The Baztle of Shiloh.
The ‘"
Rough Notes"’ which we publish below, are from the Diary of one of
General Johnston's Aids--
Major D. M. Hayden, and were intended for insertion in yesterday's
Dispatch. As an account of what occurred under his personal observation on the bloody battle field of Sunday, April 6th, this record will be read with thrilling interest:
On the morning of April 6th I left
Corinth and arrived at
Monterey about one o'clock, and here witnessed the most painful sight that a soldier is called upon to see — a deserter was shot by order of
Gen. Bragg.
While lunching,
Clanton's Alabama cavalry company brought in as prisoners a Major and two
Lieutenants, one of them belonging to the staff of a Federal General.
The prisoners were all handsomely mounted.
A few minutes after about ten or fifteen more arrived, who said they were surprised.
Gen. Breckinridge arrived at sundown, and a council of officers, consisting of
Gens. Johnston,
Beauregard,
Bragg, and
Breckinridge, was held.
Gen. Johnston ordered the grand attack to be made on Saturday, the 5th.
But at 12 o'clock at night a dispatch was received from
Breckinridge stating that his artillery was stuck in the mud and had stopped his train.
To which
Johnston replied, ‘"Cut a new road for your column."’
The rain was constant until 5 o'clock, and of course we could not get much sleep.
at 6 o'clock we took a cup of coffee and started for the battle field, some four miles distant, being joined but
Generals Bragg and
Beauregard.
By 7 o'clock it had cleared off, but as yet nothing was heard of
Breckinridge's brigade which was composted of the Kentuckian — Carrolls and
Crittenden's commands.
Gen. Hardee met us upon the field, and reported skirmishes with the enemy that morning.
Another conference was held, and it was decided to await the arrival of the Breckinridge brigade.
At 12 o'clock
Gen. Johnston, followed by his staff, reviewed the right division of his army.
When they began to cheer his approach be checked them, because it would call the attention of the enemy to their position.
His advice to his men was brief and characteristic; it was, ‘"Look along your guns and fire low."’
At 1 o'clock, in company with
Gen. Beauregard, he reviewed, the left wing, which was under command of
Gen. Bragg.
In the afternoon
Gens. Polk and
Hardee were summoned, and another conceal of officers was held at the cross roads, within a few hundred yards of the spot where we all bivouacked the night before the battle.
The question was --as we have lost a day shall we fight?
It was decided to strike.
At 9 o'clock we bivouacked by fires.
The General slept in an ambulance in which were brought our blankets from our single tent at Mon rey
Preston,
Wickliffe and myself slept by the same fire.
Gen. Hardee came to our fire at 12 o'clock and said his men were out of provisions. As
Gen. Johnston had spent the night before without sleep, I did not wish to awaken him, and directed
Gen. Hardee to
Col. Jordan, chief of
Beauregard's staff.
The General had ordered his horse at five o'clock, April 6, Sunday morning. We all got off in fine spirits, our pickets having announced by 5½ o'clock that the ball was opened.
By 6½ firing was heard nearly all along the line.
The
Generals separated, and the
General commanding made his way where the firing was heaviest.
Colonel Hindman charged the enemy and routed them, taking a large camp and several brass guns, and driving them towards their center.
Judging from the number of our wounded that I passed over I think our loss was heavy here for we met the combined fire of their gunboats, artillery and Minnie rifle, which was truly terrific.
General Gladden's brigade were the only troops of
Bragg's division on the right.
Gen. Johnston ordered this brigade to ‘"charge bayonet,"’ but the order was countermanded on learning from one of
Gen. Gladden's aids that he was severely wounded.
Col. Preston then carried the order to
Hindman's brigade, who made a splendid and victorious charge.
As an evidence of the accuracy of the shooting on both sides, I will state that I saw a small tree with thirteen distinct shots--seven of the enemy's and six of ours.--within a range of four feet.
We found the
Federal camps to be very fine, and their equipments in clothing complete.
