AEMY OPERATIONS. 



73 



nearly a mile before meeting the enemy in force. 

 They immediately became engaged. There was 

 no straggling, as upon the previous day. Gen. 

 Nelson slowly but steadily advanced, pushing 

 the exhausted enemy before him until half past 

 ten, when under cover of the timber and a fu- 

 rious cannonading they made a general rally. 

 Suddenly the masses of the enemy were hurled 

 with tremendous force against the Federal lines, 

 which now halted, wavered, and fell back. At 

 this moment Ten-ill's battery of 24-pounder 

 howitzers rushed up, and in a few minutes was 

 unlimbered and firing into the compact and ad- 

 vancing ranks of the enemy. Here was the turn- 

 ing point of the battle on the left. The enemy 

 were only checked, not halted ; then followed 

 for two hours a contest of artillery and musketry 

 at short range. The enemy began to waver, when 

 Gen. Buell coming up, saw at a glance the chance 

 and ordered a charge by brigades, at "double 

 quick." The Confederates fell back for a quarter 

 of a mile, became more confused, and at half past 

 two that point of the field was cleared. The 

 next divisions, of Gens. Crittenden and McCook, 

 after an obstinate struggle, were equally success- 

 ful. The divisions of Gens. McClernand and Hurl- 

 but, nothing daunted by the reverses of the pre- 

 ceding day, fought with much bravery. On the 

 right the contest was more severe, and longer 

 continued. A design was manifested by the en- 

 emy to turn the flank of Gen. Wallace's division. 

 This was thwarted, and the enemy steadily 

 driven back until four p. M., when a general re- 

 treat took place on the right. Thus the original 

 plan of the enemy was frustrated. It was his de- 

 sign to drive Gen. Grant into his transports and 

 the river, or to capture his force in time to profit 

 by the victory, and remove to the rear all the 

 stores and munitions that would be taken. This 

 was to be done before the arrival of Gen. Buell. 

 On the retreat of the Confederate army, the 

 original ground, and even the tents of" Gen. 

 Grant's army, were recovered. Xo regular pur- 

 suit was attempted until the next day. The 

 number of the Federal army engaged on Sun- 

 day, was estimated by Gen. "Beauregard at five 

 divisions of nine thousand men each, or forty- 

 five thousand men. The reinforcements of 

 Sunday night were estimated by him at twenty- 

 five thousand from Gen. Buell's army, and 

 eight thousand under Gen. Wallace, and the 

 entire force on Monday fifty-three thousand. 

 This estimate slightly exceeds the Federal force 

 engaged, especially in the number of reenforce- 

 ments furnished by Gen. Buell. On the other 

 hand, the Confederate force was estimated at 

 sixty thousand by the Union officers, which was 

 undoubtedly an overestimate. Gen. Grant had 

 a force somewhat less than the enemy on Sun- 

 day, but on Monday he outnumbered them. No 

 official statement of numbers has been afforded 

 on either side. The Federal loss was 1,735 kill- 

 ed, 7.882 wounded, and 3,956 taken prisoners. 

 Total. 13,573. The Confederate loss was killed 

 1,728, wounded 8,012, missing 959. Total, 

 10,699. 



At the close of the battle on the first day, 

 Gen. Beauregard sent the following despatch to 

 Richmond : 



BATTLE FIELD OP SHII.OH, April 6, ) 

 via Corinth and Chattanooga, f 

 General S. Cooper, Adjutant- General: 



We have this morning attacked the enemy in a strong 

 position in front of Pittsburg, and after a severe bat- 

 tle of ten hours, thanks to Almighty God, gained a 

 complete victory, driving the enemy from every posi- 

 tion. 



The loss on both sides is heavy, including our Com- 

 mander-in-Chief, Albert Sidney Johnston, who fell 

 gallantly leading his troops info the thickest of the 

 fight. 



(Signed) G. T. BEAUREGARD, Gen'l Com'd'g. 



In consequence of the reception of this mes- 

 sage, President Davis sent the following Mes- 

 sage to the Confederate Congress, then in ses- 

 sion at Richmond, on the 8th of April : 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Con- 



f (derate States of America : 



The great importance of the news just received from 

 Tennessee induces me to depart from the established 

 usages, and to make to you this communication in ad- 

 vance of official reports. From official telegraphic 

 despatches, received from official sources, I am able to 

 announce to you, with entire confidence, that it has 

 pleased Almighty God to crown the Confederate arms 

 with a glorious and decisive victory over our invaders. 

 On the morning of the 6th, the converging columns 

 of our army were combined by its Commander-in-Chief, 

 Gen. A. Sidney Johnston, in'an assault on the Federal 

 army, then encamped near Pittsburg, on the Tennes- 

 see fiver. 



After a hard-fought battle of ten hours, the enemy 

 was driven in disorder from his position, and pursued 

 to the Tennessee river, where, under cover of the gun- 

 boats, he was at the last accounts endeavoring to effect 

 his retreat by aid of his transports. The details of this 

 great battle are yet too few and incomplete to enable 

 me to distinguish with merited praise all of those who 

 may have conspicuously earned the right to such dis- 

 tinction, and I prefer to delay our own gratification in 

 recommending them to your special notice, rather than 

 incur the risk of wounding the feelings of any by fail- 

 ing to include them in the list. 



When such a victory has been won over troops as 

 numerous, well-disciplined, armed, and appointed, as 

 those which have just been so signally routed, we may 

 well conclude that one common spirit of unflinching 

 bravery and devotion to our country's cause must have 

 animated every breast, from that of the Commanding 

 General to that of the humblest patriot who served in 

 the ranks. There is enough in the continued presence 

 of invaders on our soil to chasten our exultation over 

 this brilliant success, and to remind us of the grave 

 duty of continued exertion, until we shall extort from 

 a proud and vain-glorious enemy the reluctant acknow- 

 ledgment of our right to self-government. 



But an All-wise Creator has been pleased, while 

 vouchsafing to us his countenance in battle, to afflict us 

 with a severe dispensation, to which we must bow in 

 humble submission. The last long, lingering hope has 

 disappeared, and it is but too true that Gen. Albert 

 Sidney Johnston is no more. The tale of his death is 

 simply narrated in a despatch from Col. William Pres- 

 ton, in the following words : 



" Gen. Johnston fell yesterday at half past two 

 o'clock, while leading a successful" charge, turning the 

 enemy's right, and gaining a brilliant victory. A 

 Minie ball cut the artery of his leg, but he rode on un- 

 til, from loss of blood, he fell exhausted, and died with- 

 out pain in a few moments. His body has been in- 

 trusted to me by Gen. Beanregard, to be taken to New 

 Orleans, and remain until directions are received from 

 his family." 

 My long and close friendship with this departed 



