Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862 by Edward Cunningham

Author:Edward Cunningham [Cunningham, Edward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: United States, history, Civil War Period (1850-1877), Bisac Code 1: HIS036054
ISBN: 9781932714272
Google: KJkVAQAAMAAJ
Publisher: Savas Beatie
Published: 2007-11-15T23:21:46.009952+00:00

To Private William Swan of the Third Iowa Infantry, the “whole earth seemed in a blaze—the sharp, ringing crash of our musketry—our batteries belching forth their shot and shell, and roaring like the deep toned thunder.” Cannon shot ripped into the Hornet’s Nest, tearing bloody holes in the Yankee ranks. Exploding shells tore up the earth, shattering big oak trees as if struck by lightning, spattering the Federal soldiers with dirt and wood slivers. Still the determined Yanks held their ground.44

Battery F, Second Illinois, had earlier in the day gal loped up behind Wallace’s position and quickly un limbered its six 6-pound guns in Duncan Field, but, losing one of them, soon took a less ex posed position farther to the east, near Wicker Field. The Illinois soldiers did yeoman’s work, but they were soon struck by heavy Con federate counter-battery fire. The battery commander, Captain John W. Powell, had his right arm shot off.45 U daunted by the loss of his limb, Powell later served with Grant at Vicksburg, and he wound up a major. After the war, the one-armed ex-soldier made the first trip down the turbulent Colorado River as well as many other exploring expeditions. Later he assisted in founding the U.S. Bureau of Ethnology, be coming its director in 1879. From 1881-1894, he was Director of the U. S. Geographical Survey. Powell died in 1902, at the age of sixty-eight, one of America’s most respected and esteemed scientists and explorers.46

Despite all the noise and firing, the Hornet’s Nest held. But what about Wallace’s and Prentiss’ flanks? McClernand’s and Sherman’s men were retiring on the right, and on the left things were no better. At the price of hundreds of casualties, including General Albert Sidney Johnston, Hurlbut had been driven out of his Peach Orchard position. But after reshuffling his units around to strengthen his left, Hurlbut established a new line that cut across the Hamburg-Savannah Road and touched the edge of the Wicker Field.47 Now Hurlbut’s own left was steadily crumbling. After a series of determined stands, Stuart’s brigade, its ammunition exhausted, broke off its action with Chalmers and withdrew to ward the Landing.48

McArthur’s little command put up a game fight with Jackson’s Confederate brigade and the right of Bowen’s Brigade, but it too was forced steadily back toward the river. Some Federal infantry concealed themselves in a small log building, but the Nineteenth Alabama charged and flushed them out while the Second Texas and the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Alabama cleared a line of Federal skirmishers from behind a fence. The Alabama and Texas soldiers climbed over the fence, pausing only to fire their muskets at McArthur’s retreating men. McArthur finally managed to get his battered Illinoisans formed in a line with Hurlbut’s new position.

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