Dreaming of Powder, Musket Balls, and Bloodshed: The 15th Illinois at Shiloh

Private Willis S. Thompson of Co. F of the 15th Illinois Volunteer Infantry was the regular correspondent of the Woodstock Sentinel during his three years’ service in the Civil War. It was nearly eleven months into their service before the 15th Illinois first “smelled powder” at the Battle of Shiloh; they had spent months marching around Missouri and had arrived at Fort Donelson right after the surrender, missing the battle altogether. Thompson’s account of the battle of Shiloh, drawn from several letters he wrote to the Woodstock Sentinel, provide a private’s viewpoint of the desperate fighting that took place near Review Field on April 6, 1862.

 

The 15th Illinois served as part of Colonel James C. Veatch’s Second Brigade of Brigadier General Stephen Hurlbut’s Fourth Division of U.S. Grant’s Army of the Tennessee. Other infantry regiments in the brigade including the 14th and 46th Illinois and the 25th Indiana.

 

An early war western Federal- it was men like these who bore the brunt of the fighting at Shiloh. 

          The regular routine of our camp life was rudely broken in upon last Friday night [April 4th] just about dark by the order to get on battle harness and fall in immediately. Cannonading having been heard down to the south just before sunset, led some to expect an immediate battle, so while some took no blankets, many were so thoughtful as to get an oilcloth and canteen. The order came to march the regiment to headquarters, which was soon done, as the distance was short. Thence through the mud, which was plentiful, as the rain had been falling at intervals through the day, we made our way to the headquarters of the division [General Hurlbut] and were formed into line of battle and after waiting about 15 minutes for the enemy to pitch in and he failing to come to time, we were marched back to camp to dream of powder, balls, and bloodshed. The cause of the disturbance turned out to be only a skirmish at the advanced posts in which our side lost eight killed and a major taken prisoner, while the loss of the Rebels was 20 killed and 12 taken prisoner. 

 

          Whether our forces were surprised or not I do not know, but the enemy seems to have had the advantage and right well did they improve it. On the morning of April 6, 1862, the battalion was marched to the field and formed in line of battle about 200 yards in the rear of a regiment that was supporting our two pieces of cannon. In front and on each side of us was a continued roar of musketry. Forming our line on the left of the 53rd Ohio and immediately in the rear of another regiment [the 15th Illinois was located behind the 20th and 48th Illinois regiments of Colonel C. Carroll Marsh’s brigade of McClernand’s Division], we were ordered to lie down as the Rebels were greeting us with the best they had in the shop and being on a piece of ground sloping toward them, they had a fair chance at us. The shot flew around us like hail; the men were ordered to keep out of the way as they could not fire without hitting our own men who as we could see stood nobly up to the work, firing as fast as they could load. The regiment in advance of us did well, but being outflanked on the right, fell back in some disorder.

 

"The  regiment marched to the fight with drums beating and colors flying. I will venture to say that no prouder regiment stepped to the time of martial music than did the 15th. There was no wavering, hesitating, or shrinking. We had not proceeded far before we met crowds of stragglers skulking to the rear. It was a humiliating sight and our boys heaped curses, bitter and cutting, on their cowardly heads. They tried to excuse their conduct by innumerable excuses, not one of which weighed a farthing in this crisis." ~ Private Lucius Barber, Co. D, 15th Illinois

 

Captain Harley Wayne
Co. D, 15th Illinois

The Rebels advanced to the brow of the hill and opened fire upon us which caused the 53rd Ohio to stampede without firing a gun, thus leaving us exposed to a crossfire from the right and in front. I cannot resist the conviction that our boys fired almost with the coolness of veterans since between us and the Rebels were five or six horses [belonging to the 14th Ohio Battery] tied to the trees not more than 20 paces from our line and right in front of Companies A and F. It may be supposed that those horses were killed but not one of them fell while from our men could occasionally be heard the muttered expression “damn the horses” as some of these animals obstructed his aim. Lieutenant Colonel [Edward F.] Ellis, Major [William R.] Goddard, Captain Harley Wayne of Co. D, Holder Brownell of Co. C, and Adam Nase of Co. K here fell, instantly killed or mortally wounded and for some, either with or without orders, the regiment after once driving back the foe in front and becoming exposed to a crossfire on our flanks, we fell back, in what order I know not, as on looking around I could see no one except about half a dozen of Co. F who left the field with me.

 

 “Colonel Ellis was standing by his regiment when Colonel Veatch’s aide rode up to him to give Colonel Ellis the order to retreat. Colonel Ellis was shot dead just as he was going to speak to the aide, but the 15th Illinois still remained at their places.” ~ “H.” of the 15th Illinois

 

          We were placed in the worst possible position to fight, as we were upon the further slope of a side hill between which and the enemy was a small gully, then another rise of ground. After the regiment in front of us fled, the Rebels came up to the top of the hill and taking position behind it, blazed away at us, exposed as we were, while we could not see them except occasionally when a man exposed himself. The two guns in front of us were abandoned to the Rebels as the horses were killed. One of the caissons alone was saved.  The men in this position fired an average of 15 rounds perhaps before retiring. Our officers being down, the regiment retired. A part of three companies (A, D, and G) were collected and placed with another broken regiment but did not come directly under fire again that day.


