478

THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

was near tlie road leading from the landing to Corinth , on the left of Shermanand right of MeClernand. About 3 o’clock, being near that point and seeingthat the enemy was giving way everywhere else, I gathered up a couple ofregiments, or parts of regiments, from troops near by, formed them in line ofbattle and marched them forward, going in front myself to prevent prema-ture or long-range firing. At this point there was a clearing between us and

the enemy favorable for charging, althoughexposed. I knew the enemy were ready tobreak, and only wanted a little encourage-ment from us to go quickly and join theirfriends who had started earlier. After march-ing to within musket-range, I stopped and letthe troops pass. The command, Charge , wasgiven, and was executed with loud cheers, andwith a run, when the last of the enemy broke.

During this second day of the battle I hadbeen moving from right to left and back, tosee for myself the progress made. In theearly part of the afternoon, while ridingwith Colonel James B. McPherson and MajorJ. P. Hawkins, then my chief commissary,we got beyond the left of our troops. Wewere moving along the northern edge of aclearing, very leisurely, toward the river abovethe landing. There did not appear to be anenemy to our right, until suddenly a batterywith musketry opened upon us from the edge of the woods on the other sideof the clearing. The shells and balls whistled about our ears very fast forabout a minute. I do not think it took us longer than that to get out of rangeand out of sight. In the sudden start we made, Major Hawkins lost his hat.He did not stop to pick it up. When we arrived at a perfectly safe positionwe halted to take an account of damages. McPherson’s horse was panting asif ready to drop. On examination it was found that a ball had struck himforward of the flank just back of the saddle, and had gone entirely through.In a few minutes the poor beast dropped dead; he had given no sign ofinjury until we came to a stop. A ball had struck the metal scabbard of mysword, just below the hilt, and broken it nearly off; before the battle wasover, it had broken off entirely. There were three of us: one had lost ahorse, killed, one a hat, and one a sword-scabbard. All were thankful thatit was no worse.

After the rain of the night before and the frequent and heavy rains forsome days previous, the roads were almost impassable. The enemy, carryinghis artillery and supply trains over them in his retreat, made them still worsefor troops following. I wanted to pursue, but had not the heart to order themen who had fought desperately for two days, lying in the mud and rainwhenever not fighting, and I did not feel disposed positively to order Buell,

BRIGADIER-GENERAL W. II. L. WALLACE.FROM A PHOTOGRAPH,