[CHAP. XXII.

remain in his position a few moments, keeping his men in line, and I would inform General Beauregard of his condition, who I had no doubt would send him an officer.

Upon informing you of the situation of this regiment you immediately assigned the command of this regiment to Colonel Augustin, a member of your staff, and I was directed to return with him a and introduce him to the regiment. When we arrived at the place where I had left them I found they had gone and saw nothing more of them.

About 2 o'clock you moved forward along the Pittsburg road to the third encampment, where the road takes a direct eastern direction. Here we came within range of the enemy's fire, and remained there some half an hour. One regiment (Colonel Smith's) passed you in the finest spirits, cheering their general as they went. The cheering attracted the notice of the enemy, and he directed a heavy fire directly to the point where you stood. Under your order I advanced in the direction of the firing, rallying the stragglers, which were marched in doublefile, and after overtaking Colonel Smith's regiment, ordered them to fall in and go on with him.

After remaining at this point for some time I came back with you to the hospital, and spent the remainder of the evening in aiding to collect stragglers, for the purpose of sending them forward, visiting the different tents and appointing guards to the more valuable of them. In the evening, toward sundown, a large number of prisoners was brought in and the day was declared to be ours.

April 7, at 8.7 o'clock, heavy firing was heard on our right, and news was brought to General Beauregard that the enemy was in great force. Previous to which, however, he had learned that the enemy was in force on our left, and he had sent in that direction a large supporting force. The battle raged furiously for four hours, and the enemy was completely silenced on the right and in the center.

About 11.30 o'clock it was apparent that the enemy's main attack was an our left, and our forces began to yield to the vigor of his attack. Stragglers in great numbers came in, and, although great and unremitting efforts were made to rally them, yet the complaint of exhaustion was such that it was impossible to rally them only to a limited extent. The fire and animation had left our troops.

While I was engaged in rallying our disorganized troops to the left and rear of the church, you seized the banners of two different regiments and led them forward to the assault in face of the fire of the enemy; but from the feebleness of the response I became convinced that our troops were too much exhausted to make a vigorous resistance. I rode up to you and advised that you should expose yourself no further, but should dispose your troops so as to retire from Shiloh Church in good order.

In front of the church our troops gradually gave ground, and, upon observing a regiment in the bottom, near the church, you fell back, and placed them in position to receive the advancing columns of the enemy.

After placing this regiment in position, you, with a portion of you staff, retired to a ridge on this side of the camp, planted several pieces of cannon, and drew up a brigade in that commanding position. The forces being here disposed of, you fell back to the Wood house and planted, in front of the house in the open ground, another battery. We then came to the high ground which overlooks the Pittsburg and Hamburg roads, where General Breckinridge was found in force; after which we returned to Monterey, and thence, on Monday evening, to Corinth.

During the day of Monday I bore several orders to different com-