Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862

by Edward Cunningham

  Colonel John Oliver and his Fifteenth Michigan arrived at the Locust Grove, to the left of the Eighteenth Wisconsin, just as Chalmers’ men moved in for the charge. Oliver’s regiment had landed only a couple of hours earlier and had not been issued ammunition. But he headed for the front anyway, hoping to pick up some cartridges en route. Finding himself about to be caught in Chalmers’ attack, Colonel Oliver ordered his men to fix bayonets, as if to charge the approaching Mississippians, but Oliver wisely reconsidered and ordered the regiment to about face, and they returned to the Landing, where they were able to find cartridges. The Seventh and Ninth Mississippi were quickly ordered by Chalmers to follow the Tenth.11

  Gladden’s and Shaver’s men were also pressing the Federals back, and the Southerners began to scent victory. Gladden gave orders for another charge and he rode forward to lead it when an aide, a Captain Scott of Mobile, Alabama, noticed the general dropped his reins. His horse moving a few steps farther, the fifty-one year old Gladden requested his aide to help him off the animal. Pointing to his left arm, he quietly remarked, “I am afraid it is a serious hurt.”

  Captain Scott examined the arm and found that near the shoulder it was a shattered mass of flesh and bone. An ambulance took the badly wounded commander away from the firing area. The injured limb was amputated in a field hospital a few days later by a Doctor Chappin. Unfortunately, the stump failed to heal, remaining in a “very unhealthy and dangerous state, and after a few days of suffering, gangrene supervened, and death finally relieved him of his sufferings.”12 Gladden died on April 12.

  Gladden’s senior officer, Colonel Daniel Adams, assumed command of the brigade. The colonel of the First Louisiana continued where Gladden left off, pressing Miller. The Union fire was destructive, and again the brigade faltered. Adams seized the battle flag from the color bearer of the First Louisiana and, with a cry for the men to follow him, galloped ahead.13 A wild Rebel yell, wrote An drew Hickenlooper of the Fifth Ohio Battery, caused “an in voluntary thrill of terror to pass like an electric shock through even the bravest hearts” of Prentiss’ men.14

  Colonel Peabody rode up and down the line, crying out to his men, “Lexington, men! Lexington! Remember Lexington!”15 Lieutenant Colonel Cassius Fairchild, Sixteenth Wisconsin, went down with a jagged hole in his thigh, while regimental commander Ben Allen’s horse was shot from under him. Someone found Allen a second animal, but before he could mount it was killed.16

  Private Charles Norton, Twenty-fifth Missouri, flinched as a ricocheting slug drove wood splinters into his neck. A solid shot tore through the trees, dropping twigs and leaves on the men. A cannon shot landed in a mud hole, spattering soldiers with jagged iron splinters and clods of Tennessee dirt. The men could stand no more. What was left of the brigade began heading for the rear, Peabody’s riderless horse following them, his master’s lifeless body sprawled somewhere along the position that he had so gallantly defended.17

  The remainder of Miller’s brigade gave way also, and the triumphant Southerners swarmed into the Sixth Division’s camp area. What little formations the Confederates retained was completely broken by the tents and wagons in the camp area, as the screaming Rebels poured through. Prentiss’ headquarters were occupied, and some privates from the First Louisiana “scooped up” seven Union flags.18 Some of the slower running Yanks were grabbed up by the charging Con federates. As he headed for the rear, Private Leander Stillwell of the Sixty-first Illinois regiment saw men in brown and gray clothing running through a camp on his right. He also saw something that sent a chill running through him—“a kind of flag I had never seen before … a gaudy sort of thing with red bars,” not sixty yards away in the hands of a color bearer. Suddenly young Stillwell realized that for the first time in his life he had laid eyes on a Rebel battle flag.19

  Some of the Southerners ran forward so fast that they were caught in the line of fire from their own batteries. The Twenty-sixth Alabama became entangled in the tent section of Miller’s camp, losing their major, J. S. Garvin, by an exploding shell, probably fired by a Confederate battery.20 Lieu tenant S. H. Dent of Robertson’s Battery was forced to order his guns to cease firing in order to keep from hitting his own men, so fast was their advance. Robertson’s men quickly limbered up their battery and galloped through the camp. The wheels of one gun ran over the body of one of Miller’s fallen soldiers, crushing him to a bloody pulp. Taking a new position on the northern side of the camp, the battery immediately un limbered and reopened fire at some Yanks who were trying to rally and form a new line.21

