Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 1

[322] efforts to penetrate further, had sheltered themselves on the outer slopes of the parapets, and behind the brows of the ridges, watching for opportunities to injure the enemy; while the main body of the troops, at a greater distance and along the hills in rear, kept the rebels down by an incessant fire of musketry, whenever an object exposed itself for a moment on the works.¹ The brunt of the battle incident to the first assault was over in less than an hour, and no substantial result had been obtained. It was plain that Grant could not hope to succeed by assault.

At about twelve o'clock, while near McPherson's headquarters, Grant had received a dispatch from Mc-Clernand, that he was hard pressed at several points: ‘I am hotly engaged with the enemy. He is massing on me from the right and left. A vigorous blow by McPherson would make a diversion in my favor.’ Grant replied: ‘If your advance is weak, strengthen it by drawing from your reserves or other parts of the line.’ He then rode around to Sherman's front, and had just reached that point, when he received a second dispatch from McClernand: ‘We are hotly engaged with the enemy. We have part possession of two forts, and the stars and stripes are floating over them. A vigorous push ought to be made all along the line.’ This note reached Grant, after the repulse of both Sherman and McPherson. He showed it to Sherman and to his own staff. He and his staff had witnessed, from a high and commanding point, the assault of McClernand's corps; had seen a few