The civil war battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh

The American Civil War began on April 9 , 1861 , with the Battle of Fort Sumter , between the Northern United States of America and the Southern Confederate States of America . It was never too clear until the Battle of Shiloh , won by the Union as to who had the upper hand , in the war between the states . The Battle of Shiloh could easily be termed the turning point for the Union . It was at Shiloh - the place of peace , that history witnessed one of the bloodiest battles of

the American Civil war . It was also one of the most controversial battles , with General Ulysses Grant taking the hit for inadequate planning , which resulted in a carnage , that killed over 10 ,000 soldiers on either side

The Battle of Shiloh , otherwise called the Battle of Pittsburgh Landing , took place on April 6th and 7th , 1862 , at Hardin County , Tennessee . Commander Ulysses S Grant and Don Carlos Buell led the Union , while Albert Sidney Johnston and

G T Beauregard led the Confederates . The death of Johnston , in the course of the battle , is said to be a major factor behind the Union victory . The Union had the Army of West Tennessee and Ohio with nearly 65 ,000 soldiers , while the Confederates were backed by the Army of the Mississippi with around 45 ,000 soldiers . After the bloody and brutal battle , the Union realized that the war was not going to be easy . The essay will walk down the historical lane and trace the events which shaped the Battle of Shiloh

The commanders

Abraham Lincon once said , I cannot spare the man . He fights ' That about sums up Commander Ulysses S Grants character . He was the son of a hard-working frontier family Grant fought his first battle , an indecisive action against the Confederates at Belmont , Missouri , in November 1861 . Three months later , he captured Fort Donelson and Fort Henry . Grant was made a national figure almost overnight , and he was nicknamed Unconditional Surrender ' Grant . He brought the same enthusiasm to the Battle of Shiloh , but did not fare so well there . The high number of casualties was deemed unnecessary and Grant 's decision-making powers were questioned . However he managed to defend himself and went on to become the 18th president of the USA (MSN Encarta , 2006

Everybody thought Albert Johnston the best soldier in the country that was before the war . He had a gaudy career in the army after West Point (1826 . After some peacetime soldiering he quit to care for his dying wife , then moved to Texas to start over . When Texas decided on independence he enlisted as a soldier and in a year he was commanding the whole Texan forces . He was the second most senior officer in the Confederate forces . His immediate appointment was to secure and organize the western theater . He took the initiative against the Union forces that had stopped to reorganize and resupply Johnston led from the front but was shot in...