Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 7.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

General — I have the honor to transmit for your consideration some official statements from officers commanding field batteries, and others posessing personal knowledge, touching the events connected with the closing scenes of the battle of Shiloh, on Sunday evening, the 6th of April, 1862, viz:

First. A letter from Colonel Smith P. Bankhead, artillery, Provisional army, dated December 16th, 1862.

Second. A letter from Captain L. D. Sandidge, Division Inspector, dated January 24th, 1863.

Third. A letter from Colonel S. S. Heard, late Colonel Seventeenth regiment, Louisiana volunteers, dated March 18, 1863.

Fourth. A letter from Captain James C. Thrall, artillery, Confederate States Provisional army, dated April 1st, 1863.

By reference to my own official report of that period in the battle, specially referred to, the following statement will be found, viz:

As the enemy finally gave way, I directed the movement of the Second brigade towards the right, along the crest of the ridge following the line of the enemy's continued resistance, and sent a section of Ketchum's battery into action on a road leading towards Pittsburg, in a position overlooking the broken slope below, to reply to batteries nearly in front and in the forest to the right, with which the enemy swept a large circuit around, sending also Colonel Smith's Louisiana Crescent regiment (Third brigade) to support this battery, then harassed by skirmishers, and to seize the opportunity to charge the enemy's position. I then put a section of guns in position on the road leading along the ridge still farther to the right, which was soon forced to retire under the concentrated fire of the enemy's artillery.

Discovering the enemy in considerable numbers moving through [36] the forest on the lower margin of the open field in front, I obtained Trabue's and Stanford's light batteries, and brought them into action, and directed their fire on masses of the enemy then pressing forward towards our right, engaged in a fierce contest with our forces then advancing against him in that direction.

For a brief period the enemy apparently gained ground, and when the conflict was at its height these batteries opened upon his concentrated forces, producing immediate commotion, and soon resulted in the precipitate retreat of the enemy from the contest.

At this moment the Second brigade and the Crescent regiment pressed forward and cut off a considerable portion of the enemy, who surrendered.

I have also to remark that a hasty glance at your manuscript report (at Richmond) disclosed no special notice of that particular period of the battle corresponding with its importance, and I therefore have the honor to request that you will amend your report so far as to do justice to those troops who participated in one of the controlling conflicts of that eventful day.

It is due to myself to state that subsequently enfeebled health, the constant pressure of official business, the sickness of my staff officers and the haste enjoined in making my official report, even before the subordinate reports could be obtained, deprived me of the means of retracing circumstantially many of the most notable events of the day, and, as subsequent investigation discloses, did not do full justice to the occasion.

In view of this fact, I now have the honor to transmit, for your consideration, an amended report of that portion of the battle, and to request that you will forward it and the accompanying papers, including this letter, to the Adjutant-General for the files of the War Department.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Sir — I have the honor to submit the following report of the services of my division at the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee, on the 6th and 7th instants. [37]

On Sunday morning, the 6th instant, at daybreak, the three brigades comprising my division occupied the position in line of battle, in double column at half distance, which had been under the orders of the previous day indicated, extending from the Bark road on the right toward Owl creek on the left, a distance of some two miles. Major-General Hardee's advance, extending from the Bark road a short distance towards my left, constituted the first line.

About sunrise I sent orders to the commanders of brigades to advance with deploying intervals, taking the first as the brigade of direction.

Soon afterwards, receiving orders from Major-General Bragg, I directed Colonel R. L. Gibson's first brigade to march by the right flank across the Bark road and then advance in support of the first line as previously ordered. I then made dispositions as rapidly as possible to insure conformity on the part of the other brigades of my division with this change of plan.

The commander of the Third brigade, Colonel Preston Pond, had been already directed to throw one regiment of infantry and a section of Captain Ketchum's guns into position on the Owl Creek road, and prevent the enemy turning our left flank. Four companies of cavalry, under Captains J. F. Jenkins (commanding), A. Tomlinson, J. J. Cox and J. Robins, covered our right and left flanks.

Returning from a rapid supervision along the line, when approaching the Bark road, the enemy opened opened fire from point to point in rapid succession, driving back some troops of the first line.