  Prentiss’ battery commanders frantically hitched their teams to their guns, getting ten of them away safely, but the charging Rebels grabbed up two of Hickenlooper’s guns.22 This would-be Northern rally was quickly dispersed under artillery fire, and the Federals with drew across Barnes’ Field, heading in the direction of Hurlbut’s division, where they were ordered to fall back by orders of General Prentiss.23

  In the confusion of battle, Father Thomas Brady of Detroit, Michigan, Chaplain of the Fifteenth Michigan, rode around looking for his regiment. He saw a body of men close by and asked them if they could tell him where the Fifteenth Michigan was located. Unfortunately the men in question happened to be Confederates, Irishmen, probably from Adam’s First Louisiana Regiment. Recognizing Brady as a priest, the soldiers politely told him they did not know where his regiment was, and they let him turn his horse around and ride safely toward the Landing and friendly troops.24

  To the thousands of Confederate soldiers who triumphantly swarmed over the camps of Prentiss and Sherman, the battle must have seemed virtually over. Had they not seen entire regiments of Federals broken and running? Now it was time to enjoy the fruits of victory—the uniforms, boots, rifles, and most of all the food left behind by the vacating Yanks. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Southerners left their companies, battalions, and regiments, fanning out to plunder. Happy soldiers grabbed crackers, cheese, nuts, apples and biscuits, munching blissfully away while looking around for more valuable goods,25 or souvenirs such as “belts, sashes, swords, officers’ uniforms, Yankee letters, daguerreo-types of Yankee sweet hearts, like nesses of Grant, Buell, Smith, Prentiss, McClellan, Lincoln,” and the like.26 One Rebel soldier found some pikes, ten to twelve feet long, with curved knife blades in the ends. Private George Bryan found a dozen sets of breastplates (body armor) in Sherman’s camp.27

  Straggling caused by the looting was terrific, and the Confederate brigade and divisional commanders found it difficult to get orders, for the initial plan of attack was rapidly collapsing. It proved impossible for Polk, Hardee, or Bragg to adequately direct their units when strung out along a three mile front. Finally Polk managed to locate Bragg, and in a quick battlefield conference the two corps commanders decided to divide up the battlefield: the Bishop took the center, Bragg took the right, and Hardee the left.28

  After their predawn conference at army headquarters, Johnston and Beauregard were busy directing the movement of troops forward. At 6:40 a.m., Johnston left headquarters, and accompanied by his staff, rode to the front. Attaching himself to Withers’ Division, Johnston helped direct that unit in its forward movement on Prentiss’ camp,29 while Beauregard remained in the rear.

  At 9:35 a.m., with most of the army successfully moving forward, Beauregard decided to establish a new command post nearer the front. Riding forward with his staff, Beauregard established his headquarters about a quarter of a mile from the Shiloh Methodist-Episcopal Church.30 With Johnston busy over with Withers’ Division and Beauregard setting up new headquarters, the direction of the battle was largely left in the hands of sub ordinate officers. Despite the lack of direction, the Southerners seemed to be winning, for they were steadily pushing the Northerners back.

  In part this was an illusion, for instead of turning Grant’s left flank and seizing Pittsburg Landing, the Confederates were simply compressing the Federal army back closer to the Landing. If the whole Union army could be routed, then this would
not matter too much, but Union resistance was beginning to stiffen as Hurlbut’s division moved into action.

  By 8:00 a.m. that morning, the South Carolina-born Hurlbut had his three brigades drawn up in formation, awaiting orders from someone who knew what was going on. One of General Sherman’s couriers galloped over to Hurlbut’s headquarters and informed the general that the Fifth Division had been “attacked in force, and heavily, upon his left.” Within ten minutes Colonel J. C. Veatch’s brigade was in motion with orders to “proceed to the left of General Sherman,” where they were eventually attached to McClernand’s command.31 A few minutes later the commanding officer of the Fourth Division received a “pressing request for aid from Brigadier-General Prentiss.” Placing him self at the head of his two remaining brigades, Colonel N. G. Williams’ First Brigade and Brigadier General J. G. Lauman’s Third Brigade, Hurlbut started out on the Hamburg and Savannah Road.

