Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/312

 306 Southern Historical Society Papers.

enemy firing before they depressed their pieces, the balls went over our heads; our men, in the hurry, fired the same way, the balls fol- lowed the slope of the ground and were destructive." (Rebellion Records, Volume X, Part I, pages 333-34).

The hour that Ammen's brigade marched up the hill from Pitts - burg Landing, and the lateness of the repulse, is thus reported by General Nelson as early as April roth :

" At 5 P. M. the head of my column marched up the bank at Pitts- burg Landing, and took up its position in the road under fire of the Rebel artillery, so close had they approached the landing. I found a semi-circle of artillery, totally unsupported by infantry, whose fire was the only check to the audacious approach of the enemy. The Sixth Ohio and Thirty-sixth Indiana had scarcely deployed when the left of the artillery was completely turned by the enemy, and the gunners fled from their pieces. The gallantry of the Thirty-sixth Indiana, supported by the Sixth Ohio, under the able conduct of Colonel Ammen, drove back the enemy and restored the line of bat tie. This was at 6:30 P. M., and soon after the enemy withdrew, owing, I suppose, to the darkness." (Ibid, page 324).

Further, and finally, General Prentiss in his report fixes the hour when he surrendered, after one of the most resolute, obstinate de- fenses of an untrenched position that was made during the whole war, namely, at 5:30 P. M., while Colonel Gedde, of the Eighth Iowa, did not surrender his forces at this point until 6 P. M. Colo- nel Grose, of the Thirty-sixth Indiana, also reports, on the 8th of April, that " the firing continued until near dusk," (Ibid, page 337); while Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholas L. Anderson, Sixth Ohio, reports that his regiment was disembarked at about five o'clock on the evening of the 6th of April, and marched up the hill as quietly as possible, " and that under Ammen's orders it was placed in support of a battery," (Ibid, page 339). Further, Colonel F. C. Jones reports that " the Twenty-fourth Ohio was landed at 5:30 P. M. and formed in line of battle on the river hill," (Ibid, page 339).

General Hurlbut's report (April I2th) likewise serves to throw light upon the Federal and Confederate situation after the capture of Prentiss, and he was forced back to the river : " On reaching the 24-pound siege guns in battery," he states, "I again succeeded in forming line of battle in rear of the guns, and by direction of Major- General Grant I assumed command of all the troops that came up. Broken regiments and disordered battalions came into line gradually upon my division. Major Ca vender posted six of his 2O-pound