the battle opened up when the combat patrol sent out by everett peabody under the command of major james pal, three companies of the 25th missouri and two companies of the 12th michigan infantry, participated in the first fighting in the battle of shiloh out in frehley field. and the first known participant of the battle named, recorded as wounded was a frederick klingler of the 25th missouri infantry. this is klingler's sword and the metal components of the associated scabbard. and this has an inscription on it. the bearer of this sword, if jay klingler, lieutenant, company b, 25th missouri infantry, was the first officer wounded sunday morning, 4:45, would have been a.m., in the battle of shiloh and remained 2 1/2 days on the battlefield. so this is klingler's sword that he would have carried with him into combat. and then subsequent ly retained and it would be inscribed. this was one of the newest pieces of the park collection donated to the park. i hope to get this on permanent display soon because it's so iconic with a very prominent part of the shiloh story, the opening of the batt

his name was colonel everett peabody. on the morning of april 6th, 1862, peabody violates orders and orders out a combat reconnaissance, because he is fearful that there is something in front of them based upon the way he is reading the intelligence, and he is not going to be -- his brigade, his brigade is not going to be caught unawares. and he sends out a combat reconnaissance. did peabody believe that the entire confederate army is out there? probably not. but he knew something was out there, and he wanted more intelligence. so he didn't tell prentice he was sending out a combat patrol. he didn't tell sherman whose force would have to march across his front to perform its patrol. he didn't tell him he was sending it out. so nobody knew a federal force, roughly five companies of infantry at 3:00 in the morning on april 6th started marching to the south-southwest towards corinth road here. away from prentice's camps. by about 4:55:00 a.m., they had reached a point a little more than 3/4 of a mile when three shots range o