Battle of Shiloh

(From the Memphis Appeal 17th – correspondence.)

The fatigue of the afternoon was relieved by the arrival from time to time of captured regimental colors and prisoners, of which we have between four and five thousand. The highest in rank is Gen. Prentiss. I had the good fortune to be present when he was brought in to Gen. Beauregard, who was, the moment directing the pursuit. After exchanging salutations, the following conversation in substance took place:

Prentiss, (offering his hand) – Gen. Beauregard, we have felt your power to-day and been compelled to yield to it.

Beauregard – Parton me, sir, you have felt the power of a great nation fighting for its rights of a people fighting for their homes and all they hold dear. And I am sorry to see you fighting against us on the other side.

Prentiss – I cannot see things in that light. We can never consent to the Union being broken up.

Beauregard – But the Union is already broken up, and can never be restored. Henceforth we are a distinct nation, and every one of our people, men, women and children, is willing to fight for it and if necessary, to die in its defense. How many men did you have to-day, General Prentiss?

Prentiss (hesitatingly) – We had six divisions of about 7,000 each. My own division had about 7,500, but it was the largest. A large number of my men, however, were sick. The Tennessee water has proved very unhealthy to them. I had not more than 6,000 men and was badly supported, otherwise the day might have been different. You have whipped our best fighting men to-day.

Here General Beauregard was called off to direct troops to the pursuit, when several bystanders engaged the captured General in conversation.

Bystander – Gen. Prentiss, do you think this battle, so decisive, will lead to peace.

Prentiss – Never, till the Union is restored. – If we do not whip you with the men we have, we will bring more. We have already 200,000 enlisted, who have not yet been furnished with arms. This has been one of our great difficulties. The Belgian rifles purchased by Fremont were of no account you could turn your thumb in them. And the London Tower gun, purchased by the government, had been piled away as useless, since the war with Napoleon. It is only within the last sixty days that our men have been properly armed. No, our people are determined to fight it out. There was a time, after the battle of Manassas, when you might have captured the Capitol and marched into our country, and the future might have been different. No everything is changed.

Bystander – General Prentiss, did you have any of General Buell’s command with you to-day?

Prentiss – No. He is at Nashville.

Bystander – That cannot be. We have certain intelligence of his arrival at Mount Pleasant, on his road to join you.

Prentiss – Buell is not coming here, and if any forces are on the way they must be very small. I know nothing of them.

Bystander – Had you all your forces engaged to-day?

Prentiss – All except one division, which is at Crump’s Landing, several miles below; I expect they will be captured.

Bystander – What has become of your army that we contended with to-day? Have they crossed the river, do you think?

Prentiss – No. They have retired to our gunboats and intrenched works. There will be another fight to-morrow.

Bystander – What do you think will be the result of it?

Prentiss – I am afraid all our men will be taken.

Bystander – Do you think Buell can be there in the morning?

Prentiss – No. He may be there in the afternoon, but I think not. This has been a complete surprise. Had you waited four days longer, we should have been prepared for you.

Here some one brought in a bag of coffee from one of the enemy’s tents, and remarked: “We shall not have to drink rye coffee to-morrow morning.”

Prentiss – we have not had to come to that yet. Our people at home are mixing rye with their coffee, but the army has pure Rio yet.

Here General Beauregard returned and repeated his regret to find General Prentiss fighting against a people only claiming the right to govern itself, and especially to find General W. T. Sherman, who had enjoyed the hospitalities of Louisiana, and a personal acquaintance in front of him.

General Beauregard being called off again, General Prentiss asked the privilege of walking about the quarters, which was granted him upon giving his parole. Thereupon the captured General mingled freely with the whole party, and made himself remarkably affable for a prisoner.

But what of the battle? Ah! Who can describe it? A continuous roar of musketry, unbroken save by the hundred pieces of artillery, and shot and shell whizzing through the air, or tearing up the earth, or felling the timber everywhere. According to the best accounts, the expedition up the Tennessee consisted of nearly 100,000 men, most of whom were in the fight, only one division is said to have been absent, ten miles down the river, at Crump’s Landing. In view of the fact as declared in the enclosed letter, picked up on the battle field, that the enemy fought with desperation, the reader can better imagine what the battle was than I can describe it.

And then the field! Alas, and unfortunately, perhaps, this is still further beyond my powers of description. The scene of carnage, the wounded, the dying and the dead, scattered over a field seven miles in extent, harrow up the souls of too many who have need of consolation. Let me drop a tear over the patriot slain, and draw a midnight curtain around the field of carnage. It must rise again to-morrow.

H. P.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 3, 1862, p. 4