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we approached the landing, they amounted to whole companies, and almost regiments; and at the landing the bank swarmed with a confused mass of men of various regiments.
The number could not have been less than four or five thousand, and later in the day it became much greater.
Finding General Grant at the landing, I requested him to send steamers to Savannah to bring up General Crittenden's division, which had arrived during the morning, and then went ashore with him. The throng of disorganized and demoralized troops increased continually by fresh fugitives from the battle, which steadily drew nearer the landing; and with these were mingled great numbers of teams, all striving to get as near as possible to the river.
With few exceptions, all efforts to form the troops and move them forward to the fight utterly failed.
In the mean time the enemy had made such progress against our troops that his artillery and musketry began to play into the vital spot of the position, and some persons were killed on the bank at the very landing.
General Nelson arrived with Colonel Ammen's brigade at this opportune moment.
It was immediately posted to meet the attack at that point, and with a battery of artillery which happened to be on the ground, and was brought into action, opened fire on the enemy, and repulsed him. The action of the gunboats also contributed very much to that result.
The attack at that point was not renewed, night having come on, and the firing ceased on both sides.
In the mean time the remainder of General Nelson's division crossed, and General Crittenden's arrived from Savannah by steamers.
Badeau says (page 84):
A battery of artillery, well posted by Colonel Webster, of Grant's staff, did good service at this juncture, and the gunboats were also of importance, as they had been for some time previous, in checking the advance of the enemy on the extreme left.
Both sides were now crippled and both fatigued, the extraordinary efforts of the day telling hard on either army.... It was nearly five o'clock when the head of Nelson's column crossed the river; but, after once starting his troops, this commander was prompt in marching them, and the men themselves were eager to get into battle and assist their hard-pushed comrades.
Two of Nelson's regiments were put in position, on the extreme left; and, as a final spasmodic attack was made by the rebels, these regiments fired two or three volleys and lost three men; but it was too late then to affect the fortunes of the day. The exhaustion consequent upon their earlier efforts told upon the rebels as well as upon the national troops.
General Hurlbut, in a letter to the writer, says that he had “at least four thousand steady infantry in line” to the right of the artillery massed under
Colonel Webster.
He also thinks they could have repelled an attack upon them. . But the contemporaneous reports of his subordinates lead to different conclusions.
General Nelson says in his report that, in obedience to orders from
General Grant, reiterated by
General Buell, he left
Savannah at half-past 1 o'clock, and marched up the bank at
Pittsburg Landing, with the head of his column, at five o'clock. He continues:
