"...and drive the enemy into Tennessee."

Responding rapidly to the tactical situation at the Hornet's Nest, at approximately 1:30 PM on April 6, Third Brigade of Ruggle's Confederate Division started forward from their position in support of the 38^th Tennessee moving “immediately to the front.” A rider, Colonel Beard (an aide of General Bragg), arrived in haste to pass the order which was promptly executed. The following is an outstanding account of the Nest from the Confederate point-of-view – the point-of-view in fact of the Confederate brigade which would eventually (as is made evident in the passage) capture the 23^rd Missouri.

We moved both regiments by the right flank rapidly forward and to the right (my men throwing off their blankets and all incumbrances [sp] to facilitate their movements) and passed through the enemy's camps (which appeared to have been the scene of severe conflict) toward the heavy firing in front, passing by the position occupied by General Beauregard, who ordered us to go forward and drive the enemy into Tennessee.

Advancing about 300 yards farther, through open woods, raked by shell from the enemy's batteries, we came up with Generals Polk, Ruggles, and Anderson. The enemy's battery, sustained by sharpshooters, occupied a hill to the right of an open field, which contained a house, a cotton-pen, some cotton bales, &c., behind which the sharpshooters were posted in considerable force.

After consultation, General Polk directed General Anderson to the right and Looney's and my regiments to the left. I found the fire so heavy from the battery and sharpshooters that in my judgment it became prudent to drive them from this stronghold before filing to the left, which we did by a charge, driving them toward their battery and from the thicket in front of it.

The two pieces of Ketchum's battery came up and were assigned position by me. Lieutenant Bond promptly responded to the heavy fire from the enemy's battery, and by his coolness and precision in a short time succeeded in silencing them. I then filed my regiment around to the left, through a heavy thicket, passing between two of our regiments (of what State I am unable to say) and, advancing under the orders of General Polk, took position in front of the enemy, who, retreating, had taken position behind fences and houses to secure themselves from the fire of our force, who were pressing them from the front. Our flank fire caused them to break and run to their quarters, where we opened a heavy fire upon them, and filing again to a more advanced position surrounded them, when the surrender of a large number took place. I myself received the swords of many of them, among whom were Colonel Morton, Twenty-third Missouri, and Captain McMichael, acting adjutant-general to General Smith. General Prentiss surrendered on the same spot some fifteen minutes after, not to me, because I was engaged in preventing the escape of those already prisoners, but, I am told, to some private of Colonel Freeman's Tennessee regiment.

That my regiment was in advance of the others at the surrender, and that I was ordered to receive the surrender by General Polk, there is no room for doubt. A flag was surrendered at the same time, but being engaged in advancing on the enemy, I lost sight of it. We also captured at this place a fine bronze 18-pounder howitzer. In the several charges incident to the final surrender of this camp we had several brave men killed and many wounded.

The enemy again formed line of battle in the woods between the camp and Pittsburg, and we formed behind the batteries placed to oppose them, and, after being shelled for some little time, the enemy broke, retreating toward Pittsburg. It is reported that the white flag was raised at this time, which is not so, as the Stars and Stripes were plainly visible.

Source: OR, Series I - Volume X, Part I, Reports. p. 523-524.

"...fighting almost without intermission."

From his winter camp in Lexington, Missouri, the recently exchanged Lieutenant Colonel Quin Morton sat down eight months after Shiloh to pen his own report to Governor Gamble concerning the 23^rd Missouri's role at Shiloh.

Report of Lieut. Col. Quin Morton, Twenty-third Missouri Infantry's

Lexington, MO., December 1, 1862

Governor: I deem it my duty to make a report of the action of the Twenty-third Regiment Missouri Volunteers at Pittsburg Landing April 6:

At 7 a.m., by order of Col. J.T. Tindall, I marched the regiment in the direction of General Prentiss' camp. After marching about 2 miles an officer of General Prentiss' staff ordered us to halt and prepare for action, which was promptly done. As soon as the regiment was placed in position the enemy opened fire on us from a battery at about 400 yards' distance, which continued without intermission for two hours. We were then ordered to change our position and to engage a large force of the enemy who were pressing upon the center, which was done. After a severe engagement at the distance of 25 or 30 yards we drove the enemy back, not, however, without serious loss.

We held the position assigned us until 4 p.m., fighting almost without intermission, at which time we were ordered to change our front to meet the enemy, who had outflanked us. Here we fought until 5 o'clock, driving the enemy back, although they charged us frequently during the time. Again we were compelled to change our position, and soon after this change we were surrounded and fired upon from front and rear by two batteries and infantry. Here there was a most terrible shower of shot and shell. We repulsed the enemy in our rear and determined to try and reach the main body of the army, which had fallen back to the river, and in the effort to lead our now broken forces back the gallant and much-lamented Colonel Tindall fell, shot through the body, after having done his duty most nobly during the day. After retiring about 200 yards we were met by a large force of the enemy and compelled to surrender at about 6 p.m., after ten hours' almost incessant fighting.

Officers and men behaved nobly. I feel it my duty to mention the gallant conduct of Maj. John McCullough, who displayed great coolness and bravery throughout the day.

Captains Dunlap, Robinson, and Brown, Adjutant Martin, and Lieutenants Munn and Simms were wounded. 30 privates were killed, about 170 wounded, and 375 were taken prisoners.

This report would have been made earlier, but being a prisoner until very recently, I have not been in a situation to make it.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

Quin Morton,

Lieutenant-Colonel Twenty-third Regiment Mo. Vols.

Source: OR, Series I-Volume X, Part I, Reports, p. 290, No. 86.

"...and a hard fought battle it was."

On April 10, 1862, four days after watching his Company E, 23rd Missouri Volunteer Infantry be decimated in the Hornet's Nest at the Battle of Shiloh, Captain Archibald Montgomery wrote home to his family:

Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. April 10, 1862.

Our expected battle is over. It came off Sunday and Monday last, and a hard fought battle it was. It lasted two days and two nights, but we shipped them. Our regiment was led out on Sunday morning in front of the hottest part of the field. We fought till evening, when the Secesh overpowered [our] regiment and some others, and took them prisoners. They, however, took only a part of our regiment. There were some out of every company who made their escape. I escaped with about forty of my company, forty of my men being taken prisoners. I found only two of my men killed -- Riley Roberts and James K. Allen. The wounded are William Watkins, badly; Harrison Hanly, very badly; William Heath, slightly; J.P. Rupe and William Lowe, in the thighs. The names of some of my men captured are Lt. Simms, Lt. Brown, John Martin, T. Brown, William Burris, F. Cummins, W. Chapman, W. Daniel, J. Daniel, J.G. Daniel, T. Daniel, R. Gray, C. Howry, J. Harper, W. Lear, M. Millspaw, J. Miller, T. Murphy, J. Noah, J. Parkerson, F.M. Rice, W. Vincent, J. Van Meter, and R. Watson.

This has been a bloody battle. Our regiment lost twenty-six killed and sixty wounded, that we know of. Our colonel was killed and our major taken prisoner. I have command of the regiment. You see we are in a bad fix, and I can't tell what we will do or where we will go. The army is still burying the dead; the bodies lay over a space of four miles square. We went out today and buried our dead; seventeen in one pit.

 
Source: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~moharris/montgomeryletter.html