USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 43
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When I returned to my brigade, to my surprise, I learned that the Forty-eighth Ohio had marched away toward the landing. I immediately formed the Seventieth and Seventy-second on the right of the new line, about one mile and a half from the landing. Soon after my line was formed, General Sherman came along our front and said to me, "You are just where I want you. Remain where you are until fur- ther orders."
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
About dark General Wallace's division commenced arriving, and formed to the right of my brigade. About ro o'clock my quartermaster, Lieutenant Harkness, came to us from the landing. I learned from him that the Forty-eighth Ohio was at the land- ing, and had been ordered by General Grant in posi- tion to defend his batteries, and that the regiment had done good service there. I sent orders by Lieu- tenant Harkness to Colonel Sullivan to join me with his regiment forthwith, but owing to the rain and dark- ness he did not arrive until just after day light. Col- onels Cockerrill and Hildebrand and myself tied our horses to trees and lay down together for the night, in rear of and close to my brigade line. The rebels' line was only a short distance from us on the other side of a ravine.
General Wallace opened his batteries on the enemy early Monday morning, and the three regiments of my brigade were formed in line of battle, with all their field officers present except Lieutenant-Colonel Can- field and Major Crockett, of the Seventy-second, the one having been mortally wounded on Sunday morn- ing, and the other captured on Friday. Sherman's division during the day occupied a position on the left of Wallace's division, and we kept steadily up with his left, frequently under very severe fire from the enemy. General Wallace in his report says that at one time "the right of Sherman's division fell has- tily back." I think General Wallace is mistaken. I know that my brigade was not driven back one rod on Monday. On one occasion when General Sher- man ordered an advance under heavy fire of musketry and artillery from the enemy, I gave the order; but at the moment the men seemed to hesitate. I im- mediately rode to the color-bearer of the Seventy- second Ohio, took hold of the flag staff, and con- ducted the bearer to the point indicated. The whole brigade quickly advanced and was on the desired ad- vanced line as soon as I was. Colonel Sullivan was wounded and taken to the rear.
Our forces drove the enemy back over the same ground that they drove us the day before. The fighting was severe but not so destructive, at least to our troops, as on Sunday. We drove them back more rapidly than they drove us. About 4 P. M. the enemy were in full retreat, and about 5 P. M. my brigade took possession of its camp at Shiloh Church. The rebels took such articles as they could on their hasty retreat, but my tent and bed I found in good condition, and I enjoyed a good sleep in them Mon- day night.
Early Tuesday morning I, with others, visited the ground of our fight on Sunday morning. In a small space on the line of the enemy in front of the Seventy-second, were found eighty-five dead bodies, and the dead of the enemy were found thickly strewn all along the line in front of the brigade. General Wallace also visited that battle ground, and when he saw the number of dead bodies of the
enemy in so small a space, asked what troops did that. When told that it was the Seventy-second Ohio, he said, "That was the best fighting on the field." The number of the wounded in that Sunday morning fight with my brigade must have been very great, as the number of the wounded is always much greater than of the killed. The underbrush between the two lines was literally mowed down by musket balls. Not a twig could be found that was not hit; and every tree from the ground ten or fifteen feet up was literally peppered with bullets. I think more of the enemy's fire was too high than of ours, and, for that reason, more of the enemy were killed. The enemy in that fight greatly outnumbered my brigade, but our men, though inexperienced in war, were many of them used to the rifle at home, and took good aim.
I have detailed incidents of small importance in themselves, perhaps, in order that the reader may better judge how much truth there is in the charge that my brigade was surprised, in any sense, on Sunday morning. Instead of being surprised we were all expecting an attack early in the morning, if not attacked during the night, and we took every precaution and made every preparation that one knew how to make to be ready for the attack when- ever it should come, and we were ready when it did come, as the result abundantly proves. I feel per- fectly justified in saying that no troops ever went into battle more deliberately or with more coolness, and none ever fought more bravely or effectively than did my brigade on Sunday morning.
