Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was a significant engagement during the American Civil War, occurring from April 6 to 7, 1862, at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. This ground battle involved approximately 66,812 Union troops led by General Ulysses S. Grant and around 44,699 Confederate soldiers under General Albert Sidney Johnston. The battle commenced with a surprise attack by Johnston's forces on Grant's camp, leading to intense fighting that featured the largest artillery concentration seen in North America up to that time.
Despite initial Confederate successes, including forcing the Union troops to retreat, the tide turned overnight with the arrival of Union reinforcements under General Don Carlos Buell. The following day, the Union launched a counterattack, resulting in a Confederate retreat to Corinth, Mississippi. The battle concluded with substantial casualties—13,087 for the Union and 10,697 for the Confederates. The Union's victory at Shiloh was pivotal, allowing them to secure control over the crucial Mississippi River Valley, marking a significant moment in the early stages of the war.
Battle of Shiloh
- Type of action: Ground battle in the American Civil War
- Date: April 6-7, 1862
- Location: Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee (Tennessee River; 110 miles east of Memphis)
- Combatants: 66,812 Union vs. 44,699 Confederate forces
- Principal commanders:Union, Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885); Confederate, Albert Sidney Johnston (1803–1862)
- Result: Union defeat of Confederate forces
On April 6, 1862, about 44,700 Confederate troops under the command of Albert Sidney Johnston launched a surprise attack on Ulysses S. Grant’s Union troops camped at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. During twelve hours of fighting, Confederate forces concentrated sixty-two pieces of artillery in the “hornet’s nest,” which was the largest concentration to this date of artillery on the North American continent. General Johnston was fatally wounded, and General P. G. T. Beauregard replaced him as commander of the Confederate troops. Despite Grant’s attempts to make a strong defensive stand, the Confederates forced his troops to retreat to the Tennessee River. The first day of fighting ended at dark.
During the night, Union General Don Carlos Buell arrived from Nashville with 17,918 reinforcements. With fresh troops increasing his strength, Grant attacked the Confederates at dawn. Beauregard, unable to position his troops effectively, retreated to Corinth, Mississippi. Union casualties were 13,087 and Confederates 10,697.
Significance
The Confederate defeat at Shiloh helped the Union army gain control of the Mississippi River Valley.
Resources
Allen, Stacy. “Shiloh.” Blue and Gray, Winter-Summer, 1997, 6–65.
"Apr 7, 1862 CE: Battle of Shiloh." National Geographic, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/battle-shiloh/. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
"Battle of Shiloh." National Park Service, 14 Apr. 2015, www.nps.gov/shil/learn/historyculture/shiloh-history.htm. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Daniels, Larry J. Shiloh. Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Frank, Allen, and George A. Reaves. “Seeing the Elephant”: Raw Recruits at Shiloh. Greenwood Press, 1989.
McDonough, James Lee. Shiloh in Hell Before Night. University of Tennessee Press, 1977.
"Shiloh." American Battlefield Trust, www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/shiloh. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Sword, Wiley. Shiloh: Bloody April. Morningside Press, 1974.