122 The American Civil War
charges and was mortally wounded. He bled
to death while his personal physician was
helping to care for captured wounded
Federals. After several futile and suicidal
bayonet charges, the Confederates
positioned over 60 cannon in a semicircle to
rain down several hundred shells on the
Union stronghold. Practically surrounded,
Prentiss reluctantly surrendered at 5.30 pm
to save the 2,200 men left in his division.
During the remaining hour of daylight,
Grant struggled to reposition his artillery to
hold oft the anticipated final Confederate
thrust. As darkness came, so did the rains,
and the merciless fighting ended.
Now in command of the victorious
Confederate forces, Beauregard concluded
that the Federals would retreat during the
night, so he did not position his scattered
and disorganized forces to receive an
offensive. Instead, he waited for Van Dorn to
arrive from Arkansas. Buell was reportedly
too far away to reinforce Grant. But the
night rains and darkness favored the Union
army. Although both sides were exhausted,
Buell had, in fact, arrived and the four
divisions that crossed the river numbered
some 28,000 men, who were anxious to
fight. Although it had been a rough day,
Grant had been significantly reinforced and
he would assume the offensive the following
morning. As he walked the lines during the
night, he came across a fatigued General
Sherman, who had been in the thick of the
fighting all day. Sherman suggested that it
had been a horrific fight; Grant agreed, but
remarked. 'Whip 'em tomorrow, though.'
Early the following morning, the Federals
stunned the unsuspecting Confederates with
an overwhelming counteroffensive.
Throughout the morning and early
afternoon, the soldiers fought over the same
terrain, scattered with wounded and dead
soldiers and horses, and half-submerged
artillery pieces sunken by the rain. Like the
previous day, the combat was severe and
bloody. From the river, Union gunboats
lobbed scores of shells down on the