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6th of April; nor is it now possible to say what result might have followed, had Buell still longer delayed.
But this much is certain: the rebels were repelled in their last attack, on Sunday, without any assistance from Buell that turned the scale.
They did not attack, on Monday, although they were ignorant of Buell's arrival; while Grant gave his orders to renew the fight, before he was aware that the long-looked — for reenforcements had come.
A part of the Army of the Tennessee undoubtedly misbehaved at Shiloh; this, however, occurred only in Sherman and Prentiss's divisions, where the troops were entirely raw. These commands were the most advanced, and received the first shock of the assault.
It probably would have been better had the older troops been put in the advance.
Still, Sherman's presence at the key-point of the fight, almost compensated for the conduct of his men. No other division commander in Grant's army was a professional soldier, and upon no other did Grant so rely as upon Sherman.
The army took tone from them both, and the ignominy of a part only rendered more conspicuous the gallantry and determination of those who remained firm.1
The battle, however, decided little, except the fighting qualities of both combatants.
It was the fiercest fight of the war, west of the Alleghanies, and, in proportion to the numbers engaged, equalled any contest during the rebellion.
I have heard Sherman
1 It is probable that the straggling on the rebel side was quite as great. Beauregard states in his report, that his strength was forty thousand on Sunday, and gives a loss of ten thousand on both days. But he declares that, on Monday, he could put only twenty thousand men into line. This leaves fifteen thousand, at least, for deserters and stragglers on that day, unless he lost many more than he reported.
New York Appleton 1885.
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