als a bullet whistled back,
whistled back and cut him down, did its fatal work in the very moment in
which he felt the conviction that success now lay with the Confederate
cause.

* * * * *

His death seemed for a time to paralyze the further efforts of his
troops, to whom his presence had been a continual inspiration.

General Beauregard took command.

Night fell and the battle was stayed.

The Federals had been driven to the banks of the Tennessee River, where
the gunboats afforded but meager protection.

From Nashville, General Buell arrived before daybreak with the needed
reenforcements. Lew Wallace came in. Grant assumed the offensive; and
the afternoon of the second day of the hard-fought contest the final
victory swept to the Federals.

What would have been the result to the Confederate cause had the great
leader not fallen that first day, who can say?

"In his fall, the great pillar of the Southern Confederacy was crushed,"
says Jefferson Davis in his _Rise and Fall of the Confederate
Government_, "and beneath its fragments the best hope of the Southland
lay buried."

ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON

I HEAR again the tread of war go thundering through the land,
And Puritan and Cavalier are clinching neck and hand,
Round Shiloh church the furious foes have met to thrust and slay,
Where erst the peaceful sons of Christ were wont to kneel and pray.

The wrestling of the ages shakes the hills of Tennessee
With all their echoing mounts athrob with war's wild minstrelsy;
A galaxy of stars new-born around the shield of Mars
And set against the Stars and Stripes the flashing Stars and Bars.

'Twas Albert Sidney Johnston led the columns of the Gray,
Like Hector on the plains of Troy his presence fired the fray;
And dashing horse and gleaming sword spake out his royal will
As on the slopes of Shiloh field the blasts of war blew shrill.

"Down with the base invaders," the Gray shout forth the cry,
"Death to presumptuous rebels," the Blue ring out reply;
All day the conflict rages and yet again all day,
Though Grant is on the Union side he cannot stem nor stay.

They are a royal race of men, these brothers face to face,
Their fury speaking through their guns, their frenzy in their pace;
The sweeping onset of the Gray bears down the sturdy Blue,
Though Sherman and his legions are heroes through and