Wednesday, June 4, 2008

WHL Wallace's Division

This is the headquarters monument for WHL Wallace's Division. It is located near Pittsburg Landing, it was the nearest headquarters to the landing.
As any casual reader of the battle of Shiloh knows WHL Wallace was mortally wounded here. In one of those odd twists of fate his wife had just arrived from Illinois on the morning of April 6th for a surprise visit. She spent most of the day acting as a nurse at the landing as she waited for word of how her husband had fared. He was mortally wounded while leading his men away from the Sunken Road defenses. He seemed to be a rising star in the army having done a good job at Fort Donelson and he had another fine day at Shiloh. I believe that if he had lived he would have continued to rise and be listed among the other good division and corps commanders in the West. His men had to leave his body behind but recovered it the next day. He was taken to the Cherry Mansion in Savannah where his wife tended to him. He died on April 10th, he was the highest ranking Union officer to die at Shiloh. His daughter wrote a biography in 1909 that has been reprinted recently. Very cheap copies are available on amazon.
Second Division - Brig. Gen. William H. L. Wallace (mortally wounded), Col. James M. Tuttle
First Brigade - Col. James M. Tuttle
2d Iowa
7th Iowa
12th Iowa
14th Iowa

Second Brigade - Brig. Gen. John McArthur (wounded), Col. Thomas Morton
9th Illinois
12th Illinois
13th Missouri
14th Missouri
81st Ohio
Third Brigade - Col. Thomas W. Sweeny (wounded), Col. Silas D. Baldwin
8th Iowa
7th Illinois
50th Illinois
52d Illinois
57th Illinois
58th Illinois
Artillery
Willard's Battery (A), 1st Illinois Light Artillery, Lieut. Peter P. Wood
Maj. J. S. Cavender's Battalion Missouri Artillery:
Richardson's Battery (D), 1st Missouri Light Artillery, Capt. Henry Richardson
Welker's Battery (H), 1st Missouri Light Artillery, Capt. Frederick Welker
Stone's Battery (K), 1st Missouri Light Artillery, Capt. George H. Stone
Cavalry
Company A, 2d Illinois Cavalry, Capt. John R. Hotaling
Company B, 2d Illinois Cavalry, Capt. Thomas J. Larison
Company C, 2d United States Cavalry, Lieut. James Powell
Company I, 4th United States Cavalry, Lieut. James Powell

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