companied by a suitable sash and belt. The inscription on the sword was very simple, being merely: "Presented to General U. S. Grant, by G. W. Graham, C. B. Lagow, C. C. Marsh, and John Cook, 1862." While the Tennessee operations were thus being carried out, General Grant was not unmindful of the fact that he had the enemy's forces scattered about at posts nearer home. He, therefore, sent expeditions and reconnoitring parties in all directions; and on the 12th of March, 1862, one portion of his forces, consisting of artillery and cavalry, attacked the enemy's works which were located at a point about a mile and a half west of Paris, and commanding the various roads leading to that place. The rebels were driven out, with a loss of about one hundred killed, wounded, and prisoners, and the Union forces occupied the works. As the tendency of the movements of the different armies of the West was towards the mouth of the Mississippi River and the Gulf, it became necessary that one chief should have the direction of the whole, so as to cause the combinations to take place at the proper time. Such being the case, a new department was created, to be known as the "Department of the Mississippi," which embraced all the country west of a line drawn north and south through Knoxville, as far as Kansas and the Indian Territory, and running north to the lakes. Of this large department General Grant commanded a very important district. The enemy also began concentrating a large force in the Southwest, under General Albert Sydney Johnston, and of this force, General P. G. T. Beauregard commanded the troops which constituted the rebel army of the valley of the Mississippi. The head-quarters of this army were located at Corinth, Mississippi, with the intention of holding the line of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad; of pre venting any advance of the Union forces below the line of the Tennessee River; and, also, for the purpose of having a force ready to move into Kentucky and across the Ohio River, if an opportunity should occur for so doing. The Mississippi River was also blockaded, by fortified positions, at Island No. 10, and other points above Memphis, and at Vicksburg, New Orleans, etc., below that city. It was, therefore, considered certain by the rebels, that Corinth could not be attacked by the way of the Mississippi, and they determined to mass their forces to resist the advance of Grant's army from the Tennessee River. As the remainder of the troops under General Grant passed up the river, they encamped at Savannah and Pittsburg Landing, which positions were at a distance of about twenty miles from the rebel stronghold at Corinth. On the 15th of March, 1862, the troops belonging to the Third Division of Grant's army advanced from Savannah, Tennessee, into McNairy County, and struck the line of the Jackson (Tenn.) and Corinth Railroad, at Purdy, where they burned the railroad bridge, and tore up the track for a long distance. This movement prevented a train, heavily laden with rebel troops, from passing over that line from Jackson, the cars arriving shortly after the bridge was destroyed. As the rebels held the road between Jackson and Grand Junction, thence to Corinth, the concentration of the rebel army was not prevented, but only delayed, by the destruction of this part of the line. CHAPTER X. PITTSBURG LANDING, OR SHILOH. THE rebel forces which had concentrated at Corinth, about the 1st of April, 1862, were supposed to number, at least, forty-five thousand men, under General A. S. Johnston, commanding department; General P. G. T. Beauregard, commanding army at Corinth; and Generals Bragg, Hardee, Breckinridge, and Polk, in command of divisions. It was also expected, by General Johnston, that the forces under Generals Van Dorn and Price would have reached them within a few days, which re-enforcement would have swollen his numbers to at least seventy thousand. General Grant's forces had, by this time, been nearly all brought together at Pittsburg Landing, Savannah, and other places within reach,-the cavalry pickets occupying the outposts of the army. On the evening of April 2, 1862, the Union videttes of the Third Division, who had been stationed at Crump's Landing, were driven in, and a sharp skirmish ensued, during which several were wounded and a few taken prisoners. The next day, April 3d, the rebel commanding general issued the following order: SOLDIERS OF THE ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI: I have put you in motion to offer battle to the invaders of your country, with the resolution and discipline and valor becoming men, fighting, as you are, for all worth living or dying for. You can but march to a decisive victory over agrarian mercenaries, sent to subjugate and despoil you of your liberties, property, and honor. Remember the precious stake involved; remember the dependence of your mothers, your wives, your sisters, and your children, on the result. Remember the fair, broad, abounding lands, the happy homes, that will be desolated by your defeat. The eyes and hopes of eight million people rest upon you. You are expected to show yourselves worthy of your valor and courage, worthy of the women of the South, whose noble devotion in this war, has never been exceeded in any time. With such incentives to brave deeds, and with trust that God is with us, your general will lead you confidently to the combat, assured of success. By order of General A. S. JOHNSTON, Commanding. The rebel army of the Mississippi was then divided into three army corps, and was commanded as follows: Commanding General, General Albert Sydney Johnston. Against this force, Major-General Grant had but a small army in comparison, consisting of five divisions. ganization of this army was as follows: Commanding-General, Major-General U. S. Grant. Fifth Division, Brigadier-General W. T. Sherman. The or On the evening of April 4th, the rebels made a reconnoissance with two regiments, and found the Union troops ready to receive them. A very slight skirmish ensued, after which the rebels retired, as they did not wish to bring on a general engagement, for the simple reason that the expected forces under Van Dorn and Price, had not arrived. At the same time that the "Battle of Shiloh" or Pittsburg Landing, was opened by the main body of the rebels, a force of rebel cavalry made a dash upon the position held by the Third Division of Grant's army, at Adamsville, a village situated at about half way between Savannah and Purdy. This dash was made to prevent General Wallace from rendering any assistance to General Grant's forces at Pittsburg Landing. Having thus glanced at the position of affairs previous to the opening of the battle of Shiloh, it will plainly be seen that the rebels held a great advantage over the Unionists, even without the assistance of Van Dorn and Price. Johnston and Beauregard had resolved to attack Grant before Buell should join him, for those rebel generals were perfectly aware that Buell was advancing from Nashville for that purpose. The rebel commanders had set apart April 5th, for the day of attack; but in consequence of the non-arrival of Price and Van Dorn's forces, they had resolved to wait one day longer. This gave General Buell further time to reach Grant; and, doubtless, saved the country from an irretrievable disaster, which must have been the result, had the re-enforcements not arrived, in spite of all General Grant could have done. A decisive defeat here would have been a crushing blow to the success of the Union, and would have been a sad reward to General Grant for the bravery manifested by him on the field. At an early hour on Sunday morning, April 6, 1862, the Union pickets were driven in, and the rebel sharpshooters began picking off the officers. At about eight o'clock in the morning, heavy masses of rebel infantry were to be seen advancing on the front, and the Union troops were ready to receive them. There was no surprise; but a steady advance of men in overwhelming numbers, and with an apparent determination to attack with the greatest desperation. The Union troops fought well, and fell back foot by foot, until they reached the river. They were closely fol |