On the question of surprise I give the following ex- tract from a recent letter to me from General M. T. Williamson, now United States marshal at Memphis, Tennessee, who was First Lieutenant of company C, Seventy-second Ohio, and in command of the com- pany at the commencement of the battle. General Williamson says:
"On the morning of the 5th of April, company C furnished a portion of the pickets for the Seventy- second, under Lieutenant Hoffman, and company E the remainder, under Captain Blinn. In the after- noon I went out to the picket line and could distinct- ly see some suspicious movements on the Confederate side. We were confident they were preparing for an attack, and I knew this was our conviction. We ex- pected it before morning, and had arranged a line of communication from the pickets to the camp, so as to know when the forward movement began. I have forgotten the name of Captain Snyder's company clerk at that time, but he communicated with me during the night. I was up early Sunday morning, and had breakfasted, as had the men of the regiment, before the long roll was ordered, and I do not be- lieve there was a man in the regiment but expected the long roll before it came, and every man was ready to fall in when it did come."
Since writing the foregoing I have read, with great
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
interest, the article on the battle of Shiloh, by Gen- eral B. W. Duke, published in the Cincinnati Gazette of the 28th of May. The article evinces candor, and was evidently prepared with care and considera- tion. He fully sustains all I have said in regard to the fight my brigade made on Sunday morning, but he is mistaken about McDowell's brigade partici- pating in that fight, and as to some other matters. He says:
" While McDowell's and Buckland's brigades of Sherman's division had not been fiercely assailed at the inception of the Confederate advance, they soon received their full share of attention. The ground which they occupied, however, was, perhaps, the strongest position on the line. Every demonstration against it was repulsed ; artillery was used in vain against it; some of the best brigades of the army moved on it, only to be hurled back and strew the morass in its front with their dead. The Confederate loss at this point was frightful. At last, after having held the position from 7 or 7:30 A. M. until after 10 A. M., everything upon its right (left) having been driven back, and the Confederate artillery having reached a point where the guns could play upon its rear, it was abandoned as no longer tenable. The tenacious de- fence of this position, and the fact that, by massing on his own right, General Johnson turned it, when it proved impregnable to direct assault, ought to be of itself a sufficient explanation of the correctness of his plan of battle. Sherman falling back, formed on McClernand's right, the same relative position he had previously held."
Now, the fact is, that McDowell's brigade was not attacked at all on the front line, and did no fighting until after we had fallen back to the Purdy road. As I have stated above, the Fortieth Illinois, Colonel Hicks, at my request, came and took position at the right and rear of my right flank, and remained there without firing a gun, until the Seventy-second went back for ammunition, when the Fortieth Illinois marched back to its own brigade ; and this was after my brigade had been fighting more than two hours, and only a few moments before the whole line was ordered back to the Purdy road. What General Duke says about the fighting at that point is all true, and his is the first account I have seen that does full justice to my brigade. My brigade advanced to the front and commenced the fight before Hildebrand's brigade was attacked, and remained until ordered back to the Purdy road, after Hildebrand's brigade had been driven back and the enemy had completely turned my left flank.
General Duke, in another part of his article, says:
"Hardee's line carried all before it. At the first encampment it was not the semblance of a check. Following close and eager after the fleeing pickets, it burst upon the startled inmates as they emerged, half clad, from the tents, giving them no time to form, driving them in rapid panic, bayoneting the dilatory
-on through camps swept together pursuers and pur- sued."
I wish General Duke had pointed out which camps were thus surprised. They were certainly not the camps of McDowell, Hildebrand, or Buckland's brigades. Captain Skelton, of the Fifty-seventh Ohio, one of Hildebrand's regiments, informs me that the first alarm he heard was the long roll in my camp, which was immediately followed by the long roll in the camps of Hildebrand's brigade, and that the brigade was in line of battle very soon after. I saw the brigade in line when I was returning from General Sherman's headquarters with orders to send a regi- ment forward to sustain the pickets. General Sher- man says he rode to the front of Hildebrand's brigade into the woods, where his orderly, Holliday, was killed. He then went to Colonel Appler, of the Fifty-third Ohio, and ordered him to hold his posi- tion. It cannot be, therefore, that any of Hilde- brand's brigade were surprised, bayoneted, or shot in their tents.
It is a well-established fact, I think, that General Prentiss was well aware of the presence of the enemy in considerable force in his front. His cavalry had skirmished with them on Saturday, and at 4 o'clock in the morning of the 6th he sent to the front one of his regiments to look for the enemy.
General Prentiss has made his statement, in which he says: "My division was in line of battle near one- fourth of a mile in advance of the color line, and re- ceived the assault of the enemy at an early hour of the morning of April 6, 1862, and held them in check for hours, until the enemy appeared in our right rear, and, as I learned afterwards, aided by the misconduct of a regiment not of my division." He further states that his division fought gallantly during the day, and "at 5:30, completely surrounded by num- bers so numerous, the gallant officers and soldiers, with myself, were compelled to surrender."
