The hardest fighting during the first day was done in front of the divisions of Sherman and McClernand. "A casualty to Sherman," says Gen. Grant, "that would have taken him from the field that day would have been a sad one for the Union troops engaged at Shiloh. And how near we came to this! On the 6th Sherman was shot twice, once in the hand, once in the shoulder, the ball cutting his coat and making a slight wound, and a third ball passed through his hat. In addition to this he had several horses shot during the day." During the second day of the battle Gen. Grant, Col. McPherson and Maj. Hawkins got beyond the left of our troops. There did not appear to be an enemy in sight, but suddenly a battery opened on them from the edge of the woods. They made a hasty retreat and when they were at a safe distance halted to take an account of the damage. In a few moments Col. McPherson's horse dropped dead, having been shot just back of the saddle. A ball had passed through Maj. Hawkins' hat and a ball had struck the metal of Gen. Grant's sword, breaking it nearly off. On the first day of the battle about 6,000 fresh recruits who had never before heard the sound of musketry, fled on the approach of the enemy. They hid themselves on the river bank behind the bluff, and neither command nor persuasion could induce them to move. When Gen. Buell discovered them on his arrival he threatened to fire on them, but it had no effect. Gen. Grant says that afterward those same men proved to be some of the best soldiers in the service. Gen. Grant, in his report, says he was prepared with the reinforcements of Gen. Lew Wallace's division of 5,000 men to assume the offensive on the second day of the battle, and thought he could have driven the rebels back to their fortified position at Corinth without the aid of Buell's army. * * * * *