Third Brigade - First Division - Army of
the Tennessee
Colonel Julius Raith
This brigade of four regiments was camped along the Hamburg and Purdy road, its right near the left of the Second Brigade, in the following order from the left to right: Forty-ninth Illinois, Forty-third Illinois, Twenty-ninth Illinois, Seventeenth Illinois. Colonel Rearden, senior officer present, being sick, Colonel Raith was informed, after his regiment was in line of battle, that he was to command the brigade. Under orders from division commander, he moved the right of his brigade forward to Shiloh Church to the support of Sherman's left. In this position the brigade was attacked about 9 a.m. April 6, 1862, on its left flank by Wood and Stewart and in front by Russell and Johnson, and was driven slowly back to the crossroads, where it joined the right of the Second Brigade. Here the Seventeenth and Forty-third, while supporting Schwartz's battery, were subjected to a crossfire of artillery and lost heavily. Colonel Raith was mortally wounded. The Forty-third was surrounded and cut its way out, losing 43 men killed, that were buried in one trench near the crossroads. Lieutenant Colonel Wood, who succeeded to the command of the brigade, did not hold his brigade intact. The Seventeenth and Forty-third rallied at McClernand's third line and again at his fourth position, where they were joined by the Forty-ninth. The Seventeenth and Forty-ninth then retired to Hamburg and Savannah road. The Forty-third was engaged in the advance and retaking of the camp at noon. And then joined the Seventeenth and Forty-ninth at Hamburg and Savannah road, where the three regiments were engaged at 4:30 p.m., and bivouacked Sunday night. On Monday these regiments joined Marsh's command and served with him until the enemy retired from the field. The Twenty-ninth was engaged at Cavalry Field in resisting Pond's attack at 4:30 p.m., after which it retired to siege guns, where it remained Sunday night and Monday. McAllister's battery lost one gun at northwest corner of review field, and was afterwards engaged in McClernand's fifth and sixth positions, and at the landing at 6 p.m., and on Monday, with Marsh's brigade.
17th Illinois - Lieutenant Colonel Enos P. Wood
29th Illinois - Lieutenant Colonel Charles P. Wood
