Perfectly Intoxicated with Excitement: The 19th Tennessee in the Bell Cotton Field

 The 19th Tennessee didn’t see action at Shiloh until Sunday afternoon April 6th having been part of the army’s reserve. Detached from their brigade during the march onto the field, the 19th went into action on the right flank of Colonel George Maney’s Tennesseans and soon found themselves face to face with the 3rd Iowa of Colonel Nelson Williams’ brigade.  

          “Our regiment stopped within about 100 yards of the fence and commenced firing,” Captain William Lowry of the Milton Guards (Co. H) wrote to his parents. “I saw the exposed condition in which we were placed and ordered my command forward to the fence. The entire regiment then advanced and here we were on an equal footing. Soon the command was given “forward” and soon after we were ordered to put them to the bayonet. The command was eagerly obeyed and soon the enemy’s lines were broken and they in rapid and confused flight.”

          The fighting proved to be some of the bloodiest of the battle. A reporter from the Philadelphia Daily Inquirer observed a few days later that “in one place lay nine men, four or five of ours and about as many Rebels who from indications must have had a hand-to-hand fight. They were all dead and bore wounds evidently made with bayonets and bullets. Two of them had hold of another’s hair and others were clenched in a variety of ways,” he recorded. “One seemed to have had a grip on the throat of his antagonist and been compelled to relinquish it judging from the frigid marks. The most singular attitude of any I have ever observed was that of one Union soldier the position of whose body was similar to that of a boy’s when he is playing leapfrog.”

          Captain Lowry’s account of the battle originally saw publication in the April 25, 1862, edition of the Athens Post.

 

The men of the 19th Tennessee came from the eastern portion of the state and under the command of Colonel David H. Cummings mustered into service in the early summer of 1861. Initially sent to guard Cumberland Gap, the regiment saw action at Barbourville, Kentucky in one of the first engagements in the state.  The regiment later saw action at Mill Springs before falling back to Corinth, Mississippi and becoming part of General Albert Sidney Johnston's army. That said, the 19th Tennessee was one of the few veteran regiments of the Southern army at Shiloh. 

Corinth, Mississippi

April 10, 1862

My dear parents,

          I have just finished a letter to Artie and will devote the intervening minutes before my men leave in communing with by beloved and aged parents. I have just passed through the most desperate struggle that has ever occurred upon this continent. As you have learned ere this, the fight commenced near Shiloh Church on the Tennessee River on the 6th and concluded on the 7th at nightfall. There is much that I could say in regard to the fight that time will not permit.

          First in interest to you, I passed through unscathed and am now quite well, save exhaustion and feebleness in my leg that was broken. From the fullness of a grateful heart, I thank God for his protecting care which was continually over me. ‘Tis a high privilege thus to be permitted after the storm of battle has passed to return to the pleasures of communion with those so interwoven with one’s existence- loved ones at home. Yet ‘tis a melancholy pleasure. The gallant spirits that fell in the terrible struggle rise up before me and cast a shadow over everything that does not say “Walk softly for soon you, too, may be in the presence of your God.” If prepared for the change, they can feel a consciousness in a better world than this that they fell in a glorious cause. The widows and orphans made thus have my sympathies May a grateful country provide for them.

          We were in reserve and were not ordered up until 12 o’clock on the 6th. We reached the battlefield about 2 o’clock and were ordered into the thickest of the fight immediately. We arrived, in the language of General Leonidas Polk “just in time to save a defeat and gain a glorious victory.” When we arrived, the enemy was driving our line back. We were ordered to charge and the command was immediately obeyed. We moved forward through an open field, met the advancing enemy, marched steadily forward under a most galling fire in the direction of the woods that protected them and checked their onward progress.

 

“As our company was passing near where the battle commenced, a sentinel gave me the sad intelligence that General Johnston had fallen while leading our brave countrymen to victory. As we neared the battlefield, we met our wounded as they were carried from the bloody conflict. They made but one request: that we might avenge their blood. There was but one response: “We will!” ~ Unknown member of Co. H, 19th Tennessee

 

Our regiment stopped within about 100 yards of the fence and commenced firing. I saw the exposed condition in which we were placed and ordered my command forward to the fence. The entire regiment then advanced and here we were on an equal footing. Soon the command was given “forward” and soon after we were ordered to put them to the bayonet. The command was eagerly obeyed and soon the enemy’s lines were broken and they in rapid and confused flight. We pursued them firing all the time for some distance. Very soon it became evident that they were panic-stricken.

The men of the 19th Tennessee eagerly exchanged their .69 caliber smoothbores for Enfield rifle muskets left behind by the defeated Federals. 


We came in sight of their encampment and all was confusion- soon a white flag was hoisted and their arms were stacked- they surrendered unconditionally. After marching up and resting my men, I ordered them to lay down their guns and take others. The Yankees had Enfield rifles and I exchanged the common musket for those. We are now well-armed and equipped. The panic became general and all were driven back under cover of their gunboats. We took an entire regiment and as the result of our breaking their lines, General Prentiss’ entire division with himself surrendered. We have taken between 5,000-7,000 prisoners.

 

“We pursued them like bloodhounds about one mile to their encampment where the enemy hoisted the white flag. General Prentiss and his command were the troops that surrendered to us consisting of two regiments. They were well armed and equipped and strange to say, surrendered with their guns loaded. I exchanged my gun there and got an Enfield rifle. Our regiment was perfectly intoxicated with excitement- I thought it was glory enough for one day.” ~ Unknown member of Co. H, 19th Tennessee

 

The fight was renewed on the 7th and was doubtful till about sunset when the enemy again retired leaving us in possession of the field. We now hold the field though most of our forces are at this place. The loss on both sides was very heavy, but theirs much greater than ours to say nothing of prisoners, commissary stores, clothing, etc.

 


To learn more about the fighting in around the Bell farm at Shiloh, check out these posts:

The 20th Tennessee at Shiloh

Defending the Peach Orchard: An Iowan at Shiloh

Harvest of Blood: Exploring the Field After Shiloh

 

Sources:

Letter from Captain William Lowry, Co. H, 19th Tennessee Infantry, Athens Post (Tennessee), April 25, 1862, pg. 2

“The Battle of Shiloh- the 19th Tennessee,” Athens Post (Tennessee), April 25, 1862, pg. 2

“Battle Field of Shiloh,” Altoona Tribune (Pennsylvania), May 1, 1862, pg. 2

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