With Grant at Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg and an appreciation of General U. S. Grant

_With_ Grant _at_ Fort Donelson, Shiloh _and_ Vicksburg

1. General Grant examining a prisoner’s haversack at Fort Donelson 31

2. Charge of the 8th Missouri and 11th Indiana Regiments, led by General Lew Wallace, at Fort Donelson 44

Formerly I lived in Galena, Ill., and having been personally acquainted with, and a neighbor of General U. S. Grant, and one of the “Boys in Blue” who followed him in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg, I deem it my privilege to add my mite to the history that clusters round the greatest military genius of modern times.

CHAPTER IV.

Calling a few years ago upon my old Colonel, Gen. John E. Smith, of the United States army (now deceased), and talking over some of our battles, I asked him about some feature of the battle of Shiloh, to which he replied: “Well, Wilbur, after reading all the histories and articles published on the battle of Shiloh, I am in doubt whether I was there at all.” But he was there, and by reason of his courage and skill merited the promotion he afterwards received.

CHAPTER IV.

There was a little log church near Gen. Sherman’s camp, called “Shiloh,” where the battle commenced, and the great battle of April 6 and 7, 1862, has gone down in history as the battle of Shiloh.

CHAPTER VI.

Volumes have been written about the battle of Shiloh. Some think Buell’s army saved us. Of course, they helped to win the second day’s battle; still there is nothing to prove that Gen. Grant’s army would not have won without their assistance on the next day.

CHAPTER VI.

A few words about the great battle of Shiloh, as an old veteran views it, as well as some words deduced from history.