Very soon the sound of artillery and musketry announced that General Prentiss was engaged; and about 9 A.M.I judged that he was falling back.
About this time Appler's regiment broke in disorder, followed by Mungen's regiment, and the enemy pressed forward on Waterhouse's battery thereby exposed.
The three Illinois regiments in immediate support of this battery stood for some time; but the enemy's advance was so vigorous, and the fire so severe, that when Colonel Raith, of the Forty-third Illinois, received a severe wound and fell from his horse, his regiment and the others manifested disorder, and the enemy got possession of three guns of this (Waterhouse's) battery.

Although our left was thus turned, and the enemy was pressing our whole line, I deemed Shiloh so important, that I remained by it and renewed my orders to Colonels McDowell and Buckland to hold their ground; and we did hold these positions until about 10 a.m., when the enemy had got his artillery to the rear of our left flank and some change became absolutely necessary.

Two regiments of Hildebrand's brigade--Appler's and Mungen's--had already disappeared to the rear, and Hildebrand's own regiment was in disorder.

I therefore gave orders for Taylor's battery--still at Shiloh--to fall back as far as the Purdy and Hamburg road, and for McDowell and Buckland to adopt that road as their new line.

I rode across the angle and met Behr's battery at the cross-roads, and ordered it immediately to come into battery, action right.