USA > Indiana > History of the Sixth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry. Of both the three months' and three years' services.. > Part 6
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117
DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE.
this direction. The gun-boats. Tyler and Lex- ington, also moved up to the mouth of Lick Creek, to bring their guns within range of the enemy, scarcely more than half a mile distant.
In addition to this protection, the hard-pressed army, were cheered by the intelligence that Nel- on's Division, constituting the advance of Buell. had reached the eastern bank of the Tennessee, and would soon cross to their assistance.
Suddenly, at about five o'clock. the enemy burst upon the Union left, only to be swept down by steady volleys of musketry and the withering fire of the batteries. To add to their consternation. the huge guns of the Tyler and Lexington ploughed into their Hanks. Again and again did the rebels attempt to break through the circle of fire. within which the Cuion Army stood at bay. The posi- tion seemed impregnable. Disappointed and dis- heartened, they at length retired at nightfall, and the battle was over for the day. So far was the Union Army from being beaten, that General Grant had some time before this, issued orders to his Division Commanders to prepare to assume the offensive at an early hour in the morning.
The rebels had suffered during the day and ex- perienced an irreparable loss in the death of Gen- eral Johnson, who was killed at half past two o'clock. His troops exhausted by the previous march and twelve hours' combat, could not collect and send to the rear the spoils captured, but slept
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
on their arms. General Beauregard, now in com- mand, established his headquarters at Shiloh Church, hoping that some delay would prevent the arrival of General Buell, who he knew was on the march. Throughout the night the gun-boats bom- barded the rebel position not only preventing an advance, but actually compelling the enemy to re- tire a short distance.
A drenching rain set in during the night, in the midst of which the troops of General Buell arrived. He had reached Savannah on the evening of the 5th, General Nelson leading the advance. On the morning of the 6th the firing in the direction of Pittsburg was heard, and General Buell sent or- ders for the division in the rear to leave the trains and hurry forward.
Nelson was ordered at half past one o'clock, to leave his guns to be carried in steamboats, the roads being impracticable for artillery and to march the men opposite Pittsburg Landing, where General Buell himself arrived late on the 6th.
During the night of the 6th, the division of Nel- son crossed the river and took position on the Union left. It was followed by the divisions of General T. L. Crittenden and McCook, which were posted on the left center and center, while the troops which had participated in the battle of the 6th occupied the right center and right. The ex- treme right was held by General Lewis Wallace's Division, which also arrived on the night of the 6th.
119
DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE.
The last named General opened the action at an early hour on the 7th, by shelling some rebel bat- teries in his immediate front, and under cover of his fire the whole right wing advanced some dis- tance. The fighting was by no means so severe as on the previous day, but the enemy. nevertheless. made some desperate efforts on either wing to maintain the ground they had gained. At one time Wallace was so hard pressed that he was obliged to send to Sherman for aid. Finally, how- ever, the rebels on this part of the line were pushed back beyond the position they had held on the night of the 5th, and retreated from the hard fought field.
On the left the contest was more severe. Nel- son's division was first engaged, and advanced so rapidly as to expose its right flank, which forced him to retire until reinforced by Boyle's Brigade. of Crittenden's Division, when he again moved forward and drove back the enemy, capturing some of their guns and occupying the rising ground in front.
On the right of Nelson came up Crittenden. Between eight and nine o'clock, while keeping Smith's Brigade on his left up even with Nelson's Hank, and joining Boyle's Brigade to MeCook's on the right, in the grand advance Crittenden came upon the enemy with a battery in position, and well supported. Smith dashed his brigade for- ward, and for a short time there was close work with musketry until the rebels Hed, leaving us
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
three pieces, a twelve-pound howitzer and two brass six-pounders. For half an hour the storm raged around these captured guns ; then came the returning rebel wave that had hurled Nelson back. Crittenden, too, caught its full force. They swept up to the battery, and down after our retreating column, but the two brigades, like those of Nel- son to their left, took a fresh position, faced the foe and held their ground.
