THE BATTLE ON SUNDAY.
As if in beautiful contrast with the terrible scenes that were soon to follow, the holy Sabbath-day which dawned on the sixth of April was one of unusual loveliness. The soft spring sunshine lay upon the green slopes, breaking up their delicate green with a thousand fleeting shadows flung downward by the young leaves. A gentle, pleasant wind shook the budding branches, and happy birds were singing their love-tunes in the underbrush, a touching prelude to the stern battle music that soon put them to flight. A few fleecy clouds wreathed themselves along the serene blue of the sky, and floated idly over the battle field, casting transparent shadows now in some green hollow, then upon a hill slope, till the whole field smiled like an Eden—smiled even after the cannon belched their thunders over it. While the morning dew was yet on the grass, the enemy began pouring the fire and smoke of a most deadly strife over this lovely scene.
The attack commenced so suddenly and with such bitter violence, that the enemy’s artillery was brought to bear on the outer camps almost simultaneously with the arrival of the pickets they had driven in.
The divisions of Sherman and Prentiss, composed in a great part of inexperienced troops, were selected and compelled to meet the first shock of the enemy’s onset. Much confusion and panic was occasioned by the sudden and unexpected attack, from which neither corps was able fully to recover during the day. Both commanders exerted themselves with bravery and skill in the trying crisis, and were soon enabled to bring the greater part of their troops into line of battle, and check the advance of the Confederate forces, which were then devastating the Federal camps.
It is impossible to describe the fearful scenes that followed the first wild onset of the enemy. Many of the sick and wounded, and the more tardy officers and men were shot in their tents and left for dead, lying through the whole of this fearful struggle, gasping in their agony. On Monday evening some of these poor fellows were found in the riddled tents, scarcely able to ask for the drink for which they were perishing.
But the Union forces were not long held at this terrible disadvantage. As the enemy advanced in force on Sherman’s centre, and a battery opened fire in the woods, shelling the Federal camp, the Unionists were in a condition to respond with emphasis. Taylor’s and Waterhouse’s batteries met this first regular attack.
Under cover of their artillery, the rebel advance, by heavy battalions of infantry, was made obliquely to the left, across the open field in front of the Fifty-third Ohio, while solid columns came in, direct upon Sherman’s front. Immediately the entire line opened fire, and the battle became general. The enemy’s design was to left-flank Sherman. To this end he flung himself with terrific force upon Prentiss. Directly the sound of musketry and artillery announced that Prentiss was engaged, and at nine A. M. he was falling back. About this time Appler’s regiment broke, followed by Munger’s regiment, and the enemy pressed forward on Waterhouse’s battery, exposed by the disordered retreat. The three Illinois regiments in immediate support of this battery stood for some time, but the enemy’s advance was so impetuous and his fire so terrific that they began to waver. While the Forty-third Illinois was in the thickest of the iron storm, Colonel Raith received a severe wound and fell from his horse. This threw his regiment into some disorder, and the enemy got possession of three guns of Waterhouse’s battery.
Although the left was thus turned, and the enemy pressing the whole line, Colonels McDowell and Buckland held their ground until ten o’clock, A. M., when the enemy had got his artillery to the rear of the Union left flank, and some changes became absolutely necessary. Two regiments of Hildebrand’s brigade—Appler’s and Munger’s—had already disappeared to the rear, and Hildebrand’s own regiment was in disorder. Taylor’s battery—still at Shiloh—received orders to fall back as far as the Purdy and Hamburg road; and McDowell and Buckland were directed to adopt that road as their new line. Behr’s battery at the cross-roads, was ordered immediately to come into battery action right. As Captain Behr gave the order, he was shot from his horse, when the drivers and gunners fled in confusion, carrying off the caissons, and abandoning five out of the six guns. The enemy pressed on after gaining this battery, and the Unionists were again forced to choose a line of defence. Hildebrand’s brigade had substantially disappeared from the field, though he himself bravely remained. McDowell’s and Buckland’s brigades still maintained their organizations, and joined McClernand’s right, thus abandoning the original camps and line.
General Prentiss, too, brave, eager, and resolute to retrieve lost ground, reformed his lines under the hot fire of the enemy, without a choice of position, and in the full raking fire of the foe, hid in the scrub oak jungles, which gave them secure covert. If his troops had cowered at first, the remainder of his division held their position and braved the galling fire it was impossible to return with the heroism of old veterans. Hildebrand and McDowell were compelled to withdraw their brigades from their camps to a ravine behind them, but they made a gallant defence, while Buckland’s men fell back, and McClernand threw forward his left, supporting them.
It is hardly to be wondered that the raw regiments broke under this appalling fire, before which veteran troops were powerless to stand. Yet it must be said that Hildebrand’s brigade gave way with unreasonable panic. Colonel Hildebrand himself was cool and self-possessed as any man that ever led a hostile force. He made a powerful effort to keep his troops in place when he saw them giving way; but the power of a single man is unavailing when panic seizes the masses. Still this brave hero kept his individual regiment in force a full hour after Appler’s and Munger’s regiments had retired from their proper field of action, and thus a larger portion of his forces were scattered and drifted away from the contest.
Prentiss still fought valiantly, but down on either flank came the enemy in an overwhelming rush, and a wall of bayonets closed him in on either side. It was an appalling situation. The enemy made vigorous use of his advantage. They had driven two divisions from their camps and nearly opened a passage to the river. Here it was, between nine and ten o’clock, that McArthur’s brigade of W. H. L. Wallace’s division came up to give assistance to Stuart’s brigade, of Sherman’s division, now in imminent danger of being cut off. Mistaking the way, McArthur marched far to the right, and instead of reaching Stuart, came in on the other side of the rebels, now closely pushing Prentiss. His men at once opened vigorously on the enemy, and for a time they seemed likely to save the imperilled division. But coming unawares upon the enemy, their positions were not well chosen, and the whole force was compelled to fall back together.