  As the divisional vanguard approached Wicker’s Field, they encountered large numbers of panic-stricken survivors from Miller’s and Peabody’s brigades. One of Hurlbut’s men asked a fast moving straggler what made him in such a hurry, and the soldier replied, “You go a little further out that way and you will find out what’s the matter.”32 General Prentiss made desperate at tempts to rally the fugitives, but most of them drifted through the lines of the Fourth Division, hunting sanctuary some where—anywhere.

  Once past the fugitives the two brigades began deploying, Williams going to the left, forming up along the south side of the Peach Orchard Field, while Lauman’s soldiers deployed to the right of Williams’ men, continuing the “line with an obtuse angle” around to the west end of the field and “extending some distance into the brush and timber” near the head of Tilgham Branch.33

  As the infantry moved into position, the divisional batteries rode up. Lieutenant Edward Brotzmann’s Independent Missouri Battery (referred to as Mann’s) unlimbered its two 6-pound smoothbores and two 12-pound howitzers near several log cabins adjacent to the Fifty-fourth Ohio Infantry camp. The Missourians opened fire with the howitzers, using solid shot and shell, at a body of Confederate infantry about two-thirds of a mile away (probably Chalmers’ skirmishers). After firing a few rounds, Brotzmann’s unit was ordered to shift to a new position in the Peach Orchard Field.

  Galloping to the right, Brotzmann unlimbered his pieces in the angle between Williams’ and Lauman’s brigades.34 The cannoneers of Captain William H. Ross’ Battery B, Michigan Light Artillery (Second Battery Michigan Light Artillery) emplaced their four 10-pound Parrotts and two 6-pound smoothbores in the Peach Or chard Field some distance to Brotzmann’s right.35 Captain John B. Myers’ Thirteenth Ohio Light Artillery Battery was supposed to take a position to the right of Brotzmann’s guns, but the Ohioans were slow in coming and Hurlbut was forced to send several aides with orders to hurry the tardy gunners. The general’s orders were for Myers to “come into battery on the reverse slope of a crest of ground, where there was cover for his horses and caissons in front of the right of my infantry.”36

  Robertson’s Florida Battery opened on the galloping Ohioans with solid shot from their four Napoleons. Myers and his men halted and began unlimbering their two 6-pound smoothbores and four 6-pound James rifles. A Napoleon shot crashed into one of the Ohioans’ caissons, smashing it and stampeding one of the artillery teams. Myers and his gunners panicked and bolted to the rear, abandoning everything. That was the last anyone saw of the Thirteenth Ohio Battery until Myers showed up two days later asking for rations.37

  General Hurlbut spotted the “glimmer of bayonets on the left and front” of Williams’ brigade.38 Williams’ men saw the “enemy, his regiments with their red banners flashing in the morning sun marching proudly and all un disturbed through the abandoned camps of Prentiss.”39 The red banners be longed to Chalmers’ “High Pressure” Brigade, fresh from its triumph over Miller’s Bluecoats. After routing Peabody’s men, Chalmers halted and waited for his laggard Fifth Mississippi and Fifty-second Tennessee. General Johnston rode up and ordered the brigade to fall back. Before this order was executed, how ever, the brigade began catching fire from Hurlbut’s gunners. The pugnacious Chalmers quickly moved forward, starting his own private war with Hurlbut.40

  The Fourth Division’s riflemen opened up at four hundred yards range, delivering a noisy but inaccurate spray of slugs at the Mississippians and Tennesseans. Colonel Isaac Pugh, Forty-first Illinois, fearing that Chalmers was trying to turn his left flank, retreated a hundred yards. One of Captain Charles P. Gage’s 12-pound howitzers sent a cannon ball through Colonel Williams’ horse, killing the animal and crippling the rider. Williams was helped off the field, and Pugh took charge of the First Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Ansel Tupper assuming command of the Forty-first Illinois. After two or three minutes of continued firing, Chalmers withdrew on orders from General Johnston, in preparation for a move to the right.41