The Washington artillery, under Captain Hodgson, was then brought forward, and two howitzers and two rifled guns, commanded by Lieutenant Slocomb, with two guns under Captain Skoop, were put in position on the crest of a ridge near an almost impenetrable boggy thicket ranging along our front, and opened a destructive fire in response to the enemy's batteries, then sweeping our lines at short range. I also sent orders to Brigadier-General Anderson to advance rapidly with his second brigade, and as soon as he came up, I directed a charge against the enemy, in which some of the Sixth Mississippi and Second Tennessee joined. At the same time, I directed other troops to move rapidly by the right to turn the enemy's position beyond the swamp, and that the field artillery follow as soon as masked by the movement of the infantry. Under these movements vigorously executed, after a spirited contest, [38] the enemy's whole line gave way, and our advance took possession of the camp and batteries against which the charge was made. I then sent orders to Colonel Pond to advance rapidly the Third brigade, swinging to the right, meeting the development of the enemy's line of fire sweeping the camps on the left and to prevent surprise on his left flank. Subsequently, I sent orders to Col-Looney, Thirty-eighth Tennessee regiment, and the section of Ketchum's battery, then on the Owl Creek road, to conform to these movements. In the meantime, the First brigade (Gibson's), united with Brigadier-General Hind man's advance, after having driven the enemy from their camp on our right, engaged in repeated charges against the enemy's new line, now held on the margin of an open field swept by his fire. The enemy's camps on our left being apparently cleared, I endeavored to concentrate forces on his right flank in this new position, and directed Captain Hodgson's battery into action there. The fire from this battery and a charge from the Second brigade put the enemy to flight. Even after having been driven back from this position, the enemy rallied and disputed the ground with remarkable tenacity, for some two or three hours, against our forces in front, and his right flank, where cavalry, infantry and artillery mingled in the conflict.

As the enemy finally gave way, I directed the movement of the Second brigade towards the right along the crest of the ridge following the line of the enemy's continued resistance, and sent a section of Ketchum's battery into action on a road leading towards-Pittsburg, in a position overlooking the broken slope below, to reply to batteries nearly in front and in the forest to the right, with which the enemy swept a large circuit around; sending also Colonel Smith's Louisiana Crescent regiment (Third brigade) to support this battery, then harassed by skirmishers, and to seize the opportunity to charge the enemy's position. I then put a section of guns, [commanded by First Lieutenant James C. Thrall, belonging to Captain George T. Hubbard's Arkansas battery], in position on the road leading along the ridge still farther to the right, which was soon forced to retire under the concentrated fire of the enemy's artillery.

Discovering the enemy in considerable numbers moving through the forest on the lower margin of the open field in front, I obtained Trabue's and Stanford's light batteries and brought them into action, and directed their fire on masses of the enemy then pressing forward towards our right engaged in a fierce contest with our forces then advancing against him in that direction. [39]

[I directed my staff officers at the same time to bring forward all the field guns they could collect from the left towards the right as rapidly as possible, resulting in the concentration of the following batteries, commencing on the right and extending to the left:

First. Captain Trabue's Kentucky.

Second. Captain Burns' Mississippi.

Third. Lieutenant Thrall's section of Captain Hubbard's Arkansas.

Fourth. Captain Sweat's Mississippi.

Fifth. Captain Triggs' and

Sixth. Captain Roberts' Arkansas.

Seventh. Captain Rutledge's.

Eighth. Captain Robinson's (twelve-pounder Napoleon guns) Alabama.

Ninth. Captain Stansford's Mississippi.

Tenth. Captain Bankhead's Tennessee.

Eleventh. Captain Hodgson's Washington artillery, Louisiana, extending in succession to the left towards the position already designated as occupied by Captain Ketchum's (Alabama) battery].

For a brief period the enemy apparently gained ground, and when the conflict was at its height these batteries opened upon his concentrated forces [enfilading Prentice's division on his right flank], producing immediate commotion and soon resulted in the precipitate retreat of the enemy from the contest.

At this moment the Second brigade and the Crescent regiment pressed forward and cut off a considerable portion of the enemy [comprising Prentice's division], who surrendered to the Crescent regiment [of my command, then pressing upon its rear].

Subsequently, while advancing towards the river, I received instruction from General Bragg to carry forward all the troops I could find; and while assembing a considerable force ready for immediate action, I received from Colonel Augustin notice of General Beauregard's orders to withdraw from the further pursuit; and finding soon afterwards that the forces were falling back, I retired with them just as night set in to the open field in rear; and as I received no further orders, I directed General Anderson and Colonel Gibson to hold their troops in readiness, with their arms cleaned and cartridges supplied for service, the next morning.

For the movement of the Third brigade during the day, sweeping the left around towards the enemy's centre, and the position held during the night, reference is made to the report of Colonel Pond, the brigade commander. [40]

On the morning of the 7th, at about 6 o'clock, a message from Colonel Pond gave notice that the enemy was in his front in force, and that he would endeavor to hold him in check until he should receive reinforcements. My First and Second brigades moved immediately to the field and joined Colonel Pond in his position.