It is quite probable that some sick and wounded men were left in the camps, but I cannot believe the enemy would have shot and bayoneted such, or any unarmed or helpless men. Private - Smith, of company I, Seventy-second Ohio, was shot through the breast and left in camp, or near it, as too badly wounded to be moved, When we returned to camp on Monday evening, we found him alive in one of the tents. The enemy had taken good care of him, and he is now an inmate of the Soldiers' Home at Day- ton. Therefore, I am compelled to believe that all these horrible stories about our officers and men being surprised, shot, and bayoneted in their tents are false.
There has been a persistent effort on the part of newspaper correspondents and others, ever since the battle, to make it appear that Sherman's and Pren- tiss's divisions were asleep on the morning of the 6th, ignorant of the approach of the enemy, and surprised and thrown into almost utter confusion by the first
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
onset of the enemy. I think the facts I have given ought to convince every candid person that such was not the case. It is true that Colonel Appler of the Fifty-third Ohio, of Hildebrand's brigade, after his regiment had fired a few rounds, ordered a retreat, and then abandoned his regiment to its fate. This was no fault of the regiment. Such conduct of a commanding officer would demoralize any troops. This gave the enemy such advantage over Hilde- brand's brigade that, although Hildebrand heroically .strove to maintain his position, he was unable to withstand the overpowering onslaught, and his brig- ade was forced back and irretrievably broken to pieces. Yet a large portion of his officers and men rallied by companies and squads, joined other com- mands and fought bravely during the day. But for this unfortunate conduct of Colonel Appler, of the Fifty-third, which is the regiment where bad conduct is referred to in the statement of General Prentiss, I have no doubt but Hildebrand's brigade would have maintained its position as did mine, and we would have held the enemy in check on the front line much longer and given McClernand's and other troops ample time to come to its support or place them- selves in positions where they could best meet the enemy. The stubborn resistance of my brigade alone saved our army from greater disaster. The splendid fighting of our troops during the entire day is a sufficient answer to the charge that any considera- ble portion of them were demoralized by being sur- prised in their camps, or otherwise .. The number that disgracefully fled to the rear was not much greater, if any, than in other great battles. Sutlers, teamsters, and all other non-combatants and hang- ers on of the army were concentrated into a small space at the landing, and mixed with the sick, the wounded, and runaways, and altogether they made a great, panic-stricken mob. No wonder Buell's men, in passing through such a mob, supposed the Army of the Tennessee was demoralized, but if they had been in front at any time during the bloody day, they would have come to a different conclusion.
If General Lewis Wallace, with his division of eight thousand men, had continued on the road he started upon, which I think he ought to have done, and struck the enemy on the left flank and rear by two or three o'clock P. M., the tide of victory would have been turned against the enemy. It would have saved the disaster to Prentiss's division, and I think we would have driven the enemy from the field the first day. I will not undertake to say who was in fault for the course General Wallace took. It is not the purpose of this article to defend Generals Hal- leck, Grant, or Sherman, but to state facts within my own knowledge and observation, and such as I believe to be true, taken from other reliable sources, and leave to the reader to determine in his own mind, from the facts, where blame or credit should be awarded.
We are indebted to Dr. G. A. Gessner for a record of the officers and men of the regiment.
OFFICERS OF SEVENTY-SECOND OHIO VOL- UNTEER INFANTRY.
Colonel Ralph P. Buckland, appointed lieutenant- colonel October 2, 1861; appointed colonel October 30, 1861, mustered into service January 10, 1862; commission dated January 1I, 1862; appointed brig- adier-general November 29, 1862.
Lieutenant-Colonel Herman Canfield, appointed lieutenant-colonel October 30, 1861; mustered into service January 10, 1862; commission dated January II, 1862; mortally wounded at Shiloh April 6, 1862; died April 7, 1862.
Major Leroy Crockett, mustered into service De- cember 10, 1861; commission dated January II, 1862; taken prisoner April 4, 1862; promoted to lieutenant- colonel April 6, 1862; date of commission June 20, 1862; paroled at Richmond, Virginia, October 12, 1862; exchanged November, 1862; found regiment January 17, 1863, in obedience to Special Order No. I, Headquarters Paroled Forces, Columbus, Ohio, January 5, 1863; died at home of disease December IO, 1863.
