NOTES OF A CONFEDERATE STAFF-OFFICER AT SHILOH.

598

till*

A UNION BATTERY TAKEN BY SURPRISE. (SEE PAGE 601.)

officers,” it may not be amiss to recall that such a conference was the inevi-table consequence of the arrival of the Confederate army at the point fromwhich it was to spring upon the enemy, as it were from an ambush. Naturally,moreover, by a conference with their corps commanders, Johnston and Beau-regard could best ascertain the condition of all the troops and determine thebest course to be pursued. It was after the reports thus made with themutual blame of each other of two of the corps commanders for the delay,that Beauregard, confirmed in his apprehension that the campaign had mis-carried, urged that its objective should be given up,— much as Wellingtononce, in Spain , after taking the field to attack Massena, finding the lattermore strongly posted and prepared than he had been misled to believe,had not hesitated to retire without fighting. The course of events demon-strated the correctness of Beauregard’s judgment.

v.

That night, soon after supper, an aide-de-camp from General Johnstoninformed me of the general’s desire to see me, and guided me to where he wasbivouacking in the open air. I was wanted to issue the order for the imme-diate transfer of Maney’s regiment of Tennessee infantry from a brigade in