Mendenhall's and Bartlett's Batteries now be- gan shelling the rebel infantry, which paused, and finally fell back. A gallant charge secured the contested battery, while the rebels retreated toward the left. Smith and Boyle holding the in- fantry well in hand, Mendenhall again got their range and poured in shell on the new position. The enemy's line now commenced a retrograde movement, which both Nelson and Crittenden vig- orously pushed. The brigade of Wood arrived soon after and joined in the pursuit, and the left was safe. Meantime McCook, in the center, after a fierce fight with the opposing foe, had driven him to the woods. As Buell's fresh troops suc- cessively arrived upon the left and center, the enemy, whose reserves were exhausted, com- menced, about two o'clock, a general retreat. At a distance of eight hundred yards he made a stand, and opened with his artillery, but, being pushed by Crittenden, retired with the loss of a battery. The rear guard of the enemy, under Breckenridge, held on the night of the 7th, during
121
THE LOSS OF BOTH ARMIES.
a severe rain. the ground occupied by him on the night of the 5th.
On the 8th. General Sherman started in pursuit. and succeed in routing a body of rebel cavalry. whose camp he captured, with a quantity of am- munition. The line of retreat was found to be strewn with small arms, clothing and accoutre- ments. The constant rains had made the roads nearly impassible, and the pursuit, in consequence. soon terminated.
The official report of General Beauregard placed his loss at one thousand seven hundred and twenty-eight killed, eight thousand and twelve wounded, and nine hundred and fifty-nine missing : total, ten thousand six hundred and ninety-nine. His forces did not retain any of the material cap- tured on Sunday, except that the men who were badly armed exchanged their weapons for the superior rifles found on the battle-field. The Union loss of cannon on the 6th was about bal- anced by their captures on the 7th.
The Union loss in the two day's fighting was, in General Grant's army, one thousand three hundred and forty-nine killed, five thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven wounded. and three thousand eight hundred and seventy missing, making a total of eleven thousand three hundred and fifty-six. In General Buell's army, the loss was two hundred and sixty-five killed, one thousand eleven hundred and ninety-four wounded, and ninety-three miss- ing, making a total loss of two thousand one hun-
122
HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
dred and fifty-two. The grand total loss in both the Union armies was thirteen thousand five hundred and eight.
The Sixth Regiment had no officers killed or wounded at the battle of Shiloh. Company "A" had one man killed, Oliver E. Joyce, and two wounded, Thomas Lund and John A. Kelley. The record shows none killed or wounded in Company "B" in this battle. Company "C" men also escaped unhurt. Company " D" had none killed, but three wounded, Edward Conover, Almond Hackett and John McCullough.
Company " E " had one man killed, Aaron Hun- ter, and none wounded.
Company " F" had five men killed, William M. Allstott, David Baugh, Michael Fineran, Peter Lore, and James H. O'Brien. The record shows none wounded.
Company "G" had none killed or wounded in this battle.
Company " H" reports none killed or wounded in this engagement.
Company "I" reports none killed or wounded in this battle. .
Company " K" reports none killed and only one wounded, William L. Marshall.
Making in all seven killed and six wounded at the battle of Shiloh.
It may be said, as a truth, that Shiloh was the first opportunity the Sixth Regiment had ever had to fully realize what war was, but at the close of
123
A DEAR VICTORY.
this terrible struggle, we were well aware that it meant neither fun nor pastime, neither was it altogether void of danger.
While we had gained a great victory, and fully realized that we were the victors, yet were well aware of the fact that it was a dearly bought vie- tory. It had cost us the lives of one thousand six hundred brave men, while nearly eight thousand had been made cripples for life, or, perhaps, mor- tally wounded, as many died after a short period of terrible suffering. Roll call on the evening of the 7th of April, 1862, found the Sixth Regiment thirteen short of only a few hours before, with seven of this number cold in death, lying here and there over the battle field, half buried in mud and water, while the other six, pierced by the enemy's bullets, had been carried to the rear to suffer, and, perhaps, die of their wounds. But the battle is over, and the next thing is to care for the living, and we started from where we fired our last shot back to- ward the river, both to find dry ground on which to camp, and, if possible, to secure rations. We were successful in both, for soon we found an ele- vated spot above water where fires were built, and soon the steaming camp kettle told of coffee : add to this salt bacon and hard crackers, and you have the supper on which the tired, hungry soldier feasted that evening. But it was good; yes, any- thing to eat, no matter what, the soldier ate it with a relish, and was happy. Only think of what we had passed through in the last forty-eight
124
HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
hours, and now here comfortably seated. around our camp fires, sipping our coffee, in full possession of the battle field, with the enemy completely routed and fleeing for life through the swamps to- ward Corinth, leaving behind them over ten thousand, killed and wounded, with many pris- oners.