Some time afterwards, Colonel Pond's brigade was ordered to the right, and Colonel Gibson's then occupied the left, with a part of which, and some two companies of cavalry, we made the attempt to charge the enemy's right flank and silence a battery there, in which we only partially succeeded, with Colonel Fagan's First Arkansas regiment, owing to the exhausted condition of the infantry and fruitless attempt of the cavalry.

We succeeded, however, after having silenced and dislodged the battery, in maintaining a position well advanced upon the enemy's flank until recalled and moved to the centre and left of our line, where the conflict raged most fiercely for some hours, with varying fortune, until on the approach of night our troops were withdrawn from the field.

In falling back, I commanded the artillery, infantry and cavalry constituting the second line, or rear guard, of the movement.

In these successive conflicts, covering a period of nearly two days, the troops in my division displayed almost uniformly great bravery and personal gallantry, worthy of veterans in the cause.

The regiments were remarkable for their steadiness in action, the maintenance of their organization in the field, and their good conduct generally, from the beginning to the end of these battles.

In consequence of the hurried nature of my report, I shall not enter into details touching the personal conduct of many officers and men distinguished for their gallantry, or the special and signal services of regiments — commending, however, the reports of brigade, regimental and independent company commanders, in all particulars, to special consideration.

It gives me pleasure to acknowledge the services on the field, promptly and gallantly rendered, of Captain Roy M. Hooe, Assisttant Adjutant-General, and First Lieutenant M. B. Ruggles, Aidde-Camp, throughout the successive conflicts; of Lieutenant L. D. Sandidge, Acting Assistant Inspector-General the greater part of both days; of Major John Claiborne, Chief Quartermaster a part of the first day; of Surgeon F. W. Hereford, Chief Surgeon, slightly wounded, who rendered important services on the field until the wounded required his professional services; of Major E. S. Ruggles, [41] Volunteer Aid-de-Camp until disabled in the left arm, by the explosion of a shell, near the close of the first day; of Captain G. M. Beck, Volunteer Aid-de-Camp; and of Colonel S. S. Heard, Louisiana volunteers, who volunteered and rendered important services in the field on both days, and of Doctor J. S. Sandidge, who volunteered professionally, and although partially disabled by being thrown against a tree, accompanied me to the end of the contest.

Major Hallonquist, Chief of Artillery, rendered me important services during a part of the second day.

I have to regret the loss of Lieutenant Benjamin King, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, killed during the first day, and of Private Munsel W. Chapman, of the Seventh Louisiana volunteers, my secretary; and of Corporal Adam Cleniger, and Private John Stenaker, of Captain Cox's cavalry, who were killed while serving as couriers under my immediate orders.

I am, Sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Captain — In reply to your communication of the 8th instant making inquiry “as to the part your (my) battery took in the bombardment of Prentice's division, late Sunday evening, at the battle of Shiloh” and further, “by whose order the batteries were ordered up to their respective positions,” and how many there were and by whom commanded, I have the honor to state, for the information of Brigadier-General Ruggles:

That at about 2 o'clock P. M. of the 6th April, I had been compelled to fall back from a position on the extreme left of our line, opposite a field near where Prentice's camp was afterwards discovered to be; and under orders from Major General L. Polk, retired my battery about two hundred yards through the woods skirting the field.

As I retired, I was informed that a general attack was contemplated and then being organized by our troops upon the enemy, to the right of my position; and it was conjectured that the enemy had made his last stand before being driven to the banks of the river. [42]

In a short time the musketry firing on my right opened briskly, and increased in volume until it was evident that all our troops were engaged and that the enemy were making a most determined stand, with a force sufficient to hold our people in check and occasionally to stagger them.

At this juncture my battery was ordered by a staff officer to the edge of the field near Prentice's camp, and to a position sweeping his rear approaches, and from which I had previously retired. As I went into action Captain Stanford formed on my right. I found the Washington artillery already in position on my left and firing rapidly.

Captain Robinson's twelve-pounder battery formed on the right of Stanford, with Captain (since Major) Rutledge on his right, and some one or two other batteries still further to the right, but by whom commanded I am not now able to state.

The effect of this tremendous concentrated fire was very evident. The reserves, which could be plainly seen going up to Prentice's relief, fell back in confusion under the shower of shot, shell and canister that was poured upon them, whilst our infantry, encouraged by such heavy artillery support, rushed forward with a shout and carried the position.

I regret that I cannot state the name of the staff officer ordering me up, or to whose staff he belonged. All I have been enabled to ascertain, upon consultation with battery commanders touching this remarkable concentration of artillery is that it was not the result of accident, but under and by the direction of one controlling mind, as batteries were brought up from various portions of the field and directed to this particular position.

