He was
drilling and training his men for their attack on the Confederates at
Corinth. His army was not in a position for defense. It was, in fact,
strung out into a long line of camps for military instruction, preparing
to advance on the foe he had grown to despise.
Sherman's division occupied a position near Shiloh Church. A half mile
further was B. M. Prentiss with newly arrived regiments, one of which
still had no ammunition. Near the river McClernand was camped behind
Sherman and Hurlbert still farther back. Near them lay W. H. L.
Wallace's division, and at Crump's Landing, Lew Wallace was stationed
with six thousand men.
Grant himself was nine miles down the river at Savannah, a point at
which he expected to form a junction with Buell's army approaching from
the east.
Grant sat at breakfast on a beautiful Sunday morning quietly sipping his
coffee while he planned his conquest of the vast territory which now lay
at the mercy of his army the moment the juncture should be effected.
With swift stealthy tread, Johnston was moving through the dense forests
of the wild region to the south. His army had been rapidly recruited to
approximately forty thousand effective men. Beauregard had been detached
from the East and was second in command.
Pages:
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368