Adjutant Eugene A. Rawson, appointed Decem- ber 4, 1861; mustered into service December 12, 1861, commission dated January II, 1862; promoted to major July 23, 1863; died of wounds received at the battle of Tupelo, Mississippi, July 15, 1864.
Quartermaaster Daniel M. Harkness, ppointed October 8, 1861; mustered into service October 8, 1861; commission dated January II, 1862; resigna- tion accepted Januarv 16, 1863; Special Order No. IO, Headquarters Department, Memphis, Ten- nessee, January 16, 1863.
Surgeon John B. Rice, mustered into service No- vember 25, 1861; commission dated January II, 1862; detailed surgeon-in-chief District of Memphis, Tennessee, Special Order No. 89, Headquarters Dis- trict of Memphis, Tennessee, April 28, 1864.
Chaplain Abraham B. Poe, mustered into service January II, 1862; commission dated January II, 1862; resignation accepted January 15, 1863, Special Orders No. 15, Headquarters Department of the Ten- nessee, by order of Major-General U. S. Grant.
Assistant Surgeon William M. Kaull, mustered in- to service November 6, 1861; commission dated Jan- uary II, 1862; resignation accepted June 4, 1863, Special Order No. 150, Headquarters Department of the Tennessee, near Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Assistant Surgeon John W. Goodson, mustered into service August 21, 1862; commission dated Au- gust 21, 1862; deserted November 20, 1862, from Memphis, Tennessee; dismissed the service of the United States of America March 30, 1863; Special Order No. 205, War Department Adjutant-General's
37
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
Office, Washington, District of Columbia, May 7, I863.
Steward William Caldwell, appointed steward February 6, 1862; mustered into service February 6, 1862; appointed assistant surgeon April 17, 1863 ; mustered into service April 27, 1863; re- signed on account of disability Januarv 7, 1865, Special Order No. 8, Par. 5, Headquarters Depart- ment of Mississippi, Memphis, Tennessee.
Principal Musician Nicholas B. Caldwell, died at Keokuk, Iowa, in general hospital, June 5, 1862, of disease.
COMPANY A.
Captain Charles G. Eaton, appointed and mus- ered into service as second lieutenant October 9, 1861; appointed captain November 30, 1861; com- mission dated January 1I, 1862; promoted to major April 6, 1862; date of commission June 20, 1862; ap- pointed lieutenant-colonel July 23, 1863; mustered as lieutenant-colonel December 24, 1863, at Memphis, Tennessee.
First Lieutenant H. W. Gifford, appointed first lieutenant November 30, 1861; mustered into service as private October 10, 1861, date of commission as first lieutenant January II, 1862; promoted to cap- tain April 6, 1862; commission dated June 20, 1862; died at Cincinnati, Ohio, July 27, 1862, of wounds received in the battle of Shiloh April 6 and 9, 1862.
Second lieutenant Spencer Russell, appointed sec- ond lieutenant November 30, 1861, commission dated January II, 1862; mustered into service as private October 10, 1862; promoted to first lieutenant April 6, 1862; date of commission June 20, 1862; promoted to captain May 17, 1862; resignation accepted August 21, 1863; Special Order No. 228, Headquarters De- partment of the Tennessee, Vicksburg, Mississippi, August 21, 1863.
COMPANY B.
Captain George Raymond, mustered into service as private October 9, 1861; appointed captain Dec- ember 2, 1861, commission dated January II, 1862; resigned May 23, 1862; Special Field orders No. 71, Headquarters Department of the Mississippi, camp in Corinth road, Mississippi, May 28, 1862.
First Lieutenant Henry W. Buckland, mustered into service as second lieutenant October 8, 1861; mustered into service as first lieutenant December 2, I861; commission dated January II, 1862; promoted to captain May 23, 1862, date of commission June 20, 1862; mustered out by reason of expiration of term of service, Memphis, Tennessee, November 23, I864.
Second Lieutenant William T. Fisher, mustered into service as private October 23, 1861; appointed second lieutenant December 2, 1861, commission dated January II, 1862; promoted to first lieutenant May 23, 1862, date of commision June 20, 1862; re- signation accepted July 27, 1863; Special order No.
198 Headquarters Department of the Tennessee, Vicksburg, Mississippi, July 22, 1863.
COMPANY C.
Captain Samuel A. J. Snyder was mustered into service as second lieutenant October 16, 1861; ap- pointed captain December 8, 1861, commission dated January II, 1862; appointed major April 9, 1864; mustered as major July 27, 1864.
