Bibliography

“Battle of Shiloh.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. 24 Feb. 2006 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shiloh

Fighting Forces

The Union forces were lead by Major General Ulysses S. Grant and Major General Don Carlos Buell. The Confederate forces were led by General Albert Sidney Johnston and General P.G.T. Beauregard. The Union forces consisted of the Army of the Tennessee and Army of Ohio (65,085) and the Confederate forces consisted of the Army of the Mississippi (44,968)

The Objective of the Confederate Army was to launch an offensive against Major General Grant and his forces in Mississippi. The main goals of the Union were to defer the attacks set upon them by the Confederate forces and push them back.

Weapons and Clothing

 

The weapons used, though not documented, were probably standard issue weapons, like Sharp’s rifles, swords for the leaders, and muskets for the soldiers.

Confederate soldiers wore grey uniforms usually with red sashes and grey caps. Higher ranking officers were also decorated with patches and insignia to display their rank. Union soldiers wore blue uniforms while the officers wore similar patches and insignia.

The Battle Day by Day

On the first day of the Battle of Shiloh General Albert Sidney Johnston, of the Confederate States of America, launched a surprise attack on Ulysses S. Grant’s Union forces. At the time, Grant was aboard a Steamboat meeting with Navy Officials in the Tennessee river. As the attack commenced Confederate forces pushed forward, disobeyeing orders to roll up the right side of the Union patrols, somewhat flanking the enemy. While this plan was not succesfully carried out the element of surprise made the attack successful. The bulk of the Union forces were beat back, and many of the troops abandoned their patrol and fled towards the river. It is suspected that Johnston was killed early in the charge, probably by one of his own men as he rushed ahead of his own troops on horseback. A gunshot to the back of his knee reinflicted an old wound, causing him to bleed to death in a nearby stream.

Upon Grant’s late arrival, Union General Wallace was called to reinforce Grant, but communication misunderstandings led to a mistake in movement. Wallace decided to take an extended route around the enemy, but his plans were crushed when he realized he had already passed by both forces. As the day drew to a close Major General Don Carlos Buell arrived with his reinforcements, an element unknown to the Confederates.

On April 7 Beauregard prepared for a second attack but his plans failed when he realized he was now greatly outnumbered. At this time Generals Grant and Buell launched two attacks in separate directions, meeting again in the middle to spearhead the Confederate forces. The attack left the Confederate Troops devastated, and they were forced to retreat to Corinth. At this point the Union forces were too tired to pursue, a move later criticized, but they knew they had already won the battle.

Shiloh Terrain

Shiloh consists of almost 4,000 acres of land and is located in Hardin County in Tennessee. It is made mostly of flat land and dirt paved roads, though some areas are hilly, like the Hornet’s Nest. The Shiloh Battlefield is bordered by the Tennessee River, which is 650 miles long and runs throughout the Southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley.

The Union had a major advantage in fighting in this area for two reasons. First, the Tennessee river was filled with Union Naval Support, so if pushed back too far the River reinforcements were in place to back up the Union Soldiers. The Hornet’s Nest also provided a key point of attack for the Union forces that were forced backwards into this area. This gave them an advantage when Confederate forces came marching over the hill.

Brief Introduction

The Battle of Shiloh is considered the first major battle of the Western Theatre. This was decisively a massive win for the Union Forces, which resulted in the death of General Johnston on the Confederate side. By the time this bloody battle was over there were an estimated 23,746 total casualties, more than the combined casualties of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War.

Welcome

Welcome to the official Battle of Shiloh mini-site, dedicated to the well known Civil War Battle. This site was created as a part of my American History Course for my Module 4 Battlefield Project.

My name is Kevin and I’m a 15 year old high school student. I’ve been homeschooled for the past three years and take all of my courses through the Florida Virtual School. I’m currently in the tenth grade and am enrolled in multiple course, two of which are AP. I hope you enjoy the work I’ve put into this project and find the information useful. For more information on me or to see some other sites I have created feel free to visit my portfolio and my blog.