I have made repeated inquiry of officers of the artillery and staff officers to ascertain by whose order this movement was executed, and the only reliable information I have received was communicated to me by Lieutenants A. H. Polk and William B. Richmond, Aids to Major-General Polk, who state that they felt assured it was executed under the direction of Brigadier-General Ruggles, as they saw him at that time on our extreme left engaged in ordering up batteries for some position along the line.

I have the honor to remain, Captain, your obedient servant,

General — Being cognizant of many inquiries made by officers of the artillery who participated in the memorable battle of Shiloh relative to artillery practice, &c., and particularly concerning the effect our artillery had in forcing Prentice's division to fall back in a direction which compelled his ultimate surrender, I will, with your permission, make a short statement of a few facts which occurred under my own observation respecting the latter idea — i. e., concerning the artillery fire and Prentice's division.

I conceive a few remarks on this topic necessary from the fact that so few of our officers are aware under whose direction that especial concentration of artillery was made, which seemed to my mind to have such a controlling influence over the line of march taken by General Prentice's command in his retrogade movement. Late Sunday evening, the first day of the fight, after our forces had compelled Prentice's troops to commence a rapid retreat, I rejoined you just beyond an open space, known as the enemy's parade ground, I think, and found myself, as I afterwards ascertained, in the wake of the retreating enemy; at this point, however, a desperate stand was made by them, and they succeeded in checking our infantry, and were apparently intending to hold the ground they then occupied till they could be reinforced. At this juncture — about 3 o'clock P. M., as near as I can recollect — I received from you a verbal but positive order to bring up all the artillery I could find, and post it between the Wood's road, running between the parade ground above mentioned, and a small cleared field in front, through the centre of which passed a small brook densely crowded with large shrubbery, in which large numbers of the enemy had taken refuge, to the serious discomfort of our troops, who, for the time, were unable to dislodge them. I immediately placed a section of some battery, either Bankhead's or Stanford's, I do not recollect which, in position, and was on the point of bringing more guns in position when, suggesting the propriety of endeavoring to throw in the gap between the right of our line and the left of the adjoining infantry as large an infantry force as we could obtain, I was directed to ride to the rear and bring up the debris of several disorganized infantry regiments; and other officers [44] of the staff, under your personal direction and supervision, collected all the guns of three or four batteries along the position referred to, on the crest of the hills overlooking the field, and when I returned to rejoin you, after an unsuccessful attempt to forward the men referred to, I found the enemy, being unable to withstand the destructive cannonade which you had directed against them, had fallen back rapidly through the field over the hills beyond, where, finding themselves cut off by portions of our division, and being threatened on the flank by General Polk, they threw down their arms.

I have no doubt, had they been reasonably reinforced when they had checked our advancing troops, they could certainly have broken our lines had not you concentrated all the artillery you could obtain at that point, which was weakest. Even then I feared serious demonstrations would be made before sufficient infantry could be obtained to support the artillery, which alone was then stemming the tide hurled against us. No one who observed the effects of that firing could but be argeeably surprised at its result.

I have the honor to remain, respectfully, your obedient servant,

Captain — In reply to your communication of 31st January, 1863, concerning the effect our artillery had in forcing Prentice's division to fall back in a direction which compelled his ultimate surrender at the battle of Shiloh, on the 6th of April, 1862, and as to whom I conceive to be the controlling genius at that point on that occasion.

With those who participated at that point there can certainly be but one opinion, and as long as I remained in the service I never heard but one opinion expressed.

Between twelve and one o'clock on Sunday, we had carried all the enemy's encampments except Prentice's. At this time, however, the enemy made a desperate stand, two hundred or three hundred paces east of the last encampment and about north of the open space known to us as the enemy's parade ground. For two hours our success at that point appeared doubtful. I was ordered by General Ruggles immediately to bring up the artillery. When I reported the artillery, the General ordered it into position two hundred or three hundred paces lower down the ridge, northeast of the parade ground. Our guns opened upon the enemy with great success from that position, which created great confusion in the [45] enemy's lines; they soon gave way and were hotly pursued by our troops. From that point other guns were brought and put in position lower down the ridge, by order of General Ruggles, at the southwest corner of a small cleared field, when the ground north and east of the cleared land were covered with bushes and small saplings, in which the enemy had made a stand, the General ordered the artillery to fire upon them, which they did, and very soon they returned our fire with some effect. The General now ordered the Seventeenth and Nineteenth regiments, of Louisiana volunteers, with some other infantry regiments, to march by the right flank in the direction of the Tennessee river. In the meantime I was ordered by the General to reinforce, at that point, the artillery there. By the time we got our guns in position, we heard the report of musketry, which we justly concluded was that of our troops sent in that direction. We also saw troops from north and east of the small field marching in a south direction, as we supposed, to reinforce their friends. Our guns opened fire upon them at that juncture with such unparalleled effect, that in less time than twenty minutes they were in full retreat towards Prentice's encampment, and in less than one hour Prentice and his friends were brought to the General as prisoners. The General and his staff were sitting on their horses at the north end of the small cleared field, near where several bales of hay had been set on fire by the explosion of our guns while shooting at the enemy across the field, when the General received Prentice, and other prisoners captured at the same time with Prentice. These are my reasons, Captain, for saying that General Ruggles was the controlling genius on that occasion.

