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Surprise and withdrawal at Shiloh.
At the time of the
battle of Shiloh I was on
General Bragg's staff as his chief engineer, with the rank of captain.
On the night of April 5th I accompanied him to
General Johnston's headquarters, where the last council of war was held.
I was not present at the meeting of the generals, but with a number of other staff-officers remained near by. We could hear the low, earnest discussion of our superiors, but could not distinguish the words spoken.
When the council closed, and
General Bragg started to his own bivouac, I joined him, and received the following instructions: That as the attack would be made at daylight, the next morning at 4 o'clock I should proceed to the front along the
Bark road, with
Lieutenant Steel, of the engineers, and a squad of cavalry, until I came to the enemy's camp; that I should very carefully and cautiously reconnoiter the camp from where I struck it toward the enemy's left flank; that I should by no means allow any firing by my little force, or do anything to attract attention; that my duty was to get all the information possible about the enemy's position and condition, and send it back by couriers from point to point, as my judgment should suggest.
Those orders I carried out the next morning.
Lieutenant S. M. Steel, now
Major Steel, of
Nashville, Tenn., had been a civil engineer and surveyor in that section of the country, had already made several daring and valuable reconnoissances of the
Federal camps, and knew the country thoroughly.
He was a splendid scout, and as brave a man as ever lived.
Under his skillful guidance I reached in safety a point which he said was not more than a few hundred yards from the
Federal camps.
Here our cavalry escort and our own horses were left, and we two, leaving the road, passed down a narrow valley or gorge, got beyond the
Federal pickets, and came within a few rods of a sleepy camp sentinel leaning against a tree.
In front of us was a large camp as still and silent as the grave; no signs of life except a few smoldering fires of the last night's supper.
Noting these facts and without disturbing the man at the tree, we returned to our cavalry squad, and I dispatched a courier to
General Bragg with a note telling what I had seen.
We then moved by our right flank through the woods, from a quarter to half a mile, and repeated our former manoeuvre.
This time we found the cooks of the camp astir preparing breakfast.
While we were watching the process reveille was sounded, and I saw one or two regiments form by companies, answer to roll-call, and then disperse to their tents.
Once more I returned to my cavalry and dispatched a courier.
A third time I made a descent from the hills, down a narrow hollow, still farther to our right, and saw Federal soldiers cleaning their guns and accouterments and getting ready for Sunday morning inspection.
By this time firing had begun on our left, and I could see that it caused some commotion in the camps, but it was evident that it was not understood.
Soon the firing became more rapid and clearer and closer, and I saw officers begin to stir out of their tents, evidently anxious to find out what it all meant.
Then couriers began to arrive, and there was great bustle and confusion; the long roll was beaten; there was rapid falling in, and the whole party in front of me was so thoroughly awake and alarmed that I thought my safest course was to retreat while I could and send another courier to the rear.
How long all this took I cannot now recall, but perhaps not more than an hour and a half or two hours. When I reached my cavalry squad I knew that the battle had opened in earnest, but I determined to have one more look at the
Federal position, and moved once more to the right.
Without getting as near as our former positions, I had a good view of another camp with a line of soldiers formed in front of it. Meantime the
Confederate troops had moved on down the hills, and I could plainly see from the firing that there was hot and heavy work on my left and in advance of my present position.
I then began to fear that the division in front of me would swing around and take our forces in flank, as it was manifest that the
Federal line extended farther in that direction than ours.
I therefore disposed my little cavalry force as skirmishers, and sent a courier with a sketch of the ground to
General Bragg, and urged the importance of having our right flank protected.
How long I waited and watched at this point it is hard to say. Finally, becoming very uneasy at the state of affairs, I left
Lieutenant Steel with the cavalry and rode to the left myself to make a personal report.
In this ride I passed right down the line of battle of the Confederate forces, and saw some splendid duels both of artillery and infantry.
Finally, as I have always thought about 11 o'clock, I came to
General A. S. Johnston and his staff standing on the brow of a hill watching the conflict in their front.
I rode up to
General Johnston, saluted him, and said I wished to make a report of the state of affairs on our extreme right.
He said he had received that report and a sketch from
Captain Lockett, of the engineers.
I told him I was
Captain Lockett.
He replied, “Well, sir, tell me as briefly and quickly as possible what you have to say.”
When my report was finished he said, “That is what I gathered from your note and sketch, and I have already ordered
General Breckinridge to send forces to fill up the space on our right.
Ride back, sir, toward the right, and you will probably meet
General Breckinridge; lead him to the position you indicate, and tell him ”
