The following was written in the 1st Minnesota Light Artillery Company Clerk’s Morning Report regarding the battery’s performance at Shiloh.
Surviving members of the 1st Minnesota Light Artillery years after the war. (Photo courtesy of MN Historical Society - www.mnhs.org)
April 4 – A skirmish took place between a Rebel force & a small part of ours on which we took about thirty prisoners & lost ten.
April 5 – Ordered to move to Prentis’ Division & arrived there about 12M Sunday.
April 6 – Ordered to form in line of battle. The Rebels are upon us in our own camp.
April 7 – We fought all day yesterday losing ground at every point until we retreated to the river about four o’clock PM & formed in Battery on the hill on the River Bank. There the enemy made one of the most desperate fights on record. But the Artillery repulsed them again and again until darkness compelled them to retire. The night was dark and rainy & very severe on us with no tents or blankets or anything to eat. The GunBoats shelled them at short intervals all night doing much execution. At daybreak on Monday morning (the 7th) “the ball opened again” & volleys of musketry & an immense amount of artillery are playing on them. General Buell’s force of eighty thousand strong that commenced arriving at four o’clock Sunday afternoon to reinforce us continued to arrive all night and cross the river with all possible speed and at Daylight formed in line of battle with us. By noon on Monday the enemy were completely routed and in retreat but fighting to make good their escape. By four P.M. the din of battle had ceased and that night as on the one previous we lay on the bare ground without shelter or bedding. Tuesday morning came and Buel’s troops are still coming rapidly. We are ordered back to our old camp immediately. Arrived there and find the Rebels have stripped everything.
April 10 – Today we were ordered to form in line of battle again. Remained so until near sunset and were ordered back. Orders came this evening for us to be in line of battle at three o’clock tomorrow morning.
April 11 – Got ready to form this morning and a thunder shower coming up in the darkness rendered it impossible for us to drive among the lines. Col. Quinn comd’g Division ordered us to wait for further orders.
Click here to read the 1st Minnesota Light Artillery at Shiloh and Corinth.
[Transcribed from the original document located at the Minnesota Historical Society]
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