Shiloh - Page 3

ole · #21 03-27-2005, 01:20 AM

Shane:

Sounds convincing to me.
Ole

ole · #22 03-27-2005, 10:07 PM

On the other hand, General Steele, after some pondering, I'd like to obtain and read your sources for the contention that Union prisoners were used to police the casualties and weapons.

Not a challenge! I haven't read that particular speculation and I would like to. What I have read has the Rebs as much confused in triumph as the Feds were in defeat. I'm wondering how they had the presence and organization to (within an hour or two) mold the prisoners into details to haul off Confederate casualties and compile weapons, and still herd them to the rear. It could make sense, but I don't yet see it. The contention is logical and close to possible, but... What should I be reading that I haven't? Or what should I be rereading and forgot about?

Thanks, Ole.

johan_steele · #23 03-28-2005, 07:26 AM

ole, please don't call me General... I was inaugerated into the ranks of the Commisioned through a quirk of fate. I come from a long line of enlisted men, to my knowledge there is no soldier w/in my family tree who carried a commision.

I believe Sword's excellent work on Shiloh mentions details gathering the wounded. My own "concrete evidence" came from a letter I recall reading authored by an Iowa man who had surrendered. He mentioned being detailed to gather CS wounded. after he and his Regiment had stacked arms. A task they were not loathe to do as they also gathered up many of their own casualties. I don't believe POWs would have policed weapons, that role would have been for CS details. It might answer one of those questions of why the CS troops were so exhausted by the end of the day, not that the march and heavy fighting wouldn't have been enough but to add in some of the men being detailed to gather the weapons of the wounded and killed... an action that could not have been good for morale.

When I get back in tonight I will dig out the titles on Shiloh that I have read... the idea that was planted in my head has got to be in there somewhere.

johan_steele · #24 03-28-2005, 07:52 PM

Here are the best titles on Shiloh that I can think of:

Sword, Wiley Shiloh: Bloody April
McDonough, James Shiloh In Hell before Night
Daniel, Larry Shiloh: the Battle that Changed the Civil War
Force Campaigns of the Civil War II Fort Henry to Corinth
Greene Francis V., Campaigns of the Civil War.-VIII. The Mississippi

For some reason I would swear that Stephen Ambrose did something on Shiloh; though I may be thinking of his work on Halleck I don't know if that is it.

30th_il · #25 04-08-2005, 03:12 AM

Next week I will be heading for Shiloh and Corinth. Would anybody want me to take pics of a certain something or perhaps look up something while I am there?

johan_steele · #26 04-08-2005, 08:31 AM

If you might I would appreciate a picture of the "Bloody Pond" it was the first place I ever received a little "chill" from the moment of history.

ole · #27 04-08-2005, 12:58 PM

See if you can find out where Oglesby was during the battle.

30th_il · #28 04-08-2005, 10:14 PM

Shane, I will get a few pics of Bloody Pond for ya and send them to you as an attatchment.
Ole, wasn't Oglesby on leave of absence when Shiloh was fought. It was granted to him because the enemy was "no where near" Pittsburg Landing. If you knew this...did you want to know where he went on furlough?

ole · #29 04-10-2005, 05:17 PM

30th:

I knew he wasn't there. I didn't know why. I assumed he was campaigning but had diffuculty in finding anything on it.

Thanks. Ole

Johnny Rube · #30 04-29-2005, 08:33 PM

Ole,

Re: your post #21 on the Emancipation Proclamation thread.

The remark that Shiloh was fought to a draw wasn't actually my statement, but that of Jack Fincher which I quoted. More to the point, I don't disagree with you...the first one to take their marbles and go home is the loser. Additionally, I know some people distinguish between a retreat and a withdrawal, but they both seem the same to me, although perhaps a retreat is a bit more disorganized and a withdrawal a little more deliberate.

I might speculate that Mr. Fincher may view the battle as a draw since both the Conferate and Union armies fought to the point of near total exhaustion, with apparently fairly raw troops. He does give the Federals a slight edge which would seem to indicate a Union win, although just barely.

To be completely petty...I sort of took issue with his decsription of Grant as being "chunky." Every photo I've ever seen of Grant during the war shows him rather slight in stature. Chunky, I think, came after the war and into the presidency.... but I do tend to nit-pick.

Johnny Rube