User talk:RussianBlueLvr

Welcome to Wikipedia
Kresock (talk) 05:36, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

The death of Albert Sidney Johnston
I am in possession of the Civil War diary of C.R. Allen, Company A, Second Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. He was at the Battle of Shiloh and was one of the 15 or 20 soldiers who were sent to find Lew Wallace and direct him to the battlefield.

I have transcribed his diary. The words, spelling and punctuation are Allen's. Anything that is italicized and in [ ] are my words.

Apr 7th 1862 – Monday – Shiloh While the South seems well supplied the Rebel Gen’ls Forrest and [then Capt. John] Morgan were dashing between the two lines. We beg our commanders to lead us to the front but it seems the Gen’ls were afraid that the Rebs had an ambush prepared for us. I believe had we been allowed to charge the already demoralized Rebel army would have been completely routed. We saw signs enough that the Confederates were in a bad plight and only needed pushing to have caused them to throw down their arms and many of them to surrender. While we were following their retreating lines, I opened a large wall tent and there lay a tall handsome dead Rebel, a Gen’l I was satisfied. I asked a wounded Confederate who it was. He said “Maj. Gen’l Sidney Johnston”. I had heard he was in command of the Rebel army on Sunday. I called to the Lieut. in command of our skirmish line. He came up and soon placed a guard over the tent. Well we now had the saddest part of all to do. Look up friends and bury the dead. I went as soon as we got back to our camp that night to a different Reg’t that my old schoolmates belonged to 52nd Ill, 46th Ill, 12th Ill &c. Captain Guy Ward of the 12th was killed. Saw R.F. Chandler of 52nd. He was all right but found that John Baird had lost a leg but was still alive. Rained all night which made it terrible for the wounded.

--RussianBlueLvr (talk) 18:48, 1 September 2008 (UTC)