In an earlier post, I talked about the two Captains James Houghton at the Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburgh Landing) in April, 1862. Since then, I've received my copy of the Spring, 2012, issue of Crossroads, the quarterly bulletin of the Marshall County (Indiana) Historical Society. Page 4 of the bulletin reproduced a memoir of the battle by Captain James E. Houghton. The account is headed "Two Days Fight on the 7th of April at Battle of Shiloh 1862, Miles H. Tibbits Post G. A. R., Plymouth, Indiana, February 7, 1886." That may suggest that these were notes for, or someone's transcription of, a speech to the Grand Army of the Republic, but as I haven't consulted the original, I am not sure about that detail.
In any case, the MCHS version is helpfully posted on-line on Facebook, here:
https://www.facebook.com/1Book1Town/posts/205279356246824
Here are a few notes, mostly gathered from Wikipedia:
Capt. Houghton's Company I was part of the 29th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. David M. Dunn. This was in turn part of the 5th Brigade (Col. Edward N. Kirk) in the 2nd Division (Brigadier General Alexander M. McCook) of Major General Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Ohio.
Major General Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Tennesse was bivouacked around Shiloh Church and Pittsburgh Landing, in southern Tennessee, just north of Corinth, Mississippi. He was awaiting Buell's arrival with the Army of the Ohio, the plan being for the two Armies to join forces and move south, under the overall command of Major General Henry W. Halleck, to capture the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.
The Confederate Army of Mississippi, under Major General Albert Sidney Johnson, caught Grant's Army by surprise on the morning of Sunday, April 5th. In fact, Grant himself was about 10 miles away from Pittsburgh Landing, in the town of Savannah, Tennessee, recuperating from an accident. (Captain Houghton's unit spent the night of the 5th in Savannah.)
"... After we had the stringers in place, we stoped in order that troops should pass which were Roussau's and Johnson's & completed the bridge."
Brigadier General Lovell H. Rousseau commanded the 4th Brigade in McCook's 2nd Division; Johnson's troops were probably the 28th Illinois Regiment, under the command of Col. Amory K. Johnson, but possibly the 11th Illinois Cavalry's 3rd battalion, under Maj. James F. Johnson: both of these were elements of Maj. Gen. Ulysses S Grant's Army of the Tennessee.
"Taylor and Lexington"
USS Tyler and USS Lexington were sidewheel steamers which had been commissioned by the United States and converted to gunboats.
" ...we mad our weary way into the streets of Savanah about 11:30 PM"
Savannah, TN, about 10 miles north of the battlefield
"... Some time befor daylight"
That is, on April 7, the second day of the battle
"... between Crittenden on our left to Haskert on our right"
Brigadier General Thomas L. Crittenden commanded the Fifth Division of the Army of the Ohio. I'm not sure whom Capt. Houghton means by "Haskert." McCook's Second Division was in fact between Crittenden and Brigadier General William "Bull" Nelson's Fourth Division
"The 30th Ind"
Commanded by Colonel Sion M. Bass, also part of Col. Edward Kirk's 5th Brigade.
"Gen. Prentiss' troops"
Brigadier General Benjamin M. Prentiss commanded the 6th Division of the Army of the Tennessee. His Division and the Second Division of Brigadier General W. H. L. Wallace (not to be confused with Indiana's Major General Lew Wallace, the later author of Ben-Hur, who spent most of the day marching his division to the wrong place and back again; W. H. L. Wallace was mortally wounded in the battle) held off repeated Confederate charges over the course of the late morning and early afternoon. Prentiss's Division was eventually forced to surrender, though not before they had gained time for the rest of Grant's Army to regroup.
"P_____ of victory..."
As I said, I haven't seen the original, but I suspect this is "paeans," that is, "hymns of triumph."
