Alfred Roman, The military operations of General Beauregard in the war between the states, 1861 to 1865

[323] in his report, ‘the ground was admirably adapted for a defence of infantry against cavalry, being miry, and covered with fallen timber.’ Their loss amounted to fifteen killed, about twenty-five wounded, and some seventy prisoners. The Confederates pursuing too vigorously, and coming suddenly on the brigades of Federal infantry, were repulsed, after the brave and dashing Forrest had been severely wounded in the side. His command then retired, followed a short distance by some of the enemy's cavalry, towards General Breckinridge's encampment, at Mickey's farm, only about two and a half miles from the point of collision.

General Sherman concludes his report, dated on the day of this encounter, as follows: ‘The check sustained by us at the fallen timber delayed our advance, so that night came upon us before the wounded were provided for and the dead buried; and our troops being fagged out¹ by two days hard fighting, exposure, and privation, I ordered them back to their camps, where they now are.’

We discover here two oversights on General Sherman's part. The short conflict referred to occurred early in the morning, and there was certainly ample time in which to bury fifteen dead and remove twenty-five wounded. And the two brigades of Woods division, of Buell's army, which accompanied his command, had taken but little part in the battle of the preceding day, having arrived on the field about the time the battle terminated.

The remainder of the Confederate forces, sorely disappointed, but not without heart, returned from Shiloh to their former positions at and about Corinth, to recruit and reorganize, and to await a favorable opportunity of striking another blow at their antagonists.

The loss on the Confederate side was unusually heavy, but this was due to the fact that it had been the assailant all day on the 6th, and very often on the 7th. The army under Generals Johnston and Beauregard had gone into the battle with thirty-nine thousand six hundred and thirty men of all arms and condition, and it received no reinforcements during the two days fight, except Colonel Hill's Tennessee regiment, which reached the front unarmed on the morning of the 6th, and was furnished with arms and equipments picked up on the field. This regiment swelled