Fort Donelson and Shiloh

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to take a cross road to the Snake creek bridgebelow. All this inarching and countermarchingused up the day, so that Wallace did not arriveupon the scene of action till seven in the evening.His was, comparatively speaking, a division ofveterans, and its absence was severely felt. Thisserious peril might have been prevented had Grantin the first place sent to Wallace a businesslikewritten order, specifying his line of march. It isin such minute attention to details that great gen-eralship largely consists. Napoleon in his bestdays left but little room open for contingenciesand misunderstandings.

Johnston’s plan of battle was very simple. Itwas to push back the Federal army in such wise asto turn its left flank, and to interpose Bragg andBreckinridge between that flank and the river.Thus by cutting off the Federals from j^^ton'sPittsburg Landing and driving them, plan of at-in more or less disorganized condition, tdck ‘into the pocket formed by Snake creek, he mighteven hope to force them to surrender. The desper-ate valour and dogged persistency with which hisfirst charges were received, however, were such asto make it doubtful whether one long day wouldsuffice for his programme. We have seen how thefirst fury of the assault fell upon Benjamin Pren­ tiss about half past five in the morning. That