angles with the river.
A few troops were placed between the artillery and the river. The
gunboats _Tyler_ and _Lexington_, commanded, respectively, by naval
Lieutenants Grim and Shirk, were close to the mouth of the ravine,
and when the last desperate attack came their fire materially aided
in repulsing it. Next on Hurlburt's right came McClernand's
division, also extending westward; then Sherman's, making almost a
right angle by extending its right northward towards Snake Creek,
to the overflowed lands and swamp just below the mouth of Owl Creek.
Broken portions of other divisions and organizations were intermixed
in this line, the three divisions named being the only ones on the
field still intact.( 8) In this position Grant's army received at
sunset and repelled the last Confederate assault, hurling back,
for the last time on that memorable Sunday, the assailing hosts.
Dismayed, disappointed, disheartened, if not defeated, the Confederate
Army was withdrawn for bivouac for the night to the region of the
Union camps of the morning. After firing had ceased, Lew Wallace
reached the field on Sherman's right.

It is known that many stragglers appeared during the day in the
rear of the Union Army, and soon assembled near the Tennessee in
considerable numbers. The troops were new and undisciplined, and
it was consequently hard for the officers to maintain the organizations
and keep the men in line; but it is doubtful whether the number of
stragglers, considering the character of the battle, was greater
than usual, and they were not greater than, if as great as, in the
rear of the Confederate Army. An advancing and apparently successful
army in battle usually has comparatively few stragglers in the
rear, but the plan of fighting adopted by Johnston and Beauregard,
in masses, often in close column by regiments, proved so destructive
of life as to cause brave men to shrink from the repeated attacks.

However, the gallantry displayed by the attacking force, and the
stubborn defensive battle maintained by the Union Army, have seldom,
if ever, been excelled or equalled by veteran troops in any war by
any race or in any age.

Union officers of high rank may perhaps be justly criticised for
not having been better prepared for the battle by intrenchments,
concentration, etc., but certainly both officers and soldiers
deserve high commendation for their heroic, bloody, and successful
resistance after the conflict began. Ab