Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/43

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, April 7th, 1863.

To General, Confederate States Army:

General—I have the honor to transmit for your consideration some official statements from officers commanding field batteries, and others posessingpossessing [sic] personal knowledge, touching the events connected with the closing scenes of the battle of Shiloh, on Sunday evening, the 6th of April, 1862, viz:

First. A letter from Colonel Smith P. Bankhead, artillery, Provisional army, dated December 16th, 1862.

Second. A letter from Captain L. D. Sandidge, Division Inspector, dated January 24th, 1863.

Third. A letter from Colonel S. S. Heard, late Colonel Seventeenth regiment, Louisiana volunteers, dated March 18, 1863.

Fourth. A letter from Captain James C. Thrall, artillery, Confederate States Provisional army, dated April 1st, 1863.

By reference to my own official report of that period in the battle, specially referred to, the following statement will be found, viz:

"As the enemy finally gave way, I directed the movement of the Second brigade towards the right, along the crest of the ridge following the line of the enemy's continued resistance, and sent a section of Ketchum's battery into action on a road leading towards Pittsburg, in a position overlooking the broken slope below, to reply to batteries nearly in front and in the forest to the right, with which the enemy swept a large circuit around, sending also Colonel Smith's Louisiana Crescent regiment (Third brigade) to support this battery, then harassed by skirmishers, and to seize the opportunity to charge the enemy's position. I then put a section of guns in position on the road leading along the ridge still farther to the right, which was soon forced to retire under the concentrated fire of the enemy's artillery.

"Discovering the enemy in considerable numbers moving through