THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

475

WKfr

Hi

iffy?

ly^;' iW";

ppO+sba

s»(:3%r

WMM

BjAjM

- '

mt

mUfi:

im

k&bM

SI, 15

vmM

teis>42

'liTv '•

CHECKING TIIE CONFEDERATE ADVANCE ON THE EVENING OF T1IE FIRST DAY.

Above tliis ravine, near the landing, the Federal reserve artillery -was posted, and it was on this line theConfederate advance was cheeked, about sunset, Sunday evening. The Confederatesthen fell hack and bivouacked in the Federal camps.

possibly a little north. McClernand came next in the general line, lookingmore to the west. His division was complete in its organization and readyfor any duty. Sherman came next, his right extending to Snake Creek. Hiscommand, like the other two, was complete in its organization and ready, likeits chief, for any service it might be called upon to render. All three divisionswere, as a matter of course, more or less shattered and depleted in numbersfrom the terrible battle of the day. The division of W. H. L. Wallace, as muchfrom the disorder arising from changes of division and brigade commanders,under heavy fire, as from any other cause, had lost its organization, and didnot occupy a place in the line as a division; Prentiss’s command was gone asa division, many of its members having been killed, wounded, or captured.But it had rendered valiant service before its final dispersal, and had contrib-uted a good share to the defense of Shiloh.

There was, I have said, a deep ravine in front of our left. The TennesseeRiver was very high, and there was water to a considerable depth in theravine. Here the enemy made a last desperate effort to turn our flank,but was repelled. The gun-boats Tyler and Lexington , Gwin and Shirk commanding, with the artillery under Webster, aided the army and effectu-ally checked their further progress. Before any of Buell’s troops had reachedthe west bank of the Tennessee, firing had almost entirely ceased; anythinglike an attempt on the paid of the enemy to advance had absolutely ceased.There was some artillery firing from an unseen enemy, some of his shellspassing beyond us; but I do not remember that there was the whistle of a