Geography

In Chapter 6, Jethro learns from a neighbor of the Battle of Shiloh, near Pittsburg Landing, in Tennessee.

Grant’s Union forces were attacked by surprise at Pittsburg Landing, on the southwestern bank of the Tennessee River.

Eager to revive his failing reputation, Confederate General Johnston decided, despite the fact that his 40,000 troops were poorly equipped, to attack Grant’s Union forces before Don Carlos Buell could reinforce the Union army with 36,000 troops from Nashville.

On April 6th, the Confederates took Sherman’s advance division by surprise, announced only by a reconnaissance force that encountered the Southern troops, and managed to give the alarm so that the Federals got in to line of battle for the attack.

Grant was 9 miles away, on the other side of the river, at his headquarters in Savannah, when the battle began.

The Confederate troops drove the Union troops from their camp and occupied Sherman’s headquarters at the log chapel of Shiloh. Rather than following up their victory, many of the Southern soldiers stopped to plunder the camp.

Johnston, who had been directing the operations on the right of his line, was struck by a Minie ball, which severed an artery in his leg. The wound was not necessarily mortal, but he remained in his saddle until he bled to death.

The Confederates drove the Union troops nearly to the river, but Beauregard, who had been ill, put a halt to the fighting at about 6:00 p.m.

With the Confederate troops hopelessly entangled, poorly equipped, and fatigued, the arrival of Buell’s Union troops late that afternoon and during the night enabled the Federal forces to change the tide of the battle.

While the Union lost more men at Shiloh than the Confederacy, the number of Confederate forces lost was equivalent to more than a quarter of its entire strength, and the battle was considered to be a Union win.

• Estimated Casualties = 23,746
• North = 13,047
• South = 10,699
• Union Victory