  Hurlbut’s men settled down to a three-hour fight with Gladden’s Brigade, now commanded by Colonel Adams. General Grant rode over to confer with Hurlbut and to find out what the situation was on his front. Wearing his sword and a buff sash and accompanied by three staff officers, Grant trotted leisurely up to Hurlbut. One of Hurlbut’s officers noticed the general’s face “wore an anxious look, yet bore no evidence of excitement or trepidation.”42 Grant smoked one of his beloved cigars and acted as non chalantly as if he were on a routine parade ground inspection.43 Doubtlessly reassured by what he heard and saw, the general soon rode off, but his visit inspired the soldiers.

  The Confederates were badly disorganized by their capture of Prentiss’ camps, and it took some time for Colonel Adams to reassemble his brigade. Some of the men were short of cartridges, and Adams was forced to send couriers to the rear to find more ammunition. All in all, Gladden’s old brigade did no serious fighting for about five hours which was just as well, for if the Louisianan had led his men forward, he would have been facing General Hurlbut’s two fresh brigades, plus some of Prentiss’ men.44 But Adams was not completely in active. General Hardee, presumably on his way to the Confederate left, instructed Adams to probe Hurlbut’s Peach Orchard position.45

  While Robertson’s Florida gunners traded shots with Brotzmann’s and Ross’ Batteries, parties of Rebel skirmishers moved out to reconnoiter the Union position. Company K, Twenty-second Alabama, worked its way toward Lauman’s brigade, close enough to see the trimmings on the Federal uniforms. The Alabamans were spotted, and Hurlbut’s men opened up with rifle and artillery fire, which the Southerners eagerly returned.46

  About noon Colonel Z. C. Deas sent Companies A and B, Twenty-second Alabama, forward to clear Federal snipers out of some houses near the Peach Orchard. These minor operations and a few others like them were dignified by General Hurlbut with the high-sounding title of “repeated and heavy attacks.”47

  If the Fourth Division was only lightly engaged, Stuart’s brigade, holding Hurlbut’s left, steadily found itself increasingly sharply engaged with the rest of Withers’ Division. On orders from General Johnston, Withers gradually moved to his right, pressing toward the isolated Second Brigade of Sherman’s division.

  After his engagement with Hurlbut in the Peach Orchard, Chalmers was ordered by Johnston to move to the right so as to turn the enemy’s left flank. Guided by Lafayette Veal and moving by the right flank, the Mississippi Brigade crossed a ravine to its right, reaching the Bark Road. They moved along that avenue until the right regiments rested on the edge of the Lick Creek bottom. Here Withers halted the brigade,48 until cavalry patrols (Clanton’s Alabama Regiment) could as certain what was in front. Chalmers’ men took ad vantage of the break, either taking a drink of water or snatching a short nap on the ground. After half an hour the cavalry re ported the way was clear, and Chalmers resumed his march, with General John Jackson’s Brigade to his immediate left.

  Some of Stuart’s skirmishers began peppering the Fifty-second Tennessee with rifle fire. As the regiment crossed a slight r
ise in the ground, Captain A.N. Wilson deployed his men into two lines. The front line fired, and Wilson directed them to lie down to reload and permit the rear line to fire over their heads. Then Wilson ordered his men to fall back a few yards so a battery could engage the Federal skirmishers. Suddenly the regiment stampeded, and seized by a blind panic, the men ran wildly to the rear.49 After repeated at tempts to rally the Fifty-second failed, Chalmers ordered the brigade reshuffled to compensate for the defection of the regiment. Captain Wilson managed to rally his own unit, Company C, while Captain J. A. Russell also managed to pull together his men, Company B. Wilson attached the remnants of his band, about one hundred men, to the Fifth Mississippi.50

  Colonel T. Kilby Smith of the Fifty-fourth Ohio was sound asleep in his tent when the regimental adjutant ran in to wake him. Slipping off his cot, Smith stumbled outside while still attempting to rub the sleep from his eyes. In a few moments he was able to make out the unfamiliar sound of heavy firing. He cried out “They are fighting!” and immediately ordered his regiment to form up.