line of artillery, behind and to the right of which stood Hurlbut's
command.

While there was this activity at the front, the aspect at the rear,
about Shiloh Church, where General Beauregard kept his position, was
very different. As the Confederate lines advanced, men dropping out of
the ranks filled the woods with a penumbra of stragglers. Hunger and
fatigue, stimulated by the remembrance of abandoned camps passed
through, later in the day led squads--Beauregard and some of his staff
say, led regiments--to straggle back from the fighting front to the
restful and attractive rear. Language cannot be stronger than that used
by General Beauregard. The fire of the gunboats, many of the shells
passing over the high river-bank and exploding far inland, appeared even
more formidable than it really was; and Beauregard was assured by a
despatch, which he received that day on the field, that Buell, instead
of being near Pittsburg, was, in fact, before Florence, and could not
effect a junction. It must have been about five o'clock or a little
later when Beauregard sent an order to his command to retire and go into
bivouac. The order was delivered by his staff not only to corps
commanders, but directly to commanders of divisions and brigades.
General Ruggles, while attempting to assemble a force in pursuance of
Bragg's order, received the command to retire.

According to Withers' report, he moved his division forward and just
entered a steep and precipitous ravine when he was met by a terrific
fire. He sent to the rear for reinforcements and ordered his brigade
commanders to charge the batteries in front. The orders were about being
obeyed, when, to his astonishment, he observed a large portion of his
command move rapidly by the left flank away from under the fire. He then
learned that this was in accordance with General Beauregard's orders,
delivered directly to the brigade commanders. Jackson reports that he
began a charge, but his men, being without ammunition, could not be
urged up the height in face of the fire of Hurlbut and the batteries.
Leaving his men lying down, he rode to the rear to get an order to
withdraw, when he met a staff officer bearing such an order from General
Beauregard. General Chalmers plunged into the ravine, and the order to
retire did not reach him. He was not aware that his brigade alone, of
all the Confederate Army, was continuing the battle. He brought Gage's
battery up to his aid, but this batter