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SHILOH REVIEWED.
o’clock the previous day, where theenemy was found in force. McCookwas on the north side of the westernCorinth road, and eventually sweptacross half of McClernand ’s campand released his headquarters fromthe grasp of the enemy. The “ Hor-nets’ Nest” was in front of Critten-den ’s left brigade, and “ the peachorchard” and the ground where Al-bert Sidney Johnston fell were infront of Nelson.
Without following the vicissitudesof the struggle in this part of thefield, I enter with a little more de-tail, but still cursorily, upon theoperations of Grant’s troops, whichhave not been connectedly explainedin any official report. The actionhere was commenced by Lew Wal-lace , one of whose batteries at half-past 5 o’clock opened fire on theenemy, who was discovered on thehigh ground across Tillman’s Hollow. There is some diversity of state-ment among the official reports as to the priority of artillery firing in frontof Nelson and Wallace . Colonel Hovey, who was in immediate support ofWallace ’s battery, gives the priority to Nelson, while Colonel Marsh, who washalf a mile farther to the left, gives it to Wallace . But this is unimportant.Nelson was in motion three-quarters of an hour before that time, and hadbeen engaged with the enemy’s light troops. The first artillery fire was fromthe enemy, Nelson at first having no artillery. Wallace ’s action was not yetaggressive, no orders having been given for his advance; but while the firingwas in progress General Grant came up, and gave him his “ direction ofattack, which was formed at a right angle with the river, with which at thetime his line ran almost parallel.” The enemy’s battery and its supportshaving been driven from the opposite height by the artillery of Wallace , thelatter moved his line forward about 7 o’clock, crossed the hollow, and gainedthe crest of the hill almost without opposition. “ Here,” he says, “ as GeneralSherman’s division, next on my left, had not made its appearance to supportmy advance, a halt was ordered for it to come up.” Wallace was now on theedge of the large oblong field which was in front of the encampment ofMcClernand ’s right brigade.
The next of Grant’s commands to advance was McClernand ’s. The ordersto that effect have already been cited, and their execution is explained byColonel Marsh, into whose brigade what was present of McClernand ’s divisionseems to have merged. He says :