Battle of Shiloh, April
1862
--by Brigadier-General Benjamin M.
Prentiss, 1862
[source: America, Vol. 8, pages 103-106]
[NOTE: Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss was a volunteer officer
under General Grant. He commanded the Sixth Division at
the Battle of Shiloh, TN, April 6-7, 1862. This account
is from his official report. Of the 62,500 Union soldiers
at Shiloh, 13,000 were killed, wounded, or taken
prisoner. Of those Union soldiers who surrendered, 2,280
surrendered with Prentiss.]
At three o'clock on the morning of Sunday, April 6, 1862,
Colonel David Moore, Twenty-first Missouri, with five
companies of his infantry regiment, proceeded to the
front, and at break of day the advance pickets were
driven in. Whereupon Colonel Moore pushed forward and
engaged the enemy's advance, commanded by General Hardee.
At this stage a messenger was sent to my headquarters,
calling for the balance of the Twenty-fifth Missouri,
which was promptly sent forward. This information
received, I at once ordered the entire force into line,
and the remaining regiments of the First Brigade,
commanded by Colonel Everett Peabody, consisting of the
Twenty-fifth Missouri, Sixteenth Wisconsin, and Twelfth
Michigan Infantry, were advanced well to the front. I
forthwith at this juncture communicated the fact of the
attack in force to Major- General Smith and
Brigadier-General S. A. Hurlbut.
Shortly before six o'clock, Colonel Moore having been
severely wounded, his regiment commenced falling back,
reaching our front line about six o'clock, the enemy
being close upon his rear. Hereupon the entire force,
excepting only the Sixteenth Iowa, which had been sent to
the field the day before without ammunition, and the
cavalry, which was held in readiness to the rear, was
advanced to the extreme front, and thrown out alternately
to the right and left.
Shortly after six o'clock the entire line was under fire,
receiving the assault made by the entire force of the
enemy, advancing in three columns simultaneously upon our
left, center and right. This position was held until the
enemy had passed our right flank, this movement being
effected by reason of the falling back of some regiment
to our right not belonging to the division.
Perceiving the enemy was flanking me, I ordered the
division to retire in line of battle to the color line of
our encampment, at the same time communicating to
Generals Smith and Hurlbut the fact of the falling back,
and asking for reinforcements.
Being again assailed, in position described, by an
overwhelming force, and not being able longer to hold the
ground against the enemy, I ordered the division to fall
back to the line occupied by General Hurlbut, and at 9:05
a.m. reformed to the right of General Hurlbut, and to the
left of Brigadier-General W. H. L. Wallace, who I found
in command of the division assigned to Major-General
Smith. At this point the Twenty-third Missouri Infantry,
commanded by Colonel Tindall, which had just disembarked
from a transport, and had been ordered to report to me as
a part of the Sixth Division, joined me. This regiment I
immediately assigned to position on the left. My battery
(Fifth Ohio) was posted to the right on the road.
At about 10 o'clock my line was again assailed, and
finding my command greatly reduced by reason of
casualties and because of the falling back of many of the
men to the river, they being panic-stricken -- a majority
of them having now for the first time been exposed to
fire -- I communicated with General W. H. L. Wallace, who
sent to my assistance the Eighth Iowa Infantry, commanded
by Colonel J. L. Geddes.
After having once driven the enemy back from this
position Major-General U. S. Grant appeared upon the
field. I exhibited to him the disposition of my entire
force, which disposition received his commendation, and I
received my final orders, which were to maintain that
position at all hazards. This position I did maintain
until 4 o'clock p.m., when General Hurlbut, being
overpowered, was forced to retire. I was then compelled
to change front with the Twenty-third Missouri,
Twenty-first Missouri, Eighteenth Wisconsin, Eighteenth
Missouri, and part of the Twelfth Michigan, occupying a
portion of the ground vacated by General Hurlbut. I was
in constant communication with Generals Hurlbut and
Wallace during the day, and both of them were aware of
the importance of holding our position until night. When
the gallant Hurlbut was forced to retire General Wallace
and myself consulted, and agreed to hold our positions at
all hazards, believing that we could thus save the army
from destruction; we having been now informed for the
first time that all others had fallen back to the
vicinity of the river. A few minutes after General W. H.
L. Wallace received the wound of which he shortly
afterwards died. Upon the fall of General Wallace, his
division, excepting the Eighth Iowa, Colonel Geddes,
acting with me, and the Fourteenth Iowa, Colonel Shaw;
Twelfth Iowa, Colonel Woods, and Fifty-eighth Illinois,
Colonel Lynch, retired from the field.
Perceiving that I was about to be surrounded, and having
dispatched my aide, Lieutenant Edwin Moore, for
reinforcements, I determined to assail the enemy, which
had passed between me and the river, charging upon him
with my entire force. I found him advancing in mass,
completely encircling my command, and nothing was left
but to harass him and retard his progress so long as
might be possible. This I did until 5:30 p.m., when,
finding that further resistance must result in the
slaughter of every man in the command, I had to yield the
fight. The enemy succeeded in capturing myself and 2,200
rank and file, many of them being wounded.
For the story of one
man who fought at the Battle of Shiloh, click here:
Frank Reed, a.k.a. Tom Doyle
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