USA > Indiana > History of the Sixth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry. Of both the three months' and three years' services.. > Part 5
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99 .
WE STRIKE OUT FOR SAVANNAH, TENN.
knapsack and blanket, and is so bound up by straps that, should any one of these guy ropes break, it would be certain death to every mother's son on the bridge. The man who would not be frightened in such a situation has neither nerves nor sense. But we got across the river all the same, and started on with the balance of the " Great Army," whose objective point was Savan- nah.
Only one route was practicable, a single, narrow roadway, in poor condition for the ordinary travel of a sparsely inhabited region, and we think the poorest country we ever saw, but along this lonely narrow way the army moved slowly along. It was the intention of General Buell to halt the army at Waynesboro, a point on our route, long enough to rest up and get in good repair and shape for the meeting and consolidation with General Grant's army at Savannah. But General Nelson, ignorant of this proposal to halt at Waynesboro, and alive to the probability of an early attack upon General Grant, hurried through the place for a rest and trimming up for a handsome introduction to the Army of the Tennessee, and by sweeping impetu- ously on the road to Savannah, defeated the halt at Waynesboro, for, before General Buell thought it necessary to give orders to Nelson, other divisions to which the speed of the first had been communi- cated, were also beyond Waynesboro, and could not then be recalled, and but for this rapid move- ment of General Nelson, which enabled him to
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
arrive at Savannah on the 5th, who can predict the fate of Grant's army, then lying quietly in camp at Pittsburg Landing, twelve miles above, and, too, on the enemy's side of the river, with no means for crossing except by transports, and they, General Grant telegraphed Nelson, would not be ready for him before the 8th.
Please comprehend the situation: On the 5th General Nelson's Division is just pulling into Sa- vannah, twelve miles below the scene of action, and on the opposite side of a large river without bridges, his men tired and worn out by forced marches, while the balance of Buell's army was strung out on the road back in the rear for a dis- tance of forty miles. And in this condition the evening of the 5th closes, and the bugle blows halt for the night, and the weary soldiers stretch themselves upon the wet, cold ground to rest and to slumber, while at the very same moment the rebel army is stealthily approaching, and, with the cunning of a tiger. preparing to spring upon the unconscious and slumbering Army of the Tennessee.
When the bugle blowed halt on the evening of the 5th, the Sixth Indiana went into camp not less than thirty-six miles from Savannah, and but little did we think, when we set around our camp-fires next morning, eating our breakfast of coffee, hard- tack and sow-belly. that this thirty-six miles was to be covered before nightfall. But breakfast over, the bugle blows the forward movement, and the
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WE HEAR THE CANNON AT SHILOH.
"Army of the Ohio" again moves forward toward Savannah. The sore-footed, tired and weary soldier plods along in the mud, watching his steps as best he can, in order to save his strength, and chatting. perhaps, with a comrade about home, or, may be. the prospective impending crash of the two great armies, which were at this time approaching each other like two hideous monsters. While thus wending our way along, the silence is broken by an unusual sound. Hark ! it comes again. Boom ! Boom! Boom! greets the ear in sounds not to be mistaken. Instantly each man grasps his gun more firmly, while, at the same time, he examines his cartridge-box-see them pull out for the front ! The speed is doubled ; the mud is not in the way any more. " Forward-quick-time." came back the line, and it effects the soldier like applying the lash to the tired horse. Noon is near at hand and we are halted on the banks of a small stream, and ordered to cat a bite while resting: also, to stack our knapsacks, and, in fact, unload everything but our guns and forty rounds of ammunition. Only a few minutes rest, and away we go again : ship. slop, splash, splash : up hill and down, keeping time to the roar of the artillery, which was visibly closer from each hill-top, and, while I can not speak for the other members of the regiment, I am free to confess that I never, up to that time, had heard of a place that I cared any less about "hurrying up to get there" than that place called Shiloh. Some
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
how every step I took seemed to "go against the grain."
But about 8 o'clock that evening found us in Savannah, and about 11 o'clock we were loaded aboard a steamer, and shipped up to Pittsburg Landing. The boys will remember that it rained so hard on the way up that we could not stay on the upper deck. They will also remember that we went only a few miles up the river, perhaps six or eight miles, until we came in sight of the camp fires of Grant's defeated and demoralized troops.