Every member of the Sixth felt proud of his record on that day, and each one had his story to tell of what he had done; in fact, each one felt himself a "hero in the strife," and the part our regiment took in the battle was the theme that oc- cupied the mind of the soldier the balance of the evening, until tired and weary we turned in for the night.
In our joy and exultations we had ceased to re- gard the incessant rain as a matter of much conse- quence. We had got used to that, as it had rained constantly the whole day long, and as the country round about was quite level, the battle field pre- sented the appearance of a great swamp, or lake. But what did we care for water, or rain, or mud, or rebels either for that matter; fifteen minutes after we stretched ourselves upon the cold, wet ground.
CHAPTER VIL.
WE GO INTO CAMP.
We bury the dead of both sides-Governor Morton visits us- Curious sights to be seen on the battle field-Change of Com- manders-We break camp and start for Corinth-A big scare -Corinth evacuated.
The morning of the 8th dawns and it is still raining and is dark and gloomy. The bugle's morning call roused a lot of sore, tired and weary boys, some sick and not fit for duty. But after coffee, suitable camping ground was selected and we moved on it and put up tents, and while a part of the regiment is doing this the Orderly makes a detail to go and bury the dead.
The writer had charge of this detail; we pro- vided onrselves with the necessary tools, and strnek out to find a place where the dead lie the thickest. We had not gone very far, when I step- ped upon a log, and, although it was heavy tim- bered land covered with logs and brush, I counted thirty-five dead rebels from my position where I stood on the log, and I said, "boys, here is the place:" the next point was to find a spot above water. This we did, and went to work, and while some would dig, others would carry up the dead :
126
HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
we dug a pit or grave, six feet wide and forty feet long, and, say, about three feet deep. In this grave we laid the bodies side by side until the bottom of the pit was covered. Whenever we could get them, blankets were spread over the bodies, when we could not get blankets, their coats were taken off and spread over their faces, and, without any further ceremony, the poor unfortunate, misguided fellows were covered up. No tears were shed, no mourners were around this lonely spot. This work was continued day after day until all the dead were buried, and the great battle field became the burying ground of both armies.
The reader can form some idea of what is meant when we speak of burying the dead if he will only remember the killed on this battle field numbered 3,342. Now. suppose when these men are laid side by side in one long grave they occupy two feet to the man. We then have 6,684 feet which is a little less than one mile and three quarters. But let us re- turn to camp. where we find the boys writing home to family and friends, reporting the glad news of their safety, giving a description of the battle, etc.
It was near the last of April before the army made a general move on toward Corinth.
The Sixth Regiment underwent some important changes during this time. Its Colonel, T. T. Crit. tenden, had been promoted to a Brigadier-General, to date April 28, 1862. To fill the vacancy caused by this promotion, Captain P. P. Baldwin, of Com- pany " A," was promoted to the place. On the 19th
127
VISIT OF GOVERNOR MORTON.
of May, 1862, Lieutenant-Colonel Hiram Prather resigned, and Captain Hagerman Tripp, of Com- pany " B." was promoted to the vacancy. Before leaving the regiment, both Colonel Crittenden and . Lieutenant Colonel Prather made the regiment a very affectionate farewell address.
It was shortly after the battle of Shiloh and while we lie here in this swamp that the Great Statesman and Soldiers' Friend, the Great War Governor, of Indiana, Oliver P. Morton, came to see us and to look after the welfare of the troops of his State. I shall never forget how his address to our regiment imbued new life and courage in every man. America has never produced a braver, more lion-hearted and patriotic man than Oliver P. Morton.
During his address on this occasion I remember to have made up my mind that I was fortunate in being an Indiana soldier, and was proud of it. I was proud of our noble and patriotic Governor, and decided to grasp his hand before he left the camp, and as soon as his address was concluded I started to him, but the rush was so great that it was some minutes before I reached him : a hearty shake of the hand, with a " God bless you " forever sealed my friendship for this great man.
