The Battle of Shiloh began on this date 161 years ago...

Went to the battlefield once, visiting them puts things in perspective.

Tangentially, any girl named Shiloh is going to be a 9 and a freak in the sack. Carry on.

quote:

---

The Union simply had too many men and resources at their disposal.

---

This … they also had God and a righteous causes in their side also

quote:

---

they also had God and a righteous causes in their side also

---

And what was this "righteous cause" you speak of?

If you're going to say they were fighting to abolish slavery I'll sit here and listen to you explain to us all why it is that Grant and many high ups in the Union kept slaves during the war.

While you're at it, tell us why the Union refused to free slaves in areas under Union control when Abe made his "Emancipation Proclamation"

ETA - Grant freed his slave before the war and was the last president to own a slave. He was NOT an abolitionist by his own words

Do some fact checking before you post.

quote:

---

Did Ulysses S. Grant own slaves during the Civil War?

No, but it will come as a surprise to many people, that Grant did in fact own a man named William Jones for about a year on the eve of the Civil War. In 1859, Grant either bought or was given the 35-year-old Jones, who was in Grant’s service until he freed him before the start of the War.

---

One of the most haunting places I've ever been. I'm getting chill bumps even thinking about it right now.

ETA: Shiloh is hebrew for "Place of Peace"....

quote:

---

Went to the battlefield once, visiting them puts things in perspective.

---

Anyone going should research it a little bit beforehand. It’s strange terrain and people actually get lost on the battlefield. You can run in circles and lose track of north and south easily.

It’s also hard to follow for someone who hasn’t researched it a bit because you begin the tour running backwards from the first day. And the battle basically went completely reverse from the first day.

You can look up a good lecture on Shiloh (on YouTube) by Gregory S. Hospodor. American Battlefield Trust also has good info on it with knowledgeable people at various tour stops. Just look on YouTube for “tour stops Shiloh”

I had a 4x great grandfather on my grandmother’s side at Shiloh with Forrest’s cavalry. He had been with Forrest since joining him in Memphis. Unfortunately the cavalry saw little action at Shiloh because of the terrain. I wound up having the other 4x great grandfather on my Grandmother’s side join the Cavalry with Forrest later in the war. Both of my grandmother’s grandfathers were at the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads in Baldwyn, MS.

I also had a 4x great grandfather on my grandfather’s side who was being mustered into the 32nd MS at Corinth at the approximate time of the battle, but apparently the 32nd MS was not ready to go as they didn’t fight in the battle. He did fight at Chattanooga, Chickamauga, and those points around.

So much went wrong for both sides in the battle. If it hadn’t rained… if the orders to March to Shiloh hadn’t been delayed and they made the March orderly to actually make it to Shiloh on that Thursday morning instead of Saturday. And if they actually began the attack from the southeast instead of the Southwest… that could have been bad for the Union. Real bad. They wouldn’t have lost that time skirmishing with Peabody’s brigade in the early morning instead of rolling nearly to the peach orchard before they met much resistance.

On the other hand.. if the Union had taken the Confederate threat more seriously and actually set up their camps like they would later in the war.. it could have been worse for the Confederates.

quote:

---

Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee - with the assistance of Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Ohio - were able to defeat Albert Sidney Johnston's Army of Mississippi.

---

I guess we have to have a "winner" but I'm not comfortable with that statement.

Never been to Shiloh, but I hope to go there one day. I have been to several battlefields in the east, like Manassas, Gettysburg, Antietam, Chickamauga, and others . Antietam is especially beautiful. All are hallowed ground.

This is also the 158th anniversary of the Battle of Sailor's Creek. This battle was much smaller and lessor known, but was the last battle the Army of Northern Virginia fought and Lee lost about 1/4 of what remained of his army there. He surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse three days later.

In this battle, actually three engagements in a single general area, Union troops got between the tail end of Lee's army and the main force. Most of Ewell's command was surrounded and captured, which accounted for most the losses. Many supply wagons were lost too, but the men charged with guarding them largely escaped. My wife's great grandfather was among them. My MiL and her sisters knew this man well because he lived to be 96 and they all lived in their 90s too.

quote:

---

The 6th Mississippi and 23rd TN broke off of Cleburne’s brigade to go around a swamp and ran into a battery shooting cannon shot right down their lines and rifle fire from the front. The 6th MS was almost completely annihilated.

---

My great grandfather was in the 6th Mississippi. Can’t imagine the things he saw that day