When did the Battle of Shiloh take place?
The Battle of Shiloh took place on April 6 and the 7th of April 1862. Union forces launched coordinated counterattacks beginning at 5:00am on April 7 after fighting began early Sunday morning on April 6.
The Battle of Shiloh took place on April 6 and the 7th of April 1862. Union forces launched coordinated counterattacks beginning at 5:00am on April 7 after fighting began early Sunday morning on April 6.
Albert Sidney Johnston led the Confederate Army of Mississippi until his death at 2:30pm on April 6. Beauregard officially assumed command following Johnston's death though some historians argue he already directed operations from the rear while Johnston led from the front.
Union casualties totaled 13,047 including 1,754 killed, 8,408 wounded, and 2,885 missing or captured according to official records. Approximately 20,000 men were killed or wounded at Shiloh surpassing combined totals from earlier battles like Manassas Wilson's Creek Fort Donelson and Pea Ridge which totaled only 12,000.
Johnston bled to death from a torn popliteal artery in his right leg located about south of Bell Farm at 2:30pm. His personal physician had been sent elsewhere treating other wounded so no tourniquet could be applied despite its potential life-saving value.
The high casualty count convinced many Union leaders that the war would not end quickly in western theaters. Grant received a promotion to major general after victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson placing him senior to all other generals in the Western Theater except Henry Halleck before this battle.