He himself conceived the plan of concentrating the artillery at those different points before mentioned, which we all believed was the cause of Prentice and his command surrendering at the time they did. I made no notes on the occasion, and only write from recollection, and I no doubt have omitted many things that occurred during that part of the day that would be highly creditable to General Ruggles' talent, capacity and gallantry as displayed on the field on that day.

I am, Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Captain — You requested me a few days ago to make a statement relative to the bombardment of General Prentice's division late Sunday evening, April 6th, 1862, at the battle of Shiloh; also to state what battery I then belonged to and what other batteries were [46] in the engagement, and by whom commanded. I have the honor to state as follows: At that time I was First Lieutenant, commanding the right section of an Arkansas battery, commanded by Captain George T. Hubbard, in Brigadier General Cleburne's brigade, Major-General W. J. Hardee's corps. About 10 o'clock P. M. I was moving on the right of General Hardee's lines with my section, when I came to a ravine and was about to have some trouble crossing, when I was met by one of Major-General Polk's staff officers, who directed me to move to my right to a road, in order that I might move forward without any difficulty, which I did, as rapidly as possible, and came into action on the left of Captain Bankhead's battery. My position being a bad one, in a dense thicket, I was compelled to fall back, followed by Captain Bankhead. I soon moved forward with my section, by order of Major-General Polk, when I was met and placed in position by yourself, with directions to throw some shot through a log-house and some spherical case at some bales of cotton that were in the edge of a field, where there was quite a number of the enemy concealed. At this time there was no other battery engaged at this point. Brigadier-General Ruggles then directed me to move to my right and throw some shell into a thicket across the field. I had fired but about three or four rounds, when a rifle battery replied to me most handsomely, and it being a little more than I felt disposed to contend with, General Ruggles ordered me to move my section up to my right, where I was joined by Captain Burns' Mississippi battery. I heard General Ruggles say that it was his intention to concentrate as much artillery as possible at this point, to prevent General Prentice from being reinforced from the river. As soon as I had replenished the limber-chests of my guns from my caissons, General Ruggles ordered me back to my former position. Captain Burns' Mississippi battery formed on my right. Captain Sweat's Mississippi battery or Captains Triggs' and Roberts' Arkansas batteries formed on my left. There were other batteries further to my left, but I am unable to state by whom they were commanded. The concentration of artillery at this point proved very effective. The reinforcements that were going to the relief of General Prentice not being able to withstand the shower of shot, shell and schrapnell that was poured upon them, fell back in confusion towards the river, which resulted in the surrender of General Prentice, with his division.

In reference to the concentration of artillery at this point. I feel assured that it was done by the direction of Brigadier-General Ruggles, from the fact that I saw him place other batteries into position besides my own, and his staff officers were actively engaged in bringing up batteries from different portions of the field.

I have the honor to remain, Captain, your obedient servant,

General — I have the honor to transmit duplicates of papers already sent to General Bragg, touching amended reports of the battle of Shiloh, and to request that my amended report be substituted for the original in the publication ordered by Congress, in the event that the report sent General Bragg should not reach Richmond in time for that purpose.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

General — By direction of the General Commanding, I enclose a copy of his endorsement upon your amended report of the battle of Shiloh, which he this day forwards to the War Department. The General desires me to express his gratification that in your statement of certain facts you have awarded the credit for certain special acts of gallantry to troops of your command to whom it belongs, but who have had counter claims raised by the reports of other Generals. He is especially pleased that you have corrected material discrepancies in the report of General Polk.

I am, General, your obedient servant,

Respectfully forwarded with the request that this be substituted for Brigadier-General Ruggles' report. The facts he states are not within my personal knowledge, as I was at the time on a distant part of the field, but he is sustained by his subordinate commanders and a mass of other testimony, and justice to his command entitles his request to consideration.

I hereby certify that the foregoing are copies of official records.