We changed camp several times in order to get clear of filth and mud, for it rained constantly for two weeks; nearly the whole of April was put in here on this battlefield floundering around in the mud and rain ; quite a number of the men took
128
HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
down sick and had to be sent to the rear, and the wonder is that nearly every man of the regiment, and in fact of the entire army did not get down sick, for while there was plenty of water, vet where should we get water to drink and to cook. with except to take the drainings of this battle- field, which was covered with the decomposing bodies of both men and horses, as well as the ac- cumulation of filth of both armies.
Many curious as well as interesting sights were to be seen on this battlefield. Scarcely a tree or bush had escaped the musket balls, bushes were cut off, while trees had been hit on every side and from the ground to the limbs, cannon balls had ploughed through tree tops and in many cases left them without a branch. Trees had been shivered into splinters, while the ground was covered with brush and down timber. In many places could be seen where the huge shells from the gunboats had ploughed great pits in the ground, deep enough to bury a horse, and in one place I saw where a shell had struck a tree within a few feet of a body of rebels and in exploding, it had torn into fragments tive men, some of the parts we could not find, but simply gathered the pieces and covered them up in a hole.
Terrible are the results of war.
President Lincoln's war order, No. 3, created the Department of the Mississippi, and placed Ma- jor-General W. H. Halleck in command. This consolidated General Buell's Army of the Ohio and
129
THE START FOR CORINTH.
General Grant's Army of the Tennessee, into one army, under the immediate command of Halleck. With the smaller detached forces, which also fell under his command, Halleek had an army under him of over one hundred thousand effective men, with such able lieutenants as Grant, Buell and Sherman as corps commanders.
After sending small detachments out in different directions to feel the enemy's strength and threaten his communications, a general forward movement toward Corinth was ordered about the 27th of April.
The enemy's ontposts still hovered around abont Pittsburg Landing. They had strong advance forees at Purdy, Pea Ridge and Monterey, respect- ively six, eight and ten miles from the landing. General Halleek, though greatly stronger than his adversary, studiously avoided either inviting or provoking a general engagement, adopting the policy of gradual approaches by parallels, and step by step, by short advances, fortifying each new position, he slowly neared his objective. General Beauregard resisted each successive eneroachment with greater stubbornness and stronger forces. but never in such strength as to precipitate a general battle, as for such an issue he was not prepared.
On the 3d and 4th of May General Halleck ad- vanced his whole line. These advances always in- volved heavy skirmishing, and at times very sharp fighting by strong lines. The long line of the ad- vancing army, in order to keep an unbroken front.
9
130
HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
was compelled to make roads. Hardly a division made a movement that did not cut a new road through the woods, with bridges for the ravines, and long lines of corduroy for the swamps. Even brigades required short roads to the left or right of their division road to enable them to occupy their places in the line. And thus the whole coun- try was covered with a net-work of roads. On this immense labor the time was occupied.
Heavy details were made from all the regiments to help along with this work, and the Sixth Indi- ana did her share. For the information of some who may not understand what is meant by a "corduroy road," I will say that logs were cut about ten feet long, and carried by the men and placed side by side. They commence on one side of a swamp and every log placed extends the road out that much further over the swamp, until finally the other side is reached. Sometimes the water and mud is quite deep, then the logs have to be piled on top of each other until they come above water. In some cases in crossing these Mississippi swamps these logs had to be carried a quarter of a mile, and were so heavy as to require six or eight men to carry them. The logs are cut on dry land, and when they carry a log out and place it they have to go all the way back over the newly-made road for another; and so the work is kept going until miles of road are built.
Over this corduroy road the troops cross the swamp; also artillery wagons, supply trains, etc.
131
CROSSING THE SWAMPS.
Sometimes the horses become frightened and shy . to one side, and one wheel runs off on one side, and away goes horses, wagon and load into the swamp. If the water and mud is not too deep the men get out into the water and lift the wagon back on the road again. But if the mud and water is very deep the horses become mired and sink down out of sight and are left to perish. The Sixth Reg- iment not only helped to build these roads, but crossed the swamp on them. I well remember of noticing the black, slimy water, and old moss-cov- ered logs as we went over.
