THE CAMPAIGN OF SHILOH.

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able to recover their lost ground and guns, inflicting a sharp loss on Hazen’sbrigade, that narrowly escaped capture. Ammen’s brigade was also seriouslypressed and must have been turned but for the opportune arrival and effec-tive use of Terrill’s regular battery of McCook’s division.

In the meantime Crittenden’s division became involved in the battle, butwas successfully kept at bay for several hours by the forces under Hardeeand Breckinridge, until it was reenforced by two brigades of McCook’s divisionwhich had been added to the attacking force on the field, after the battle hadbeen joined, the force of fresh troops being thus increased by at least fivethousand men. Our troops were being forced to recede, but slowly; it wasnot, however, until we were satisfied that we had now to deal with at leastthree of Buell’s divisions as well as with General Lew Wallace ’s, that I deter-mined to yield the field in the face of so manifestly profitless a combat.

By 1 o’clock General Bragg’s forces on our left, necessarily weakened by thewithdrawal of a part of his troops to reenforce our right and center, hadbecome so seriously pressed that he called for aid. Some remnants of Loui-siana, Alabama, and Tennessee regiments were gathered up and sent forwardto support him as best they might, and I went with them personally. Gen-eral Bragg, now taking the offensive, pressed his adversary back. This wasabout 2 p. m. My headquarters were still at Shiloh Church.

The odds of fresh troops alone were now too great to justify the prolonga-tion of the conflict. So, directing Adjutant-General Jordan to select at oncea proper position in our near rear, and there establish a covering force includ-ing artillery, I dispatched my staff with directions to the several corps com-manders to prepare to retreat from the field, first making a show, however,at different points of resuming the offensive. These orders were executed, Imay say, with no small skill, and the Confederate army began to retire at2:30 p. m. without apparently the least perception on the part of the enemythat such a movement was going on. There was no flurry, no haste shown byofficers or men; the spirit of all was admirable. Stragglers dropped into line;the caissons of the batteries were loaded up with rifles; and when the last ofour troops had passed to the rear of the covering force, from the elevatedground it occupied and which commanded a wide view, not a Federal regimentor even a detachment of cavalry was anywhere to be seen as early as 4 p. m.

General Breckinridge, with the rear-guard, bivouacked that night not morethan two miles from Shiloh. He withdrew three miles farther on the 8th,and there remained for several days without being menaced.

Our loss in the two days was heavy, reaching 10,699. [See page 539.]

The field was left in the hands of our adversary, as also some capturedguns, which were not taken away for want of horses, but in exchange we car-ried off at least 30 pieces of his artillery with 26 stands of colors andnearly 3000 prisoners of war, also a material acquisition of small arms andaccouterments which our men had obtained on Sunday instead of theirinferior weapons.

The fresh Federal troops now engaged aggregated at least 25,000 rank and file, further increased,about 1 o’clock, by Wagner’s brigade of Wood’s division, say 2500 strong.— G. T. B.

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