565
and then gave him an order, which O’Hara rode off to obey. GovernorHarris returned, and, finding him very pale, asked him, “ General, are youwounded ? ” He answered, in a very deliberate and emphatic tone: “ Yes,and, I fear, seriously.” These were his last words. Harris and Wickham ledhis horse back under cover of the hill, and lifted him from it. They searchedat random for the wound, which had cut an artery in his leg, the blood flow-ing into his boot. When his brother-in-law, Preston, lifted his head, andaddressed him with passionate grief, he smiled faintly, but uttered no word.His life rapidly ebbed away, and in a few moments he was dead.
His wound was not necessarily fatal. General Johnston ’s own knowledgeof military surgery was adequate for its control by an extemporized tourni-quet had he been aware or regardful of its nature. Dr. D. W. Yandell, hissurgeon, had attended his person during most of the morning; but, finding alarge number of wounded men, including many Federals, at one point, Gen-eral Johnston had ordered Yandell to stop there, establish a hospital, and givethem his services. He said to Yandell: “ These men were our enemies amoment ago; they are our prisoners now. Take care of them.” Yandellremonstrated against leaving him, but he was peremptory. Had Yandellremained with him, he would have had little difficulty with the wound.
Governor Harris, and others of General Johnston ’s staff, promptly informedGeneral Beauregard of his death, and General Beauregard assumed command,remaining at Shiloh Church, awaiting the issue of events.
Up to the moment of the death of the commander-in-chief, in spite of thedislocation of the commands, there was the most perfect regularity in thedevelopment of the plan of battle. In all the seeming confusion there wasthe predominance of intelligent design ; a master mind, keeping in clear viewits purpose, sought the weak point in the defense, and, by massing his troopsupon the enemy’s left, kept turning that flank. With the disadvantage ofinferior numbers, General Johnston brought to bear a superior force on eachparticular point, and, by a series of rapid and powerful blows, broke theFederal army to pieces.
Now was the time for the Confederates to push their advantage, and, clos-ing in on the rear of Prentiss and Wallace, to finish the battle. But, on thecontrary, there came a lull in the conflict on the right, lasting more than anhour from half-past 2, the time at which General Johnston fell. It is truethat the Federals fell back and left the field, making some desultory resist-ance, and the Confederates went forward deliberately, occupying their posi-tions, and thus helping to envelop the Federal center; but Breckinridge’s twobrigades did not make another charge that day, and there was no furthergeneral direction or concerted movement. The determinate purpose to cap-ture Grant that day was lost sight of. The strong arm was withdrawn, andthe bow remained unbent. Elsewhere there were bloody, desultory combats,but they tended to nothing.
About half-past 3 the contest, which had throbbed with fitful violencefor five hours, was renewed with the utmost fury. While an ineffectualstruggle was going on at the center, a number of batteries opened upon