The different brigades and divisions had been shattered and so badly demoralized that, as Gen- eral Sherman said, " it had become of a mixed character," and the farther up we went the worse it got, until, when we finally struck the Landing, the groups of unorganized men stood around so thick that we could hardly find standing room on shore.
It rained all the way up, and we got off the boat in a drenching rain and mud over shoe-top deep. It was simply mud and rain everywhere. I don't think our regiment got one hundred feet from the river's edge where we got off that night, and I think I give the experience of every mem- ber of the old Sixth when I say that the night of the 6th of April, 1862, was the worst night of our entire three years' service.
Language fails me when I undertake to describe the terrible sufferings and hardships of that night after we landed, and in giving my own experience
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A NIGHT IN THE MUD AND RAIN.
I expect that I but voice the sentiment of every member of the regiment. My clothes were wet to the skin, my feet and ankles were blistered, and my legs pained me so badly that to sleep would have been impossible, even had there been any chance for it ; but none but the dead could sleep. Standing in the open air in mud ankle deep, and the rain simply coming down in torrents, and. to make matters worse, it turned cold; the rapid, heavy marching through the day had warmed us to a copious sweat, and in cooling off we passed to the other extreme, and with no possible chance for exercise ; and to add to this condition, there was a hospital within thirty steps of us, where the doc- tors were busy dressing the wounded, extracting balls, and amputating shattered limbs. The groans and shrieks of the wounded and dying drowned every other noise except the pelting rain. I finally became so miserable that in my desperation I struck off. I knew not where, nor did I care. It seemed to me I could not possibly survive till morning and remain where Iwas. I was actuated by that instinet which prompts all animals to act when life is at stake. I followed the road leading back from the river, and had gone only about one hundred yards, when my attention was attracted by a large fire off to my right, some two or three hundred yards. I determined to go to it at once. and struck out through the woods, bumping along against men and trees, in midnight darkness, ex- cept the large fire in my front. Wherever men
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
could find a spot where water was not standing on the ground, they were lying in groups trying to sleep. It was all the same to me. I kept on my course, and sometimes I would start up over a raft of these sleeping men, lying along like poles on a corduroy road, but I never halted to apologize, but kept on toward the fire, and left them swearing and sometimes threatening to shoot.
One time, after I had stumbled over a crowd of sleepers, one fellow jumped and said to his com- rade : "Bill, there is a horse loose in camp; he has just passed right over us, and I believe has broke some of my ribs." I had gone only a few steps when I stepped on something I thought was a stone or bump on a root, but before I took my foot off, the object moved and my foot slipped to the ground. Just then a Dutchman yelled out : " Got dam for hell!" and jumped up and took out after me; but I had the advantage of him, and made a few steps to one side and let him go by me, making the water splash at every step. He made only a few jumps past me when bang! he took a tree. For a moment all was still, but he soon came to, and again yelled out : "Oh, mine Got in himmel ! Shake, I am kilt!" This brought Jake to his relief, and I thought may be I had better go on. I did so, and soon arrived at the fire, and such a sight I never saw before! The boys had built a large log fire, which was burning fifteen feet high, and around this not less than three hundred men were crowded, forming a solid
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THE BOYS HAD BUILT A LARGE LOG FIRE.
wall of men not less than thirty feet thick. Forty feet was as close as I could get to the fire. No man seemed disposed to give way for a friend; it was every fellow for himself. I walked twice around the ring, in mud worked up until it was ankle deep, watching a chance to get in. It was simply impossible; I could not do it. But the immense fire had warmed up the atmosphere, and I derived some benefit from that. This, with the exercise, had started the blood to circulating again, and restored both my feeling and senses, for I was nearly crazy, and began to feel uneasy, and struck out for the regiment, which I found by pure aeci- dent. In my wandering around. I accidentally struck the main road, out of which I started at first. I simply guessed at which end to take, but. fortunately took the end that led me back to the regiment. One very important change had taken place while I was gone. I had all along been watching a fellow who occupied a very enviable position under the dry side of a leaning tree. For some reason, he had vacated, and I immediately moved in and took possession. I crouched down with my back against the tree, and in a few min- utes was sound asleep. I do not know how long I slept, but when I " roused up " I could plainly see streaks of the dawning day, and when I under- took to stand up I was as stiff as a dead rabbit, with my limbs so badly cramped that there was no feeling in them, and it was some time before I could stand upright or make a step. But daylight
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
had so far advanced that we could begin to take in the surroundings, and such a sight seldom meets the eye of man. There was disorder and confusion everywhere, and a worse looking set of men would be hard to find than the old Sixth. But, thank God, it was only in looks, and a little cleansing and dressing, with a few square meals, would make this all right. But a braver, more reliable regiment of men never shouldered mus- kets than the old Sixth.
