d was on the march towards the field
of action. As we advanced the cannonading became more distinct.
As we were moving on I recollect a Staff Officer passing up the
column seeking General Wallace. Very soon we countermarched,
with the view, as I understood, of crossing to the river road
leading to Pittsburg Landing, and there reaching the right of
our army, which we reached about dark. According to my
recollection there was no halting while on the march, except to
close up the column.

While waiting in my camp for the order of General Grant to move
to the scene of action General Wallace manifested great anxiety
to move forward, and did move immediately on receipt of the
order. Very respectfully,

JOHN M. THAYER,

Late Brig. Gen'l and B'v't Maj Gen'l of Vols.

General Grant to General Wallace:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES.

WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH, 10, 1868.

MY DEAR GENERAL:

Enclosed herewith, I return your letters from officers of the
Army who served with you at the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee,
giving their statement of your action on that occasion. I can
only state that my orders to you were given verbally to a Staff
Officer to communicate, and that they were substantially as
given by General Badeau in his book. I always understood that
the Staff Officer referred to, Captain Baxter, made a memorandum
of the order he received and left it with you. That memorandum I
never saw.

The statements which I now return seem to exonerate you from
this great point of blame, your taking the wrong road, or
different road from the one directed from Crump's Landing to
Pittsburg Landing. All your subsequent military career showed
you active and ready in the execution of every order you
received. Your promptness in moving from Baltimore to Monocacy,
Maryland, in 1864, and meeting the enemy in force far superior
to your own, when Washington was threatened, is a case
particularly in point, where you could scarcely have hoped for a
victory; but you delayed the enemy, and enabled me to get troops
from City Point, Virginia, in time to save the city. That act I
regarded as most praiseworthy. I refer you to my report of 1865,
touching your course there.

In view of the assaults made upon you now, I think it due to
you, that you should publish what your ow