Shiloh, Tennessee, 1862: the West bleeds in earnest

On the 6th April 1862 Grant’s victorious and reinforced Army was surprised in its camps by a similar numbered Confederate army(40000) under a Kentucky born Texan and the former commander of the 2nd US Cavalry, AS Johnston.  The plan was simple: hit hard and push the damn Yankees into the Tennessee. To ensure success troops were gathered from all over the Southern Confederacy, including the port cities of New Orleans, Mobile and Pensacola.
The Southern army of 16 Brigades was in 4 Corps, 2 of which were small 3 Brigaded non Divisions. The troops came from 9 different States, but a third were from Tennessee.  Grant’s army was 18 Brigades in 6 Divisions, half from Ohio and Illinois.  
Johnston’s army had marched the short distance from its camps and did thoroughly surprise Grant’s(who was absent, but returned by 9am), pushing them back towards the river. Coordination among the Southern units was impossible because of the wooded terrain and because the Southern plan called for the 4 Corps to fight one behind each other, rather than side by side. Units obviously got mixed in with those from other commands. Added to this, the 3 Union Divisions in the front line held on and when one broke and ran( Prentiss’ small one) another, Hurlburt’s,  from his camp further back took its place. This area was known as the Hornet’s Nest and seemed to suck in Southern units, which should have bypassed it. Casualties mounted as Southern units were fed one by one into this killing ground, where as many as 38 guns fired canister after canister. It is thought as many 12 charges were made on this position. It was the commander, Johnston, who realised that the position was best flanked and it was on this right flank that he fell mortally wounded, a bullet cutting an artery behind his knee. This had been his plan all along: cut the Union army off from its Pittsburg Landing base, but after his death no one knew how to implement it and the objective, only 1 1/2 miles distant was never reached. Opportunity was lost as other commanders were drawn to the fighting in the centre.
The new commander, a Creole aristocrat and former Engineer in the US army, PGT Beauregard decided he would renew the attack on the morrow. His army was sorely battered and what Johnston had feared had come to pass: Union reinforcements were arriving by boat.

Worsham: Shiloh is the  reason I would go to Tennessee.
I have three books on Shiloh and love it for the what ifs and the introduction of so many later famous generals.

BJCard: Happy to read about your Civil War and, of course, help you with your homework.
And I am Italo-English!

BJCard: I meant I was English. Have never called myself British.
I think most people would say English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish, rather than British. The wars and animosity amongst the British Isles’ neighbours goes back a long way and can be seen in sport now, for example in the great Six Nations Rugby competition Feb and March every year.

Actually it is the same in Italy. I am Italian when it comes to sport, but I consider myself a Florentine, with all the history and culture that suggests.  
No other city or people interest me. I would neve live anywhere else in Italy.
My wife had to take me kicking and screaming to Rome 4 years ago.
If you remember Italy has only be unified for 150 years and Florence(as a Republic, then Duchy) was allied or at war with the other Italian states until then.

I know too that many Southerners call your war as you have done.(I like those who do.)

Worsham: I am happy to hear it. I will never forget those close to me and those who have done good in my eyes.

Black Jack: I usually have a second breakfast.

Some of those men probably had not eaten at all and it must have been like walking into a self service!

Must be so exhilarating to be part of a successful charge, after all the waiting and nerves.
Is easy to see why men would do it and it seems harsh to forbid them from it.

Thank you for mentioning Forrest, Worsham.
I would have liked to, but ran out of typing space on my phone.
Cannot think or talk about Shiloh without bringing up Colonel NB Forrest.
At 4pm he tried telling the Generals to go by the flank, but Polk would have none of it. When at 6pm Bragg got the Infantry moving, it was too late to make a difference.

It was he, of course, that warned his commanders that Grant had been reinforced and that they would catch hell in the morning and not be able to renew the attack as planned.

On the 7th April 1862 the reinforced Northern army attacked the battle weary and battered Southern army. Grant’s 6th Division(Lew Wallace, later of Ben Hur fame) had at last joined him after getting lost yesterday and more importantly 3 Divisions from Major General Buell’s army arrived on boats. As Buell’s army was not subordinate to Grant, he could not command them and the jealous and petty Buell did not coordinate with him.
All these reinforcements were spotted by a Tennessee Cavalry Colonel and former slave trader, now self made millionaire,  NB Forrest and revealed to two commanders. Neither saw fit to report his findings to the new Southern commander, Beauregard. The Northern attack was to be a surprise, therefore.
The Southern soldiers did not run when hit by twice their number(probably only 20000 remained of the 40000), but by 3pm had withdrawn under fire.
Grant was happy not to follow. It had been a terrible two days for the US, with close to 25000 men becoming casualties. Six months later the two Western armies would fight another less bloody, but inconclusive battle in Kentucky. Many of the same names would be present, including a promoted NB Forrest. The Western armies had learnt how to fight and bleed.