lodge 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 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, when, 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 that had they been seasonably re-enforced when they checked our advancing troops they could certainly you could obtain at that point, which was weakest. Event 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 agreeably surprised at its result.

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

L. D. SANDIDGE,

Captain, C. S. Army, Act. Insp. General 1st Dist.,

Dept. of Mississippi and East Louisiana.

Brigadier General DANIEL RUGGLES.

[Inclosure Numbers 4.]

HDQRS. SEVENTEENTH LOUISIANA VOLUNTEERS,
Raymond, Miss., March 18, 1863.

Captain: In reply to your communication of January 31, concerning the effect our artillery had in forcing Prentiss' division to fall back in a direction which compelled his ultimate surrender at the battle of Shiloh, Tenn., on April 6, 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 12 and 1 o'clock on Sunday we had carried all the enemy's encampments except Prentiss'. At this time, however, the enemy made a desperate stand 200 or 300 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 200 or 300 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 enemy's lines. They soon gave was 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, where the ground north and east of the cleared land was covered with bushes and small saplings, in which the enemy had made a stand.