Story of Shiloh by Eisenschiml

The Story of Shiloh by Otto Eisenschiml

Otto Eisenschiml's book on Shiloh is not that interesting as a battle book is concerned. He covers the battle in about 45 pages. He hits the main points and even devotes some time to Colonel Thomas Worthington's complaints of Sherman.

But what sets this book apart is that Eisenschiml tells of his 1925 trip to the park when he spent three days touring the battlefield with superintendent De Long Rice. He also met Augusta Inge, who secretly gave Albert Sidney Johnston his last meal by slipping some sandwiches and cake into his jacket and would also clean his dead body upon its return to Corinth. He also found a little book by Rice in a Corinth bookshop and gives Rice some good natured ribbing the next day why Rice had not told him about the book. These stories are the true worth of this book. These people must have made quite a mark on Eisenschiml as he then gives little biographies of them.

Eisenschiml was from Chicago so one day he paid a visit to Chicago sculptor Frederick C. Hibbard, who designed and sculpted the Confederate monument at Shiloh. As this book was published by the Chicago Civil War Round Table he also included a list of all the round table's presentations, at this point they were only 5 years old, that was 63 years ago. One curiosity of the book is that in the front Eisenschiml wrote, "This book is not copyrighted. Any portion of it may be quoted or reprinted without restrictions." Maybe I should make a few hundred reprints so that more people could read this book.