A member of the staff, in jest, brought out a lot of overcoats, and said, ‘"Here, gentlemen, are overcoats for the whole staff"’ The General quietly ranked him with, ‘"None of that, sir; remember we do not come here to plunder."’
It was while under this fire that
Captain Brewster expostulated with
Gen. Johnston against his personally exposing himself.
I was not near enough to hear his reply, but it had no effect, for he smilingly rode to the brow of the hill, where we could distinctly see the enemy retreating.
Gen. Withers joined us here, and the enemy's gunboats got such a good range of us that one of their balls fell within ten steps of me.
Hearing firing from the upper camp,
Gen. Johnston proceeded to the spot, where he remain a time, calmly marshaling his forces and bringing his troops into proper position.
It was here I met
Capt. Inge, of the Southron.
Young
Bennet, with face all blackened, stepped up and asked if I knew where his company was, that he had got separated from them.
I pointed to where they were, and he rushed off to meet them.
As soon as
General Johnston ascertained that we were under the fire of the enemy, he ordered a Texan regiment to charge the camp on the opposite side of the hollow.
In descending the hollow, the nature of the ground somewhat disordered their lines, but they again formed at the base of the hill and routed the camp in fine style.
I was then sent for
General Chaimers, who received orders to push up the road and sweep down the river to where we heard heavy firing, supported by part of
Wirt Adams's regiment.
At this moment
Major Smith of
Gen. Johnston's staff, called for reinforcements for
Gen. Cheatham, who had a hard fight on hand near the centre of the encampments.
Two messengers were sent to
Breckinridge to reinforce
Cheatham.
Fortunately he arrived in time at a great cost of life; for although
General Bowen was ordered up at a double quick,
Breckinridge had shelled the camp and routed the enemy before he reached the place.
Gov. Harris led the East Tennessean himself in this part of the conflict.
Gen. Johnston, elated with the entire success of the day, took his position before the brigades of
Bowen and
Breckinridge, and gave the order, ‘"fix bayonets"’ The last moment I saw him, before his fall, he was haranguing his troops.
The charge was made with a shot, and the enemy fled in confusion.
I was by the side of
Bowen, and the
Minnie balls flew so close that they clipped his hair.
I started to the right to see what had become of
Chalmers, when I met
Colonel O'Hara, who announced that
Gen. Johnston was wounded.
We followed him down into the ravine, where we found him reclining in the lap of
Gov. Harris, who had gently lifted him from his horse.
I was told that the only and last words he ever spoke were, some minutes after he was shot, ‘"Governor, I believe I am seriously wounded."’
Col. Preston, in an agony of grief, threw his arms around him, and called aloud and asked if he knew him.
I caught hold of his hand and saw that he was still breathing.
We administered a little stimulant, but he was totally unconscious, and quietly breathed his last at 30 minutes past 2.
We prudently concealed his death.
Thus fell one of the greatest
Generals of the age. He fell where heroes like to fall — in the arms of victory, upon the battle-field.
It is a mistake to suppose that the censure of ignorant men, about his recent manœuvers, drove him to a rash exposure of his person.
In this battle he was elated from the very beginning, he knew that victory was certain, and his countenance gleamed with the enthusiasm of a great man, who was conscious that he was penieving a great success that was to carry his name down to the latest syllable of recorded time.
His body was borne from the field by myself and three others of the staff.
Breckinridge's reserve composed a division of seven or eight thousand men — his own brigade of gallant Kentuckian, and
Crittenden's and
Carroll's commands, who were placed under him a few days before the battle.
All of our
Generals were conspicuous for bravery and gallantry, but you must excuse a Kentuckian, who was an eye witness, for saying that
Gen. Breckinridge's conduct on that day was perfectly glorious, equalling in every respect the daring of Mural, United with the coolness of
Wellington.
I was near
Major Tom Hawkins, who was wounded in the chin by a grapes shot, and saw
Col. Hodge dismounted by a Minnie ball passing through the neck of his beautiful mare — both of
Gen. B.'s staff.
