Incredible Battle Of Shiloh Facts That All History Lovers Should Know

The battle of Shiloh is also recognized as the battle of Pittsburg Landing.

The battle of Pittsburgh Landing had a huge impact on American history. It holds significance as an unforgettable duel and a turning point in the American civil war. 

The battle of Shiloh map stretched over the Hardin County in Tennessee, roughly located in the northern region and along the bounds separating Mississippi and Alabama. Fought in April of 1862, the battle of Pittsburg Landing only lasted for two days.

But, this does not mean that this conflict is to be underestimated. This duel may not have taken more than two days, but the effects of this civil war cost a lot of lives.

The count of bodies extended well past 20,000. The aftermath was a crippling sight that depicted how horrifying this war had been.

The Confederate forces in the Western Theater were steered by General Albert S. Johnston, the then commander of the confederate army.

General Johnston wanted to defeat Ulysses S. Grant's Army of Tennessee, as it was going to be greatly fortified by Carlos Buell's Army of Ohio. Johnston's plan, however, suffered failure at the hands of Grant's troops and Buell's Army, as the strength of the Union army was far more enormous in comparison to the confederate troops.

Therefore, the end of this tainted chapter in the history of the American Civil War remains marked as a union victory.

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Who won the Battle of Shiloh?

The Battle of Shiloh ended with union victory.

Although the initial portion of the civil war had been in favor of the confederates, the union reinforcements turned the battle around in a whole other direction, fighting fiercely until their rival side had no choice but to give in and bow in acceptance of defeat.

This win eliminated any possibilities of the confederates rising to glory in the Mississippi Valley ever again.

The last region that confederates exercised control over was Vicksburg, Mississippi, which was a 'fortress city' found trailing the Mississippi River.

It was the perfect play with all events aligning appropriately for a climactic end, from the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.

The will and power pushing soldiers at the Hornet's nest to fight until they ran out of vigor and the backtracking of the confederates from the strengthened union push all led to the outcome that is still discussed by historians to this day.

Battle of Shiloh Casualties

The Battle of Pittsburg Landing went down in history as not just a major battle but as an unrivaled bloodbath.

The union armies suffered a greater loss compared to the confederates. A total of over 23,000 people risked their lives. More than 3,000 soldiers laid down their lives; around 16,000 men bore scars of battle, and about 4,000 bodies went missing or were captured.

The most significant of all casualties was General Albert Johnston's death. After fighting on the grounds we know as the 'Peach Orchard', he died on April 6. That was the civil war that he lit the match to when he initiated a surprise attack on Grant's soldiers.

Johnston had wounded his leg in combat. It was from all the blood he had lost that he fell. The fierce fighting of the battle of Shiloh and the carnage that it brought disturbed the North and South alike.

Apart from this, post-battle, even though the union victory was appreciated, General Grant had been pointed out repeatedly for being at fault for the initial success of the confederates. There were several that demanded for his command to be confiscated, but President Lincoln defended him on the grounds of not being able to spare a man capable of fighting.

Battle of Shiloh Generals

The Battle of Shiloh was a civil war led and fought by four eminent leaders: General Albert S. Johnston, General Beauregard, General Ulysses S. Grant, and Major General Carlos Buell.

General Grant and General Buell were commanders of the union force. Grant's union camp had settled on the grounds around the Shiloh Church.

Johnston had found out about the reinforcement of Grant and Buell's armies, and he did not support the idea of these Union Forces coming together to emerge as a united power.

So, Johnston's confederate army marched up to Shiloh Church to catch the union soldiers off-guard with a surprise attack in an attempt to wipe them off the field before they could brace themselves.

General Johnston, however, failed on the same day that the initial attack of his confederate army on Grant's union army had proved successful. But, his side of the battle had not given up even after he fell.

General Beauregard of the Army of Mississippi had stepped in to lead this troop and continue what Johnston had started but never gotten to finish.

It was on the night of April 6 that Beauregard called off his forces, commanding them to withdraw from a conflict he was confident they had won, assuming that Grant and his army had lost. He sheltered his battered soldiers in USS Lexington and Uss Tyler, a pair of gunboats.

It was of one of Grant's brave union lines that survived through the confederate's attack long enough to buy time for Grant to prepare the other troops for the bigger battle, a civil war that was yet to be fought. Major General Carlos Buell arrived with his men at the right time to help save the day.

Buell and Grant's Union troops shook hands on fighting the battle as one.

The strength of their merged army outnumbered the confederate soldiers.

Prepared to win, the union advance retaliated on April 7, the second and last day of the battle. These combined forces successfully tackled the confederates further back to where they had first come from, regaining control over whatever part of the land they had lost the day before.

Therefore, regardless of who came out stronger, the quartet of Generals led their troops in a fine fashion, dominating the battlefield at least once each.

What happened at the Battle of Shiloh?

The emergence of the Battle of Shiloh began in 1862.

Fort Henry, situated on the Tennessee River, and Fort Donelson of the Cumberland had been taken over by Ulysses S. Grant, Union General. The importance of Forts Henry and Donelson had been acknowledged by the confederate forces, as they had retreated from Western Tennessee in a manner that had been received well by Grant.

The Ohio army of Carlos Buell was on its way to join forces with General Grant's Union Army, a pairing that guaranteed the strengthening of both sides.

Johnston had heard of this, and he wanted, at any cost, to keep this reinforcement from happening. Thus, he decided to take down Grant's army before it could meet up with the Army of Ohio.

Johnston used his confederate troops to launch a surprise attack on the union Troops. This awakened the federal forces to keep away from the battlefield and take shelter on heights far and above the Tennessee River. The initial attack of Johnston's confederate army had been victorious, and it was a blow to Grant's soldiers.

General Grant had considered retaliating immediately and just as badly, but he held back and trained the remainder of his force while waiting for Buell and his army to arrive.

The union line that had fallen victim to the confederate's first attack fought rather remarkably. Although they did not win, they never gave up and held off the rival side of the civil war long enough for the larger union forces to prepare defenses for the bigger part of this fight.

This went down in ancient books as the Hornet's Nest, a place where every time a bullet fired, the shot sounded like 'angry hornets', and it was repeatedly attacked until the last of its occupants collapsed.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our article about the battle of Shiloh, then why not take a look at our articles about the Battle of Jutland, or Battle of Chancellorsville.