SHILOH REVIEWED.
5i9
left, and I think now that it was near the camp of Colonel Sweeny’s regiment,the 52d Illinois , that I found General Sherman.
The impression made upon my mind by that interview has remained asvivid as the circumstances were peculiar. I had no thought of seeing Gen-eral Sherman when I set out, but on every score I was glad to meet him, andI was there to gain information. By what precise words I sought and hegave it, I would not pretend at this day to repeat. It is sufficient for thepresent to' say that I learned the nature of the ground in front; that hisright flank was some three hundred yardsfrom us; and that the bridge by whichLew Wallace was to cross Snake Creekwas to his right and rear at an angle, ashe pointed, of about forty degrees. I donot know whether I asked the question,but I know now that it was a mile anda quarter from his flank, and that hedid not cover it in any practical sense,though in advancing Wallace would ap-proach by his right and rear. I also seenow that I was mistaken in supposingthat these several commands retained aregular organization and had distinct lim-its ; whereas they were in fact much in-termixed.
Of course we talked of other incidentalmatters. In all his career he has, I ven-ture to say, never appeared' to better ad-vantage. There was the frank, bravesoldier, rather subdued, realizing the critical situation in which causes ofsome sort, perchance his own fault chiefly, had placed him, but ready,without affectation or bravado, to do anything that duty required of him.He asked me what the plans were for the morrow. I answered that I wasgoing to attack the enemy at daylight, and he expressed gratification at myreply, though apparently not because of any unmixed confidence in theresult. I had had no consultation with General Grant, and knew nothing ofhis purpose. I presumed that we would be in accord, but I had been only afew hours within the limits of his authority, and I did not look upon him asmy commander, though I would zealously have obeyed his orders. GeneralSherman allowed me to take with me the map of which a fac-simile accompa-nies this article [page 496]. I never imagined that in the future it wouldhave the interest which now attaches to it, and after the battle it was laidaside and forgotten.
Within two years after that meeting, quite contrary opinions developedthemselves between General Sherman and myself concerning the battle ofShiloh, and his Memoirs give a different account of the interview abovedescribed. He says that he handed the map to my engineer-officer, Captain
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