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The battle of Shiloh.
From the New Orleans, La., Picayune, Aug. 31, Sept. 7, 1902.
The first great battle of the
Civil War—Undisciplined Confederate levies rout twice their Numbers— the opening day of an historic combat.
Despite the minute precautions urged in the order for the day against all courses calculated to divulge to the enemy the approaching danger, there had immediately prior to the
battle of Shiloh really been little circumspection on the part of the
Confederate soldiery, one-third of whom were fresh levies, wholly raw and undisciplined.
Fires had been kindled, drums, too, were lustily beaten in a number of regiments, and scattering discharges of small arms had been kept up all night in most of the brigades, the men being apprehensive that otherwise the charges of their guns, possibly wet, would fail them when needed.
These, with other noises, ought to have betrayed to the
Federal generals on the first line the presence in their front of more than a reconnoissance force.
By 3 o'clock Tuesday morning, however, the Confederate Army was all astir, and, after a hasty, scanty breakfast, the lines were formed.
The 3rd Corps, under
Major-General Hardee, 6,789 artillery and infantry, augmented by
Gladden's Brigade, 2,235 strong, of
Withers' Division, 2nd Corps, constituted the first line of about 8,500 bayonets, deployed in battle order on the grounds upon which they had bivouacked.
The second line, 500 yards rearward, of some 10,000 bayonets, was formed of
Ruggles' and two brigades of
Wither's Division of the 2nd Corps, under
Major-General Bragg, composed of
Anderson's,
Gibson's,
Pond's,
Chalmers' and
J. K. Jackson's Brigades.