As soon as General Halleck got his army all across the swamps, the lines began to press for- ward at various points as circumstances would permit, and on the 3d of May General Paine's Di- vision reconnoitered in force as far as Farmington. which is only five miles from Corinth. Here he encountered a force of four thousand five hundred of the enemy, with four guns. After a sharp en- counter the enemy were driven back with loss, and the Union troops held the position, throwing out piekets toward Corinth. On this same day a de- tachment of General MeCook's Division was sent out in another direction. This advance was met by the enemy in considerable force, and sharp fighting occurred. The rebels supposed this de- tachment to be isolated. and made a desperate effort to capture it. They were not only foiled in their effort, but driven back, and the Union lines extended. The Sixth Indiana was a part of this
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
detachment, and took part in the engagement. The lines of Halleck's army were now twelve miles in extent, with the right wing threatening the Memphis Railroad, and about one mile nearer Corinth than the left.
ยท On the 25th of May the army moved up to within three-fourths of a mile of the enemy's works and entrenched. It was the first night we lay in this entrenchment that the boys of the Sixth got a scare that many of them may remember to this day. After the works were completed they were manned with a strong picket force, while the bal- ance of the regiment was ordered to turn in for the night, only a few feet to the rear, with our clothes all on, our cartridge boxes buckled around us and our guns stacked at our heads, and to be ready to fall in on a moment's notice. Every indication seemed to point to an attack that night. It was all the talk; even after we lay down for sleep the matter was talked over, until sleep finally put a stop to any further conversation. The boys actu- ally went to sleep expecting to be called -upon at any moment to "spring to arms" to contend in deadly combat with Beauregard's whole army. And not only our own regiment did this, but hun- dreds of others back to our rear for a half mile, the ground was literally covered with tired, sleep- ing soldiers. All passed off quietly until about 2 o'clock in the morning, when, unfortunately, a horse broke loose and become terribly frightened. The mad brute went plunging down the line just
133
A BIG SCARE.
to our rear. Of course every now and then he would light on a bunch of sleeping men, crushing the life out of some, mashing and breaking the limbs of others wherever his great heavy iron shoes would strike them. One universal seream, followed by moaning, marked the track of this monstrous brute down the line out of our hearing. The fright- ened horse frightened the men, and the first scream from an injured man brought hundreds of soldiers to their feet, and all hollowing at the top of their voice, " fall in," which was taken up and repeated by others until it spread over the entire army, and my candid opinion is that inside of ten minutes from the time the first man hollowed " fall in," not less than fifty thousand men were under arms and ready for duty. Officers could be heard giving orders in every direction, and as the order to " fall in" came down the line it was sent on through our regiment with almost telegraphie speed, and in two minutes from the first order to " fall in " every member of the Sixth was in the works, ready for business. Quite a number of soldiers were wounded. some mortally, while a few were killed. This ac- cident occurred on the night of the 29th of May. and instead of an attack, the rebels were evacuat- ing Corinth, and had been since the day before.
Very early on the morning of the 30th explo- sions were heard in the direction of Corinth. This was the first intimation Halleck had of the evacu- ation, although he had in person been forty-three days within sixteen miles of Corinth. He simply
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
knew nothing of the movements of the enemy. Upon hearing the explosions the pickets in front of General Pope's Corps reported that the rebel sentinels in their front had disappeared, and they were at once ordered forward and found the en- trenchments vacated. Pope's whole Corps was ordered up, and at 11 o'clock occupied Corinth. Pursuit was at once ordered, but it was too late, as the rebels had passed beyond the Hatchee River and burned the bridge. The Sixth regiment passed through the city and on south, as a part of the pursuing party, but did not go very far until they were halted, and turned back and ordered into camp, where we remained until the 10th day of June. Corinth, as a town, does not amount to much ; but as a railroad center or central point for military supplies, as well as a stragetical point, it was to the rebels a point of very great importance, and was so considered by the Union authorities later on in the war. It is the junction of the Mo- bile & Ohio and Memphis & Charleston railroads.
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