the timber, then
deploying in line opened fire. Willich became subject to so hot a
fire--mainly, he reports, from the National troops--that he was
compelled to retire. Dressing his lines he charged again. Observing
undue excitement in his men, he halted the regiment, and in the midst of
the battle exercised the men in the manual of arms. Having thus steadied
them, he resumed the charge and again drove the enemy into the timber.
Rousseau's command having exhausted their cartridges, Kirk's brigade
took place in the line, while Rousseau, behind them, replenished from
the supply which General McCook had already procured. Gibson's brigade
having now arrived, was deployed, about two o'clock, on the left. The
two armies were concentrating about Shiloh Church. Gibson's left flank
being twice threatened and partially turned, the Forty-ninth Ohio twice,
under fire, changed front to the rear on the right company with
precision. Veatch's brigade, of Hurlbut's division, which had been
acting in reserve, was moved forward by McCook and extended his left.
The division being now sorely pressed by the enemy's artillery, Major
Taylor, Sherman's chief of artillery, brought forward Bouton's battery
and assigned part to each brigade. The section assigned to Gibson
quickly silenced the batteries in his front. McCook was now connected
with the forces to his right.

McClernand's command consisted--Monday morning--of the Forty-sixth
Illinois, of Hurlbut's division, constituting his right; the Twentieth,
Seventeenth, Forty-third, Forty-fifth, Forty-eighth, and Forty-ninth
Illinois, of his own division, being his First and Second Brigades, and,
on his left, the Fifty-third Ohio, of Sherman's division, and the
Eighty-first Ohio, of W.H.L. Wallace's division. Except the two flanking
regiments, the Forty-sixth Illinois and the Eighty-first Ohio, the
regiments were extremely reduced. After firing had opened by Nelson and
by Lewis Wallace, McClernand moved across the ravine of Brier Creek to
the large open field, where his line was dressed; McAllister's battery
was brought up and engaged a battery posted beyond, or in the proper
front of, McClernand's First Brigade camp. Lewis Wallace's batteries
beyond the timber to the northwest, and a battery with Sherman in the
same direction, joined in the artillery combat. The Confederate battery
becoming silent, McClernand moved forward and entered the camp of his
First Brigade, being the northwestern extremit