77 HISTORY OF THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT O.V.V.I.
had not been moved from the river, were brought into action, and in front of our wearied ranks. The gunboats also opened their broadsides upon the enemy, and rained down a storm of shot, grape and shell which has no precedent in the records of artillery warfare. The thunder was terrific. It seemed as though all the elements of destruction in nature had united their power, rage and violence. The rebels at first lay flat, but finally retreated. Their men who were captured tell incredible stories about the effect of our fire; such as that a shell from one of our mortars, falling among a dense mass, killed and wounded one thousand men.
"Buell's forces began to come in about dark, and during the night our plans were arranged for the next day. In the morning our Generals made the attack simultaneously along the whole line of the enemy. General Lew. Wallace, with his Division on the right, the Third Brigade under General Whittlesey, being on the right of the Division. General Wallace kept the Brigade in partial concealment from the enemy, to meet the purposes of the rebels in flanking the right. This was a very painful position, and a trying one to the soldiers. It made it necessary that we should remain part of the time inactive, under the fire of the rebel batteries and infantry. Thus exposed to all the dangers of the conflict, and surrounded by all its terrors, and at the same time deprived from the stimulus of the excitement which results from an active participation in the fight, is truly a trying position.
"The expected attempt of the enemy to outflank the right was finally made; when they found that our center, against which they had been directing their main efforts, could not be broken, they brought up rapidly some of their guns, and began playing upon our right, preparatory to making a charge. This was a sore time for the Third Brigade, which was unsheltered from the fire of the enemy. When the batteries opened upon us, we all laid as close to mother earth as possible, while the shot and shell flew whizzing over our heads. Had we been standing erect, it seems as though every man would have been cut down. As it was, we were wonderfully exempt from casualties, losing only one man killed, and a few wounded. Colonel Leggett had three bullet holes made in his clothes. Colonel Whittlesey, seeing our danger, unsupported by artillery, and ten regiments could be seen preparing to charge upon us, immediately had a battery of six guns brought up. Let me assure you the sight of those war dogs coming to our assistance, was truly refreshing. They were quickly placed in position, and opened upon the enemy with such destructive effect that they soon broke and retreated. They began now to retreat along the whole line, leaving the field and the victory with us.
"From the far East and the distant West the cheering intelligence reaches us that our brothers in arms are not idle; but that, with hearts to dare and arms to strike, are pressing down from all sides upon the foe. This is very encouraging. It gives us confidence in ourselves, confidence in our Generals, and confidence in the favor of Providence."
After the battle the regiment encamped upon the extreme right of the field of battle, and bivouaced several days without shelter, save such as the woods afforded. It rained almost night and day, which caused afterward much sickness in the regiment. Although the regiment had suffered but little on the field of battle, it was not spared much sickness and heavy fatality while in camp at Shiloh. We lost many of the best men in the regiment from disease.
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