The fight along the Hamburg-Purdy road adjacent to Review Field late morning April 6, 1862

 

There is music that is far more agreeable to the ear of most men than the whistle of a bullet which, for all he knows, with the best intention in the world may have been meant for him. Still a majority of the men dislike still more the roar of the shell as it flies through the air, bursting overhead with a sharp thug and sending its pieces whistling and whizzing about one’s ears. A man of Co. I was killed by a piece of shell fired from one of our own guns Sunday afternoon; the gunners had intended to fire over us into the enemy, but the missile burst too soon. Our troops continued to fall back all day. The tide of battle went against us until about 5 p.m. when Nelson’s Division of Buell’s army arrived and crossing the river, they turned the tide and out battery of siege guns opened on the Rebels, causing them to fall back and the battle closed with the enemy in possession of our camps.

 

          The 15th Illinois, under the command of Captain [Louis D.] Kelley, continued to keep out of the way until we found ourselves on the bank of the river and between us and the enemy was a high bank, leaving us no means of escape. Had we been discovered here, we could have been slaughtered without mercy or compelled to disgraceful surrender. A mounted officer rode up with tears in his eyes and inquired “For God’s sake men, where are you going? Will you not go back to the assistance of your friends?” The men answered with a cheer although not more than 200 of the regiment were there.

 

          Upon that level cornfield between the river and the bluff about 200 yards wide and perhaps twice as long were packed infantry, cavalry, artillery, caissons, and baggage wagons while upon the slope of the bluff itself were men enough who had fled from the battle but could not be induced to return. There were at least two regiments worth of men who, at every increase of fire, would break and run for the boats, some actually leaping into the water to escape. Such poltroons would make any battle a Bull Run.

         

Hurlbut's Division in action at Shiloh

          The Rebels had possession of our camp but in the morning [April 7th] they were soon made to leave it and travel double quick southward. The 15th Illinois, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William Cam of the 14th Illinois, again turned their faces towards the foe and helped to turn back the tide of battle, once during the day doing some pretty sharp firing. We were marched to the front once more; Co. D had no officer of higher grade than corporal and during most of the day was under the command of a lieutenant from the 28th Illinois who had lost his regiments and happening upon us as we lay in the woods, listening to the roar of battle, volunteered to lead them and proved himself a trump. I wish I knew his name.

 

          For about two hours, we lay behind logs in a line of battle waiting for a chance to open until we heard the report of a heavy gun directly in front. We went forward to an open field where we found our 64-lb howitzer pitching shells into the Rebels who were making off at the double quick. We also traveled across that field where the fight had been raging so long and where the Rebels lay thick enough to satisfy the most inveterate advocate of slaughter, wheeled to the left, and with a yell that might have aroused the dead Rebels, took again the double quick step in pursuit of the flying foe across another field into the timber and here comes in some of the ludicrous. A regiment of our men had been camped nearby and it seems had been washing before the fight, at least the bushes in the ravine beyond us were hung with shirts, blankets, and overcoats. These brought the pursuers to a halt and halting they opened fire from which I suspect the clothing suffered more than the Rebels. The firing was not of long duration as the order to advance was given and the flying Rebels pursued for about a mile. While in pursuit, we picked up plenty of flintlock muskets and Mississippi rifles with some shot guns all along the route. For some unknown cause, we fell back at this point and being relieved by other troops, soon returned to our old camp.

 

          Returning to our camp Monday night, we found men lying in all places possible and impossible everywhere, but more of the butternut than of the blue, at least three to two, but scattered over so much ground that to estimate the loss is not possible now. In our camp are 20 Rebel prisoners who belonged to the Orleans Guards from Louisiana who must have been badly used up as 60 of them lay dead within 200 yards of our camp. We found our knapsacks had been opened and some of them plundered- not by the Secesh, but by the cowardly stragglers who ran away from our own regiment. They took such things as socks, shirts, trinkets, coffee, and sugar. The regiment did not get together again until this morning [April 8th] and now quite a number are reported missing, probably taken prisoners. The loss of the 15th is 41 killed, 131 wounded, and 26 missing.

 

 “Tuesday was a sad day for us all as nearly every well man was engaged in burying the dead and taking care of the wounded. It was impossible to procure any coffins for any of our dead, so Captain Kelley had the officers of the regiment buried with their brave soldiers that fell with them. After they were buried, Captain Kelley had a good substantial fence built around their graves.” ~ “H.” of the 15th Illinois

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