"Sons of the Saints who faced their Jordan flood, In fierce Atlantic's unretreating wave-- Who by the Red Sea of their glorious blood Reached to the Freedom that your blood shall save!
O, countrymen! God's day is not yet done! He leaveth not his people utterly! Count it a covenant, that he leads us on Beneath the clouds and through the crimson sea?
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL BUTTERFIELD.]
THE WORK OF SUNDAY NIGHT--LANDING OF BUELL'S TROOPS--EFFECT OF THE BOMBARDMENT--LACK OF SYSTEM IN THE UNION ARMY--RENEWING THE BATTLE--A CHANGE OF TACTICS--TURNING THE TIDE--CRITTENDEN'S ADVANCE--THE ADVANCE AT THE CENTRE--A GRAND PARADE ON THE FIELD OF WAR--REDEEMING THE LOSSES OF SUNDAY--FACING THE LOUISIANA TROOPS--SILENCING THE BATTERY--END OF THE GREAT STRUGGLE.
After giving the roll of the Federal troops engaged at Shiloh, "Agate" concludes his remarkable narrative as follows:
With the exception of the gunboat bombardment, the night seemed to have passed in entire quiet. A heavy thunder-storm had come up about midnight, and though we were all shivering over the ducking, the surgeons assured us that a better thing could not have happened. The ground, they said, was covered with wounded not yet found, or whom we were unable to bring from the field. The moisture would to some extent cool the burning, parching thirst, which is one of the chief terrors of lying wounded and helpless on the battle-field, and the falling water was the best dressing for the wounds.
The regiments of Buell's Divisions were still disembarking at the Landing. Many had taken their places, the rest hurried out as fast as they landed, and fell in, to the rear of their brigade-lines, for reserves. I stood for a few moments at the Landing, curious to see how these fine fellows would march out to the field where they knew reverses had crowded so thickly upon us the day before, and where many of them must lie down to sleep his last sleep ere the sun, then rising, should sink again. There was little of that vulgar vanity of valor which was so conspicuous in all the movements of our rawer troops eight or nine months ago. There was no noisy and senseless yelling, no shouting of boasts, no calling on on-lookers, to "show us where the cowardly Secesh is, and we'll clean 'em out double-quick." These men understood the work before them; they went to it as brave men should, determinedly, hopefully, calmly.