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[371]

Also six horses were lost in action.

Crafts J. Wright, Col. Commanding Thirteenth Missouri Volunteers. William E. Fay, Adjutant.

Colonel Whittlesey's report.

camp Shiloh, near Pittsburgh Landing, Tennessee River, April 8, 1862.
Capt. F. Knefler, A. A. General Third Division District West-Tennessee:
sir: Of the four regiments Ohio volunteers, constituting the Third brigade, under my command, stationed at Adamsville on the sixth inst., the Fifty-sixth, Col. Kinney, was by order left as a guard to the stores on the road to Crump's Landing.

The Twentieth, Lieut.-Col. Force; Seventy-sixth, Col. Woods, and Seventy-eighth, Col. Leggett, received orders to march with their trains about two o'clock P. M., and to advance toward Pittsburgh Landing in advance of the trains, at four o'clock P. M.

These three regiments reached the right of Gen. Grant's camp soon after dark, and formed in line, under the direction of Major-Gen. Wallace, where they remained during the night, supporting Buell's battery, in command of Lieut. Thurber.

The brigade, under Gen. Wallace's direction, kept the extreme right of the line during the action of the seventh inst., with the exception of a short period about eleven o'clock A. M., when it formed in front of the enemy, at the left of Col. Thayer's brigade, to support, by his special request, Col. Stuart, commanding the — brigade of Gen. Sherman's division, who was hotly engaged.

About noon, firing being heard to the rear of the right of the line of battle, I was directed by Gen. Wallace to take two regiments there, Col. Woods remaining as last above stated.

I went as directed, to the right, and found that the firing proceeded from the enemy's sharpshooters, who retired as we advanced.

The Twentieth and Seventy-eighth were then formed in rear of a field, which lies on the north side of the Purdy road, on the south side of which the enemy had a battery of two pieces within short range that opened upon us. Some other pieces of theirs, and some infantry, were engaging the Indiana Twenty-third and First Nebraska, on my left.

As a retreat of the enemy appeared close at hand, I advanced the Twentieth regiment a few minutes into the field to take them in flank, and then retired to the edge of the woods. The Seventy-eighth was in close supporting distance in rear of the Twenty-fourth Indiana and Twentieth Ohio, and also under fire of the two-gun battery.

Our infantry making little impression upon this battery, I procured from Gen. Wallace five guns of Lieut. Thurber's command, which came speedily into position, but the pieces against which they were to operate had been withdrawn when Lieut. Thurber arrived.

There being signs of a retreat further to the south, Lieut. Thurber was directed to sweep the ground in our front, which he did with his two howitzers and three smooth-bores in fine style. This closed the engagement in this part of the field at about three o'clock P. M.

Two prisoners, captured near there, one of them an officer of the Creole Guard, state that Gen. Beauregard was endeavoring to form a line for a final and desperate charge on our right, when Lieut. Thurber opened upon him, and the result was a disorderly retreat.

Col. Woods, of the Seventy-sixth, moved along the line as the battle progressed to the westward, and took the place of the First Nebraska while it went for a supply of cartridges. He reports the conduct of his men under fire as all he could desire.

The enemy's sharpshooters annoyed the Twentieth regiment very much, particularly the field officers, wounding Capt. Rogers, of company A, in command of our skirmishers. This regiment, and the right of Col. Leggett's, were exposed nearly an hour to a very precise fire of the two-gun battery, which they bore with remarkable coolness.

Eighteen prisoners were taken by this brigade.

Our loss is two killed; one mortally, eight severely, and twenty-one slightly wounded.

I am your obedient servant,

Charles Whittlesey, Colonel Commanding Third Brigade, Third Division, Army of the Tennessee.


Report of Colonel Buckland, Commanding the Fourth brigade, Sherman's division.

headquarters Fourth brigade, Fifth division, April 9, 1862.
Gen. W. T. Sherman, Commanding Division:
sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the brigade under my command in the battle of Pittsburgh:

Between six and seven o'clock on Sunday morning, I was informed that our pickets were fired upon. I immediately gave orders for forming the brigade on the color-line, which was promptly done. About this time I was informed that the pickets were being driven in. I ordered the Forty-eighth, Col. Sullivan, to advance in support of the pickets, which he did, but discovered that the enemy had advanced in force to the creek, about eighty to one hundred rods in front. I immediately ordered the brigade to advance in line of battle.

We had marched about thirty to forty rods, when we discovered the enemy and opened fire upon him along the whole line, which checked his advance and caused him to fall back. Discovering that he was pushing a column up a narrow ravine which extended to the left of the Seventy-second regiment to the flat at the creek,


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