First Lieutenant Milton T. Williamson was mus- tered into service as second lieutenant October 29, 1861; appointed first lieutenant February 13, 1862, commission dated April 24, 1861; aid-de-camp to General Denver, General Orders No. 4, Headquar- ters, Third brigade, Fifth division, Camp No. 8, June 2, 1862; mustered out by reason of expiration of term, Memphis, Tennessee, November 4, 1864.
Second Lieutenant Daniel W.[Hoffman was mus- tered into service as private November 19, 1861; ap- pointed second lieutenant December 8, 1861, com- mission dated January II, 1862; appointed first lieutenant February 18, 1864; mustered March I, 1864; wounded severely at the battle of Tupelo, Mississippi, July 13, 1864; left at Tupelo, Missis- sippi, in hospital, prisoner of war.
COMPANY D.
Captain Andrew Nuhfer was mustered into ser- vice as second lieutenant; appointed captain De- cember 12, 1861, commission dated January II, 1862; wounded severely at Shiloh, Tennessee, April 6, 1862; taken prisoner at the battle of Brice's Cross Roads, Mississippi, July II, 1864.
First Lieutenant Manning A. Fowler was mustered into service as private October 18, 1861; appointed first lieutenant December 12, 1861, commission dated January 11, 1862; appointed captain January 15, 1863; mustered into service as captain March 8, 1863; re- signed July 23, 1863, Special Order No. 199, Head- quarters Department of the Tennessee, Vicksburg, Mississippi, July 23, 1863.
Second Lieutenant Jesse J. Cook was mustered into service as private; appointed second lieutenant December 12, 1861, commission dated January II, 1862; resigned June 6, 1862, Special Field Orders No. 90, Headquarters Department of the Mississip- pi, Corinth, Mississippi, June 6, 1862.
COMPANY E.
Captain John H. Blinn was mustered into service as second lieutenant; appointed captain December 28, 1861, commission dated January II, 1862; resig- nation accepted January 15, 1863, Special Orders No. 15, Headquarters Department of the Tennessee, Mississippi, General U. S. Grant.
First Lieutenant Charles D. Dennis was mustered into service as private October 12, 1861; appointed first lieutenant December 28, 1861, commission dated January 10, 1862; appointed captain January 15, 1863; mustered into service as captain March 1, 1863,
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
Special Orders No. 210, Headquarters Department of the Tennessee, Vicksburg, Mississippi, August 3, 1863.
Second Lieutenant William A. Strong was mus- tered into service as private November 10, 1861; ap- pointed second lieutenant December 28, 1861, com- mission dated January 11, 1862; appointed first lieu- tenant January 15, 1863; mustered into service March I, 1863; resigned, on account of disability, August 1, 1864, Special Orders No. 172, Headquar- .ters Department of the Tennessee, Chattanooga, Tennessee, August 1, 1864.
COMPANY F.
Captain Leroy Moore was mustered into service as second lieutenant October 8, 1861; appointed captain January 4, 1862, commission dated January II, 1862; taken prisoner at the battle of Brice's Cross Roads, Mississippi, June 11, 1864; mustered out of service, by reason of expiration of term, March 12, 1865, Washington, District of Columbia.
First Lieutenant Alfred H. Rice was mustered into service as private November 2, 1861; appointed first lieutenant January 4, 1862, date of commission January II, 1862; discharged at Washington August 18, 1863, by order of Secretary of War, for disability.
Second Lieutenant John B. Gillmore was mus- tered into service as private October 9, 1861; ap- pointed second lieutenant January 4, 1862, commis- sion dated January II, 1862; appointed first lieuten- ant February 18, 1864; mustered as first lieutenant April 24, 1864; taken prisoner at the battle of Brice's Cross Roads, Mississippi, June 11, 1864; died in prison, October 9, 1864, at Charleston, South Caro- lina.
COMPANY G.
Captain James Fernald was mustered into service as second lieutenant October 9, 1861; appointed first lieutenant January 10, 1862; appointed captain February 13, 1862, commission dated February 13, 1862; re-enlisted 1865.
First Lieutenant William C. Bidle was mustered into service as second lieutenant November 12, 1861; appointed first lieutenant January 10, 1862, commis- sion dated January 11, 1862; appointed captain April 9, 1864; mustered as captain April 23, 1864; mustered out, by reason of expiration of term, at Vicksburg, Mississippi, February 15, 1865.
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