Fighting Consumes Bell's Farm

Fighting Consumes Bell's Farm. . At the time of the battle, the fields and woods surrounding you were part of the Widow Sarah Bell's farm. This sector of the Union line, under the command of General Stephen A. Hurlbut, ran parallel with the far side of the peach orchard in front of you, extending along both sides of the Hamburg-Savannah Road on your left. Beginning in the late morning, the Confederate right, under the personal command of General Albert Sidney Johnston, tried to dislodge Hurlbut, making several futile attempts to cross the large cotton field beyond the orchard. After three hours of intense fighting, a massive Confederate attack, during which Johnston was fatally wounded, finally forced the Union left to retire into the woods behind you. Heavy fighting continued for two more hours until Hurlbut again was forced to retire, back through his camps, toward Pittsburg Landing. The Confederates on this front now moved against the Federals defending the Hornets' Nest., We crossed a little ravine and up a slope, and relieved a regiment on the left of Hurlbut's line. This line was desperately engaged, and had been at this point, as we afterwards learned, for fully four hours. , Private Leander Stillwell , 61st Illinois Infantry, (caption) , . 1 Johnston's attack forces the Union left to fall back into the woods, except for one brigade, which retires to Pittsburg Landing. , . 2 Slightly reinforced from the Hornets' Nest, Hurlbut continues to defend the Union left for two more hours. , . 3 Union troops under Prentiss and W.H.L. Wallace continue to hold as Hurlbut retires toward Pittsburg Landing.