PHILEMON P. BALDWIN.
CHAPTER VI.
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.
The bugle sounde the fall-in-Rousseau's Brigade-The Sixth Indiana defends a battery-A terrible day's battle-The rebels defeated and flying-Description of the battle-Our losses-A dear victory.
"Bugler, sound the .fall in"" came from a quick, imperative voice, close by me. I looked in the direction of the speaker, and saw General Rousseau and Colonel Crittenden crawling out from under a large tarpaulin. The bugle brought every man to his feet, and the regiment began to forni in line. As soon as formed, the order to forward was given. We marched only a short distance. over on a point which had been vacated by troops already sent to the front, and halted long enough to take coffee, inspect guns, ammunition. etc .. and immediately moved to the front. No regu- larly defined plan of battle was agreed upon be- tween the army commanders, but General Buell was assigned to the left wing of the battle-front. General Nelson's Division was formed on the ex- treme left at five o'clock in the morning, his left resting on the river. Crittenden's Division formed on Nelson's right, while MeCook was still on the right of Crittenden. Thus it will be seen that MeCook's Division formed the right-center of the battle-front, and General Rousseau's Brigade
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
formed the left of McCook's Division, and conse- quently Rosseau joined Crittenden's right. Rous- sean's Brigade was composed of the First Ohio, commanded by Colonel B. F. Smith ; Fifth Ken- teuky, commanded by Colonel HI. M. Buckley ; Sixth Indiana, commanded by Colonel T. T. Crit- tenden ; also, the First Batalion of the Fifteenth and the First Batalion of the Nineteenth Regulars. Rousseau's was the Fourth Brigade of McCook's (Second) Division in the Army of the Ohio, com- manded by General Buell.
The part taken by the Sixth Indiana in this bat- tle is not entirely isolated from the balance of the brigade, as early in the day Rousseau's Brigade took an advanced position on the line and was charged by the enemy. This charge was our in- troduction to the battle. The boys stood their ground like heroes, not moving back a step, al- though the rebels 'pressed up within a stone's throw of our front, but the splendidly drilled and skillful soldiers of the Fourth Brigade rained the leaden hail into their wavering ranks until they were repulsed, and then gave them a counter- charge, which sent them whirling to the rear, and captured one of their batteries. This was more than they proposed to stand, so they rallied their forces, and here they come again. They were not only stopped, but held at bay, until our ammunition was exhausted, when we were relieved by Kirk's Brigade until we could replenish.
While our brigade was taking this temporary
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DEFENDING A BATTERY.
rest and receiving a fresh supply of ammunition the battle raged desperately. It was charge and counter charge, one continuous roll of musketry, while the artillery rained death and destruction all around us. Just at this moment the Sixth Indiana was ordered to the front to defend a bat- tery. The old Sixth went sailing out on double quick, and was brought up in line with a whirl. We had only just formed around our battery when our ears were greeted by the peculiar "rebel yell," always given when they " make a charge;" they were coming like devils through a thick under- brush, with their stars and bars fluttering high in the air. The old Sixth held her fire until they were within one hundred yards of us, when old Colonel Crittenden gave the order to "ready, aim, fire :" in two minutes from that time only dead rebels were in gun-shot of that battery, unless it was some poor fellow too badly wounded to get away. Twice as many rebels. could not have cap- tured that battery. By this time the balance of the brigade was brought up, and we immediately took position on the front line. A general ad- vance was ordered, and shortly MeCook's whole Division was engaged. We soon drove the enemy beyond General Sherman's old camps. This was the enemy's last effort, except to hold the Union forces in check to cover their retreat.
