Prentiss's Division

Sixth Division - Brigadier General Benjamin M. Prentiss (captured) (OR Report) (OR Report by Quinn)

First Brigade - Col. Everett Peabody (killed) (OR Report by Moore)
21st Missouri (OR Report)
25th Missouri (OR Report)
16th Wisconsin (OR Report)
12th Michigan

Second Brigade - Col. Madison Miller (captured)
18th Missouri
61st Illinois
16th Iowa (OR Report)

Not Brigaded
18th Wisconsin
23d Missouri (OR Report)
15th Iowa (OR Report)


On the 26th day of March, 1862, General Grant, by Special Order No. 26, assigned General Prentiss to the command of unattached troops then arriving at Pittsburg Landing, with directions to organize these regiments, as they arrive upon the field, into brigades, and the brigades into a division, to be designated the Sixth Division.Under this order one brigade of four regiments, commanded by Colonel Peabody, had been organized and was encamped on west side of the Eastern Corinth road, 400 yards south of the Barnes Field. Another brigade, commanded by Colonel Miller, Eighteenth Missouri, was partially organized. Three regiments had reported and were in camp on the east side of the Eastern Corinth road. Other regiments on their way up the river had been ordered to report to General Prentiss, but had not arrived. The Sixteenth Iowa arrived on the field on the 5th and sent its morning report to General Prentiss in time to have it included in his report of present for duty that day; it was not fully equipped and did not disembark from the boat until morning of the 6th. The Fifteenth Iowa and Twenty-third Missouri arrived at the Landing Sunday morning, April 6, 1862. The Twenty-third Missouri reported to General Prentiss at his third position about 9:30 a.m., and was placed in line at once as part of his command. The Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa were, by General Grant's order, sent to the right to reinforce McClernand. They reported to him at his fifth line in Jones Field, and were hotly engaged from about 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Hickenlooper's Fifth Ohio Battery and Munch's First Minnesota Battery and two battalions of Eleventh Illinois Cavalry had been assigned to the division and were encamped in rear of the infantry. One company from each regiment was on picket 1 mile in front of the camps. On Saturday, April 5, a reconnoitering party under Colonel Moore, Twenty-first Missouri, was sent out to the front. Colonel Moore reported Confederate cavalry and some evidences of an infantry force in front, but failed to develop a regular line of the enemy. Prentiss doubled his pickets, and at 3 a.m. Sunday sent out another party of three companies of the Twenty-fifth Missouri, under Major Powell, to reconnoiter well to the front. This party encountered the Confederate picket under Major Hardcastle in Fraley's field at 4:55 a.m. These pickets at once engaged, and continued their fire until about 6:30 a.m., when the advance of the main line of Hardee's corps drove Powell back. General Prentiss, hearing the firing, formed his division at 6 a.m. and sent Peabody's brigade in advance of his camp to relieve the retiring pickets and posted Miller's brigade 300 yards in front of his camp, with batteries in the field at right and left of the Eastern Corinth road. In this position the division was attacked at 8 a.m. by the brigades of Gladden, Shaver, Chalmers, and Wood and driven back to its camp where the contest was renewed. At 9 a.m. Prentiss was compelled to abandon his camp and fall back to his third position, which he occupied at 9:05 a.m., in an old road between the divisions of Hurlbut and W. H. L. Wallace. Hickenlooper lost two guns in first position and Munch had two disabled. Each brought four guns into line at the Hornets' Nest. Prentiss was here joined by the Twenty-third Missouri, which gave him about 1,000 men at his third position. With this force he held his line against the attacks of Shaver, Stephens, and Gibson, as described in account of Tuttle's brigade, until 4 p.m. when Hurlbut fell back and Prentiss was obliged to swing his division back at right angles to Tuttle in order to protect the left flank. When Tuttle's left regiments marched to the rear Prentiss fell back behind them towards the Corinth road and was surrounded and captured at 5:30 p.m. near the forks of the Eastern Corinth road. Hickenlooper and Munch withdrew just before they were surrounded, Hickenlooper reporting to Sherman and becoming engaged in the 4:30 action on Hamburg road. Munch's battery reported to Colonel Webster and was in position at mouth of Dill Branch, where it assisted in repelling last attack Sunday night.

The above is from Reed's history of the battle.