creek and covering the Purdy road. This position became the key-point of the fight, and from Shiloh church the battle took its name. The main effort of the enemy for many hours was to get around this flank, and thus to the rear of Grant's army. Sherman's left, but somewhat retired, was McClernand's command, his right overlapping Sherman; then came Prentiss, more in advance again, and on the extreme left was Stuart, commanding a detached brigade of Sherman's division, and covering the crossing of Lick creek. Hurlbut was massed and in reserve, to the rear and left of Prentiss. There was a short interval between Prentiss and Stuart, which, however, Hurlbut completely covered. C. F. Smith was ill of a sickness from which he never recovered, and his division was at this time commanded by W. H. L. Wallace; its place was in rear, and to the right of Sherman, supporting the right wing of the army.

Each of the divisions in the front line was posted so as to cover the junction of important roads, leading on the left to Hamburg, on the right to Crump's Landing, and those in front to Corinth and Purdy. To the right and rear of Sherman, the Crump's Landing road crosses Snake creek, and here a military bridge had recently been built, principally by Lewis Wallace's troops, by which communication was maintained with Wallace's command, five miles off. Wallace was near Crump's Landing, but his troops were stretched out on the Purdy road, so as to be ready to move either to Pittsburg or Purdy, as circumstances might require. There were no intrenchments, for the Western troops had not yet learned the lesson of de

fence which they afterwards applied so well. The north bank of Lick creek, however, is extremely steep and rugged, and formed a natural cover to the extreme left, while nearly a mile inside of the creek, the landing was again protected by a deep and precipitous ravine.

At daybreak, on the morning of the 6th of April, General Albert Sidney Johnston, in command of the rebel forces, having marched from Corinth three days before, attacked the lines at Shiloh. Grant and his staff were breakfasting early, and their horses were saddled, preparatory to riding out in search of Buell; the heavy firing was heard, of course, for Pittsburg Landing is only nine miles from Savanna, by the river, and not more than six, in a direct line. An order was instantly dispatched to General Nelson,* to move his entire command to the river bank, opposite Pittsburg; and Grant went aboard a transport at seven o'clock, and started in person for the front, first sending a note to Buell in these words: "Heavy firing is heard up the river, indicating plainly that an attack has been made upon our most advanced positions. I have been looking for this, but did not believe the attack could be made before Monday or Tuesday. This necessitates my joining the forces up the river, instead of meeting you to-day, as I had contemplated. I have directed General Nelson to move to the river with his division. He can march to opposite Pittsburg." On his way up the river,

SAVANNA, April 6, 1862.

Brig.-Gen. WM. NELSON, commanding Division in Buell's Army:

An attack having been made on our forces, you will move your entire command to the river opposite Pittsburg. You can easily obtain a guide in the village. By order of Major-General Grant :

JOHN A. RAWLINS, A. A. G.

Grant stopped at Crump's Landing, to see Lewis Wallace, and notified him in person of the undoubted fact, which had not yet been officially reported, that a general engagement had begun, and that Wallace must hold himself in readiness to march to the sup port of the main army at Pittsburg, or if the attack there should prove a feint, to defend himself against a probable movement upon him, from the direction of Purdy, his situation being isolated, and somewhat exposed. Wallace replied that he would be in readiness for any orders which he might receive. This interview took place on the transport. Grant then hurried on to the landing at Pittsburg, arriving there at about eight o'clock. He rode at once to the front.

The rebel onset had begun in force, and with tremendous vigor. Prentiss was first attacked, and then Sherman; but Prentiss having been warned, had doubled his grand guards the night before, and pushed out his pickets a mile and a half; he formed his division in advance of its camps, and there it received the first assault.* Sherman, too, having been skirmishing since the 4th, was promptly under arms; and the other division commanders, admonished by the movements of the last few days, had their horses saddled, and were breakfasting early to be ready in case of an attack. They at once put their com

*See Prentiss's report and rebel reports.

"It was well known the enemy were approaching our lines, and there had been more or less skirmishing for three days preceding the battle. The consequence was our breakfasts were ordered at an early hour, and our horses saddled to be ready in case of an attack."-Report of Major-General McPherson, dated Lake Providence, La., March 26, 1863.

McPherson at this time was on Grant's staff; he was at W. H. L. Wallace's headquarters on the night of the 5th, and on the morning of the 6th.

mands into line. The entire national force on the ground at the time of the assault, was thirty-three thousand effective men. Lewis Wallace had about five thousand more, at Crump's landing, making Grant's whole force between fifty and sixty regiments. Grant estimated the enemy's strength at sixtyfive thousand men, or one hundred and sixtytwo regiments and battalions. Beauregard afterwards reported it at forty thousand, three hundred and fifty-five.* The troops, though so furiously attacked, as yet held their original ground. Word was instantly sent to Nelson and Lewis Wallace, of the state of affairs, and imperative orders given them to advance at once, and with all speed. To Nelson, the order was in writing: "You will hurry up your command as fast as possible. The boats will be in readi ness to transport all troops of your command across the river. All looks well, but it is necessary for you to push forward as fast as possible." A staff officer was dispatched to General Wallace, with verbal directions for him to march by the nearest road parallel to the river.

The engagement soon spread along the whole line, from Sherman's right to the brigade of Stuart on the extreme left. Prentiss's division being raw, was driven at once from its first position, but took a new line inside its camps. Sherman's troops were also new, and soon gave way; but McClernand promptly moved up a portion of his division to support Sherman's wavering left. Hurlbut, too, was marched forward to the support of Prentiss; and W.

* Grant's estimate was made up from the reports of spies, deserters, and prisoners, who, without exception, set the figures as high as sixty or seventy thousand.