While McCook's Division had been doing such splendid work, Nelson and Crittenden had done equally well. At the same time the right wing,
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
composed of the Army of the Tennessee, and which had been so terribly handled the day before had steadily gained on the enemy all day, and about four o'clock in the evening the rebels fed in disorder and confusion from the field, leaving be- hind their dead and wounded. The first intima- tion we had that the "victory was ours" was given us by General Rousseau, who came riding up the line in a sweeping gallop, swinging his hat over his head, and in a voice that might have been heard for a quarter of a mile, "The rebels are fly- ing! The rebels are flying! The victory is ours!" and as the old hero, on his splendid sorrel charger went up the line, making the mud and water fly for rods in every direction, one spontaneous shout for joy rent the air, while the hats went many feet into the air; some laughed and some cried. Just at this time we got orders to stack arms, which we did, and then there was one universal hand- shaking. Oh, was'nt that a glorious meeting! I don't know anything about how. happy the angels are in Heaven, but if they feel any better than I did at that time, I don't care much how soon I am one of them.
Professor Kettell, in his history of the Great Rebellion, has this to say of the battle of Shiloh :
" On the 5th of April, the force under Grant, in the neighborhood of Pittsburg Landing, composed of five divisions, under General McClernand, Brig- adier General W. H. L. Wallace, Major-General Lewis Wallace, Brigadier-General Hurlbut and
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DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE.
Brigadier-General W. T. Sherman, the whole constituting what was known as the Army of West Tennessee. Of these. General Lewis Wal- lace's Division was at Crump's Landing, six miles below Pittsburg Landing, while the remainder of the army lay immediately around the latter place ; Buell's forces were thirty miles distant from the river, which they were approaching from the di- rection of Nashville as rapidly as the heavy roads would permit. The troops on the west bank of the Tennessee occupied the following positions : On the extreme right was Sherman's Division, rest- ing on Owl Creek, about three miles from Pitts- burg Landing; next came MeClernand's Division ; and next to him, on the left, was General Prentiss, having charge of a subdivision of MeClernand's command, resting on Lick Creek, at a distance of nearly three miles from the river; W. H. L. Wal- lace's Division acted as a support to Sherman and McClernand, and Hurlburt's as a support to the left wing under Prentiss. The troops thus formed a sort of semi-circle between Owl and Lick Creeks, which run at right angles with the Tennessee River, and are about three miles apart. They were probably too widely scattered to support each other readily in case of a sudden attack by superior numbers, but the field had been selected. and the positions assigned, by one of the ablest Generals in the service, whose judgment has since been amply confirmed by the first military author- ities of the country; and General Grant was ad-
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
ditionally protected by several gunboats anchored off the landing, and was also in hourly expecta- tion of the arrival of General Buell.
On the morning of April 3d, Johnson gave or- ders for the rebel troops to march from Corinth to Pittsburg Landing. In consequence of bad roads and inclement weather the advance was un- expectedly slow, and it was not until the evening of the 5th that the attacking force was concen- trated in the vicinity of the Federal position.
The rebel army was formed in three lines. The first, under General Hardee, extended from Owl Creek on the left to Lick Creek on the right. The second, under Bragg, followed the first at an in- terval of eight hundred yards, and the corps of Polk formed the third line in columns of brigades, with batteries in rear of each brigade. The re- serves were under Breckenridge.
At 6 o'clock, on the morning of the 6th, the advancing line suddenly drove in the pickets of Prentiss' Corps. Into the half-aroused camps thronged the rebel regiments, firing sharp volleys as they came, and springing forward with the bayonet. Some of the Union soldiers were shot down as they were running, without weapons, hatless, coatless, toward the river. The searching bullets found others in their tents, where they still slumbered, while the unseen foe rushed on. Others fell as they were disentangling themselves from the flaps that formed the doors to their tents ;
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DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE.
others, again, as they were buckling on their ac- coutrements ; and not a few, it was said, as they were vainly trying to impress on the exnltant enemy their readiness to surrender.
Officers were wounded in their beds and left for dead, who, through two days, lay gasping in their agony, and were subsequently found in their tents, still able to tell the tale.
Thus were overwhelmed Prentiss' subdivision and Hildebrand's Brigade of Sherman's Division, which retired, leaving their camps and guns.
