Battle of Shiloh Tennessee - April 6-7, 1862

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Battle of Shiloh Historian Page     One Month after the Union had defeated Confederate troops at Fort Henry and Donelson, General Halleck ordered General Grant (Union) to secure Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee River. Once there he was to wait for the Army of the Ohio (from Nashville), commanded by General Buell. With their combine forces, the two generals planned to attack the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. General Johnston (Confederate) decided to attack the Union forces, who threatened the Confederacies only east-west supply route, before Buell's troops could arrive to support Grant. Johnston approached the Pittsburg Landing with 43,938 men on April 3, 1862. (April 6, 1862) The Confederate forces came upon the unaware Union troops at about six in the morning. They had caught the Union off guard, and seeing how it was Palm Sunday, many soldiers had yet to awaken at the time the attack began. Not long into the morning, the Confederacy discovered that this was not going to be an easy win. The Federal forces held a strong opposition and fought Johnston's company near the area of the Shiloh Church. The Union's stubborn resilience left a terrible amount of soldiers being either killed or wounded on both sides. General Grant's forces were forced to abandon their position after having endured Confederate attacks for seven hours. The remaining Union soldiers managed to create a suitable outpost by Pittsburg Landing and were able to survive the first day of battle. (April 7, 1862) The Army of Ohio, commanded by General Buell, arrived at the Pittsburg Landing during the night. Not long after, a special reserve division of General Grant's arrived. This brought about 22,500 reinforcements to the Union. Now Grant was ready to strike back against the Confederacy. General Beauregard (Confederate) put up a strong defense of about 30,000 men, but the Union overpowered them. Beauregard was forced to admit that his tried troops would not last long against the fresh Union reserves. He retreated to Corinth and the battle grounds were left in the possession of the Federals. Therefore, dispite the terrible loss of lifes, this was still consitered a victory for the Union.   The battle of Shiloh left 23,746 men being either killed, wounded, or missing. That is more men than all of the previous American battles combine. Shiloh let the world know that the Civil War was serious, and that it would not soon come to an end.   `~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ General Albert Sidney Johnston was the Confederacy's oldest active general (58 years old). He had an admiral reputation and was despised by Ulysses S. Grant. He was killed in the Battle of Shiloh. Ulysses S. Grant were reputed to be a drunkard and a failure. But during the Civil War he turned out to be the Union's most valuable general. As we know, after the Civil War, he was elected as the eighteenth President of the United States.           Significant Events in 1862 -The United States and Great Britain signed a treaty for the suppression of the slave trade. -English African explorer, John Speke, confirms that the Lake Victoria is the source of the Nile. -A second London Great International Exhibition includes a display of Japanese arts and crafts that stir demand for Japanese silks, prints, porcelains, bronzes, lacquer ware, and bric-a-brac. -Paraguay's dictator dies and his megalomaniac son, Franciso Solano Lopez, becomes President and begins a disastrous 8-year rule.

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