Union Soldier Columbus Huddle Writes to His Father After Nearly Being Killed at the Battle of Shiloh

As Gen. George McClellan stalled in the East, an obscure general named Ulysses S. Grant was on the move in the West, capturing Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, two vital strongholds on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. One month later, in April 1862, Grant was encamped with over 40,000 of his men at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, waiting to join forces with Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio. On Sunday morning April 6, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, put in charge of the Union camp by Grant, was surveying the area through field glasses when he suddenly saw Rebel soldiers come crashing through the woods. “We are attacked!” Sherman yelled. A bullet slammed into an orderly by his side, killing him instantly. Sherman galloped off to alert his men that a small Confederate force was fast approaching. In fact, the Rebel soldiers were the first wave of 50,000 troops under the command of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. (Pierre G. T. Beauregard was his second in command.) By Sunday night, the Confederate forces were on the verge of triumph. The Rebels’ elation was tempered, however, by the news that General Johnston had bled to death after an errant bullet severed an artery in his leg. But any hopes that Beauregard, now in charge, had of adding to his victories at Fort Sumter and Manassas were shattered when Buell’s men arrived Monday morning to reinforce Grant. Grant immediately went on the offensive, and by late afternoon Beauregard had no choice but to withdraw. Columbus Huddle, who barely survived the battle, wrote to his father in Ohio to grieve the loss of one soldier in particular. (George, alluded to in the letter, was Columbus’s step-brother.)

April 10/62

Dear Father

with sadness I sit down to write you a few lines to let you know that I am still liveing and well but with sorrow I will have to tell you that poor George was layed low by a rebbel ball last Sunday morning

the rebbels attacked us on picket guard and drove us in by firing on us with a six pounder shells and then we fell back on the regiment and was attacked in the woods and George was killed the first fire by a musket ball passing through his left hip him and me was right together he in the front rank and me just behind him in the rear rank we was lying down when he was shot I did not think when he first fell that he was killed I thought that he was just shot through the leg but we had to retreat back a little distance and when I went back to see how bad he was hurt he was laying on his face dead

I had to just leave him lay as our regiment had to retreat back and I did not get to see him any more till the battle was over then I went to him and layed him out strait as well as I could and I had to leave him till the next day when we brought him in and burried him as decent as we could which was pretty well only he had no coffin but he was put in a sepperate grave by himself all that was killed in our regiment was put in seperate graves our regiment suffered severly

I suppose there was two hundred or over killed and wounded in our regiment there was three killed as far as we have found out and eight wounded in our company Henry Miles that little corporal in our mess was one among the killed I came off pretty safe I did not get a wound but I had three bullet holes put through my blouse one through the sleave one through the pocket and one through the shoulder but as good providence ordained none of them wounded me

I was in the fight from Sunday Morning about sunup till Monday in the afternoon when the secesh run like turkeys then I passed over the battel field tongue cant describe the sight that I seen dead secesh and Union men all lying together some tore to pieces by cannon balls and shells but most of the secesh was shot in the head by our rifles as we could not fire without good aim

sunday about noon I was standing behind a tree the cannon balls and shells flying thick around and the secesh was about fifty yards from me when I looked out and saw a man holding the secesh Flag I took deliberate aime at his brest and fired the flag droped and the man too but the flag was not to the ground befor another one picked it up and befor I had time to load and fire they was so near onto me that I had to retreat back so I did not get a shot at him I did not fire a lot the whole two days with out good aim and I think I brought one every time for I was generly behind trees and had a good rest

April the 11th as I did not get time to finish my letter yesterday I thought I would try and write a few more lines and close I was detailed on police to day for to finish burying the dead as we are not quite done yet it is awfull to see the battle ground to day and very disagreeable as the dead horses are not buried yet and a good many men lay out in the field to be buried yet

I cant tell you the number that was killed I suppose you will heare about as soon as me for the papers will tell you before you get this but I saw one grave that had one hundred and forty two dead secesh in and that is only a mere shaddow to what was killed in the battle well I will have to stop writing about the battle for I suppose you will here sooner about it than you will get this letter only I think you will hear that it was one of the hardest fights that has ever been fought in America.

Enclosed you will find some of the trimming of a secesh officers coat sleave that I took off Monday evening after the battle he was killed by a shell that nearly cut him entirely in two near the spot that I stood on Sunday when I shot the flag officer I could not get any thing else that I could sen to you so I thought I would send you this all so you will find a secesh bill that calls for 50cts enclosed I would like for you to keep those things for I got the money from a nice Tennessee lady about 18 years old that I got acquainted with while on picket and the tape please save to remember me and the battle that is if I should happen to never get home but I think there is no danger as secesh is about played out I think you may look for me home in a few months for we have about wound them up

I do wish you would write I have written two letters and got no answers if you direct just like I tell you the letter will be sure to come for it cant help it I will soon have to close to go on inspection as our armes has to be inspected this evenings please tell the boys to writ to me that is my friends Geof Flynn and Webb for it is such a pleasure to get a letter here in this foreign land I got a letter from america last evening that came in a letter that was sent to George Manuel by Mollie Reynolds I have sent two letters to America and received no answer yet

tell all the folks that I said I have been in one of the hardes battles that ever was fought in the new world but I never want to get in another one for it is not what it is cracked up to be to get in such a fight as that was although I will not run if I get in one for more gets shot in the back runing than those that stands up to the mark like men that is my motto anyhow poor George died like a soldier with his face to the foe poor George let his ashes sleep in the land of Tennessee for he is decently buried only he had no coffin but he was buried deepe so that he will never be disturbed it is impossible to send him home for all the officers that was killed was buried here they cant be sent home the burying ground that the killed was buried in out of our regiment is layed out regular each man put in a separate grave about four feet deep and three feet apart Well Father I will have to close now please writ me a letter as you have not written to me since I have been in Tennessee so Good bye or from your son

C. Huddle

Of the 100,000 Rebel and Union soldiers at Shiloh, which was named after a nearby Methodist meetinghouse, a full quarter of them were either killed, wounded, or taken prisoner—more casualties than in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War combined. Northerners and Southerners were stunned by the enormity of the carnage. For the first time, Beauregard, the illustrious Confederate hero, saw his reputation tarnished, and Grant was blamed for not anticipating Johnston’s attack and was temporarily demoted. Although it would have been inconceivable at the time that any single battle could produce more staggering losses in a mere two days, indeed, the worst was yet to come.