The remainder of Sherman's Division, aroused by the alarm, had sprung to their arms barely in time to receive the onslaught of the enemy, who came sweeping against their front They man- aged, partially, to check the advance, and to retire upon a ridge in the rear, where they thwarted every effort of the enemy to Hank the army on the right, holding, as General Grant said. " The key- point of the Landing."
The shont of the men, the roar of guns and rat- tle of muskets, were arousing rapidly the whole army, and MeClernand soon formed his right to sustain Sherman.
Prentiss' Corps was partially rallied in an open space surrounded by serub oaks, which was filled with the enemy, who, thus covered, slaughtered them at his leisure. Two whole regiments, with General Prentiss, were captured and marched to the rear, with others, and the subdivision was practically disorganized. 8
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
The first available brigade of W. H. L. Wallace's Division now advanced to support Stuart, of Sher- man's Division, but lost its way and was repulsed. Soon after McClernand got into action, he was compelled to draw in his brigades that had sup- ported Sherman to protect his left against the onset of the rebels, who, seeing how he had weak- ened himself there, and inspired by their recent success over Prentiss, hurled themselves against him with tremendous force. A couple of new regiments, the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa, were brought up, but to utterly raw troops the heavy fire was too severe a trial, and they gave way in confusion. To meet the attack, the whole division then made a change of front and faced along the Corinth road. Here the batteries were placed in position, and till ten o'clock the rebels were foiled in every attempt to gain the road.
This disposition, however, left a gap between McClernand and Sherman, which the rebels promptly availed themselves of for the purpose of turning the former's right. Dresser's battery of rifled guns opened on them as they passed, and with fearful slaughter. The numbers of the enemy told terribly in the strife. The constant arrival of fresh regiments at last overpowered Mc- Clernand's shrinking division.
The line and general officers had suffered severely. The batteries were broken up, and several of the guns lost, but the soldiers fought bravely to the last under a fearful disadvantage.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE.
Gradually they began falling back, more slowly than had Prentiss' regiments, and making more determined resistance, because better organized. Occasionally rallying and repulsing the enemy, in turn, for a hundred yards, then being beaten back again and renewing the retreat to some new posi- tion for fresh defense. The Union front to the left and center was thus cleared of its original divi- sions, and at 12 o'clock the chief burden of the fight fell upon the divisions of Hurlbut, Wallace and Sherman, which now stood between the army and destruction. . The troops of the broken brigades and divisions had fallen to the rear, some stragglers going as far as the river bank. These were brought back, and in some cases regiments were patched up and hurried to the front.
According to general understanding, in the event of an attack at Pittsburg Landing. Major- General Lew Wallace was to come in on our right and Hank the rebels by marching across from Crump's Landing below, but through misdirection as to the way, he took a long and circuitous route. and never reached the battle-fieldl until the fighting was over for the day. Meanwhile the divisions of Hurlbut and W. H. L. Wallace, extending somewhat to the left, nobly sustained an unequal struggle against the overpowering rebel masses. Three times did the enemy bear heavily with their full strength upon Hurlbut, and three times were they repulsed with terrible slaughter. But the force of the enemy was too great. and it was
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
handled with admirable skill. Repulse was noth- ing to them. A rush on our lines failed, they took their disordered troops to the rear and sent up fresh troops, who, ignorant of the fearful re- ception awaiting them, pushed forward without hesitation. The jaded division was finally com- pelled to yield, and, after six hours' magnificent fighting, fell back to a point within half a mile of the Landing.
The retirement of Hurlbut, left W. H. L. Wal- lace's division still fighting with determined front. It had for some hours maintained almost a con- tinuous roll of musketry, and kept its ground against four separate charges of the enemy, but the supports being now gone, retreat was impera- tive. At this moment Wallace fell and was borne from the field, and the division fell back. It was now four o'clock in the afternoon, and both sides were somewhat exhausted by ten hours of almost continuous fighting. Naturally enough, therefore, a lull took place in the firing, which was well in- proved by Grant. Sherman had meanwhile formed a new and strong line on the right, which was pro- longed to the left by re-formed brigades and regi- ments from the remaining divisions of the army, while with excellent judgment Colonel Webster, Grant's chief of artillery, placed the remaining pieces in a semi-circle on the left so as to pour a concentrated fire upon the enemy who, it was sup- posed were massing for a last desperate onset in
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