Crum, David, Wilmore, died in service; Charlton, Francis, Somerset, disch.; disch.; Griffith, Joseph, Johnstown, disch.; wounded; Grubb, William R., Johnstown, disch.; Jones Samuel, Ebensburg, wounded near Corinth, May 28, 1862, died in hospital; Longenecker, John, Ebensburg, disch.; Lister, John, Ebensburg, disch.; disch.; W., Johnstown, Johnstown, wounded at Shiloh, Tenn., and miss- Metzler, Cyrus, Somerset, disch.; wounded, limb amputated; The company was composed of three commissioned officers, five sergeants, seven corporals, two musicians and sixty-seven privates, making eighty-four members. The organization of Company C, 19th United States Infantry, from Ebensburg, was as follows: Captain, Thomas C. Williams, November 4, 1861, to December 31, 1864. Gen. Crittenden the left wing. Nov. 13, 1863, Gen. Johnson was Cook commanded the right; Gen. G. H. Thomas, the center, and boro the army was subdivided into three wings: Gen. A. D. McCarpenter killed. In the battles of Stone River and Murfreesrelieved of the command by Mr. Lincoln. Dec. 31, 1862, Maj. Indiana and 5th Kentucky. September 24, 1862, Gen. Buell was and the First Battalion of the 19th U. S. Infantry; 1st Ohio, 6th Kentucky, April 6-7, 1862; the brigade consisted of the 15th, 16th November 4, 1861, the 19th Regiment was in camp at Nolens, assigned to command the First Division. He was wounded twice; absent May 29 to June 6, and June 13 to July 13, 1863. Dec. 11, Gen. Palmer resigned. BATTLE OF SHILOH. General Grant, the commander, said: "Shiloh was the severest battle fought at the West during the war, and but few in the East equaled it for hard, determined fighting. I saw an open field, in our possession on the second day, over which the Confederates had made repeated charges the day before, so covered with dead that it would have been possible to walk across the clearing, in any direction, stepping on dead bodies, without touching the ground." Our county had Company C of the 19th U. S. Infantry (Sergt. Thomas Davis) on this gory field. It was in Gen. L. H. Rousseau's first brigade of Gen. A. D. McCook's second division of the Army of the Ohio, which was commanded by Maj.-Gen. D. C. Buell. General Grant was the commander of the Army of the Tennessee, and the battle was fought between Grant and Albert Sydney Johnston until the latter was killed on Sunday, when he was succeeded by Gen. Beauregard. The field was on the west side of the Tennessee river, about ten miles northeast of Corinth, Mississippi, and about the same distance southwest of Savannah, Tennessee. It was substantially in woods, with a few clearings, and the flanks were swampy. There was but one building on it, known as "Shiloh Church," from which the battle was named by Grant, but called "Pittsburg Landing" by the Confederates. There has been much contention and criticism about this battle. Gen. Grant said it is "less understood, or, to state the case more accurately, more persistently misunderstood than any other engagement during the war." It is true, Johnston fought an offensive battle, and purposely made the attack in order to have a better chance before Buell could reinforce Grant, but the facts warrant the statement of the latter that his lines were continuous and unbroken the entire day, except for a few minutes between 4 and 5 o'clock p. m., when Gen. Prentiss and his men were captured. It is claimed and believed by many that Prentiss was captured early in the morning, while his men were in camp, and that Grant had been surprised, but that belief is incorrect. Prentiss fought the entire day, and was only captured after 4 o'clock because he did not fall back with the line as he was directed to do. It was a bitter struggle. Three of the five divisions of Grant's troops were raw, and their officers were not well qualified. Many of them had never been in a battle, and when the firing began they dropped back and became stragglers. Grant says he did not have more than 25,000 effective men during Sunday, and these were with Sherman and McClernand, whose troops bore the brunt of the fight. In the evening Grant's left had fallen back about a mile and a quarter, while the right was about two-thirds of a mile from where the battle opened. During this day Company C was coming up the Tennessee river, and arrived during the night. On the morning of the 7th McCook's Division (Co. C) was on the right of Buell's Army of the Ohio, and on the left of Grant's Army of the Tennessee, being about the center of the line of battle. Grant took the offensive, and began a little after 5 o'clock to gradually drive the enemy back, until 3 o'clock, when they gave way and made a precipitate retreat to Corinth, Mississippi. Shiloh was a great victory for the north, inasmuch as most of the battles fought prior thereto were against it. The only victories it had had were Belmont, Missouri, November 7, and Fort Donelson, February 14-16. They were Grant's. Col. W. P. Johnston, a son of Albert Sydney Johnston, admits that the criticism that Grant's army was in an indefensible position because the Tennessee river was at his back, is not sound, and declares that Grant was there "to take the initiative. He had the larger army, under cover, too, of his gun-boats; he was expecting Buell (Co. C) daily; and the ground was admirable for defense. It was a natural stronghold, flanked by Owl and Lick creeks, with their marshy margins, and with his front protected by a swampy valley, he occupied a quadrilateral of great strength. His troops were stationed on wooded heights, generally screened by heavy undergrowth, and approached across boggy ravines or open fields. Each camp was a fortress in itself, and the line of retreat afforded at each step some like point to rally on. He did not fortify his camps, it is true; but he was not there for defense, but for attack." Col. Johnston adds that the battle was fought precisely as it had been planned by his father, which provided that "every effort should be made to turn the left flank of the enemy so as to cut off his line of retreat. to the Tennessee river and throw him back on Owl creek, where he will be obliged to surrender," and believes that his father would have succeeded had he lived another day. While Gen. Grant was at Mount McGregor, during his last illness (June 21, 1885) he wrote an article relating to McCook's Division (Co. C) to correct a wrong impression which was then prevailing, and said: "Out of justice to Gen. McCook and his command, I must say that they left a point 22 miles east of Savannah on the morning of the 6th. From the heavy rains and the passage of trains and artillery, the roads were necessarily deep in mud, which made marching slow. The division had not only marched through this mud the day before, but it had been in the rain all night without rest. It was engaged in the battle of the second day, and did as good service as its position allowed." Grant's losses were: Killed, 1,135; wounded, 7,882; missing, 3,956, making a total of 13,573. The Confederates lost 10,699. Major Stephen D. Carpenter, commanding 19th U. S. Infantry (Company C) made the following report on the battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing. Pittsburg Battle-Field, April 10, 1862. On the afternoon, while the right of the brigade was engaged with the enemy, Lieut. Andrews, of my regiment observed to me the enemy's flag, behind which were forming his columns doubled upon the center. Having been confirmed in my mind that this was the flag of the enemy, behind which his force were forming for the purpose of taking our left directly in flank, I immediately changed my front forward on the left company, and sent my adjutant, Lieutenant Snyder, to ask you for the support of the left of your brigade. You immediately ordered up the 6th Indiana, Colonel Crittenden, in support, when instantly, as you will doubtless recollect, we were engaged hotly by the enemy in front, and after hard fighting, in which our own and the enemy's forces nearly came together, he finally gave way and fled. While resisting another attack of the enemy in our front and in pursuit my battalion (Co. C) moved out and took the ground and a battery of the enemy, which I presume had been taken from our forces the day before. This battery consisted of a 24 and a 12-pounder howitzer, which, after examination, and finding them spiked, we left on the ground. * * 1 will only add that during the entire day, from 9 a. m. till 4 p. m., during most of the time under fire, my officers, without an exception, also the men of the command with but a very few exceptions, did their duty with a determination and zeal that in my opinion cannot be excelled. * S. D. CARPENTER, |