The Epic Battle of Shiloh
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The Epic Battle of Shiloh
By: Brian Semich
Mr. Gavin
HIST 2030 05
Abstract (Summary of Report)
The First Day
April 6, 1862
With the loss of Forts Henry and Donelson in February, General Johnston withdrew his Confederate forces into west Tennessee, northern Mississippi and Alabama to reorganize. In early March, General Halleck responded by ordering General Grant to move his Union Army of West Tennessee on an invasion up the Tennessee River.
Occupying Pittsburg Landing, Grant had no thought of a Confederate attack. Hallecks instructions were that following the arrival of General Buells Army of the Ohio from Nashville, Grant would move south in a joint offensive to seize the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, the Confederacys only east-west all weather supply route that linked the lower Mississippi Valley to cities on the Confederacys east coast.
Assisted by General Beauregard, Johnston shifted his forces and placed almost 55,000 men around Corinth. Strategically located where the Memphis & Charleston crossed the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, Corinth was the western Confederacys most important rail junction.
On April 3, realizing Buell would soon reinforce Grant, Johnston launched an offensive with his Army of the Mississippi. Moving upon Pittsburg Landing with 43,938 men, Johnston planned to surprise Grant, cut his army off from retreat to the Tennessee River, and drive the Federals west into the swamps of Owl Creek.
In the light of dawn, April 6, a small Federal reconnaissance discovered Johnstons army deployed for battle astride the Corinth road, just a mile beyond the forward Federal camps. Storming forward, the Confederates found the Federal position unfortified. By mid-morning, the Confederates seemed within easy reach of victory, overrunning one frontline Union division and capturing its camp. However, stiff resistance on the Federal right entangled Johnstons brigades in a savage fight around Shiloh Church. Throughout the day, Johnstons army hammered the Federal right, which gave ground but did not break.
Meanwhile, Johnstons attack stalled in front of Sarah Bells peach orchard and the dense oak thicket labeled the “hornets nest” by the Confederates. Grants left flank withstood Confederate assaults for seven crucial hours before being forced to yield ground in the late afternoon. Despite inflicting heavy casualties and seizing ground, the Confederates only drove Grant towards the river, instead of away from it. The Federal survivors established a solid front before Pittsburg Landing and stopped the last Confederate charge as dusk ended the first day of fighting.
The Second Day
April 7, 1862
Shilohs first day of slaughter also witnessed the death of the Confederate leader, General Johnston, who fell at mid-afternoon, struck down by a stray bulle. At dusk, the advance division of General Buells Federal Army of the Ohio reached Pittsburg Landing, and crossed the river to file into line on the Union left during the night. Buells arrival, led by Major General Lewis Wallace, fed over 22,500 reinforcements into the Union lines. On April 7, Grant renewed the fighting with an aggressive counterattack.
Taken by surprise, General Beauregard managed to rally 30,000 of his badly disorganized Confederates, and mounted a defense. Inflicting heavy casualties on the Federals, Beauregards troops temporarily halted the determined Union advance. However, strength in numbers provided Grant with a decisive advantage. By mid-afternoon, as waves of fresh Federal troops swept forward, pressing the Confederates back to Shiloh Church, Beauregard realized his armies peril and ordered a retreat.
General Johnstons massive and rapid concentration at Corinth, and surprise attack on Grant at Pittsburg Landing, had presented the Confederacy with an opportunity to reverse the course of the war. The aftermath, however, left the invading Union forces still poised to carry out the capture of the Corinth rail junction. Shilohs awesome toll of 23,746 men killed, wounded, or missing brought a shocking realization to both sides that the war would not end quickly.
History Project
After living in Tennessee for nineteen years, I finally got in the car and drove the on hundred miles to see the battlefield of Shiloh. As you will see in the pictures that I have with this paper,