April 6 and 7 1862 reminded all Americans, United States and Confederate States citizens alike, of the horrors of war. Forced to evacuate Nashville, Tennessee, General Albert S. Johnston re-grouped his Confederate Army in Corinth, Mississippi. Keeping Corinth under Confederate control was vital. Corinth was a strategic point on the Memphis-Charleston and Mobile-Ohio railroad lines. These railroads provided essential produce and communication from the West to Southern forces in the East.
Simultaneously, having taken Fort Henry on the Tennessee River in February, General Ulysses S. Grant, under orders from Major General Henry W. Halleck, planned to attack the Memphis-Charleston railroad. However, General Grant was ordered not to attack until he was united with General Don Carlos Buell and his troops. General Grant set up camp at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee just 22 miles northeast of Corinth. His main camps were set at around a log church known as Shiloh Meeting House.
Aware of General Grant’s intentions and his orders to wait for General Buell, General Johnston prepared a surprise attack. General Johnston began organizing his troops on April 3, 1862 and by April 5 had gathered 44,000 men. On the morning of April 6 the Confederate troops surprised the Union charging from the woods. The Union soldiers rallied and attempted a strong defense; however the Confederate soldiers successfully pushed back the Union Soldiers and took the Shiloh Hill. . At midday General Johnston was fatally wounded and General Beauregard assumed command. The battle ended for the night with the Confederate Army claiming victory.
Overnight Buell’s army joined Grant’s. With renewed strength, the Union Army, now numbering 54,500 men, attacked the Confederate Army at dawn on April 7. Beauregard’s troops, now numbering only 43,000, could not hold Shiloh Hill and withdrew back to Corinth. Grant and Buell’s troops weak from battle did not pursue the Confederate Army to Corinth Mississippi.
Though both armies claimed victory, the overall battle was a staggering loss to the Confederacy. Casualties on both sides were drastic. The combined losses including dead, wounded and missing numbered 23,746. This number was greater than all casualties combined in previous wars, a horrible blow to the country. Both the Union Army and the Confederate Army were immobile for three weeks recovering from this loss.
The original Shiloh Church survived this battle but was destroyed in a later battle. Shiloh church remains an active congregation today.
In the summer of 1863, General Robert E. Lee was in command of the Northern Virginia Army. A brilliant strategist, Lee determined that if he invaded the north and succeeded in battle he would achieve several objectives. He would give war torn Virginia a chance to recover by moving the front line northward and he would diminish the Northern resolve, putting pressure on Lincoln to seek a peaceful settlement. Lee gathered his army, 75,000 strong, and began to march toward central Pennsylvania, with the hopes of reaching Harrisburg.
While moving from Northern Virginia to Pennsylvania, Lee learned that Union General George G. Meade, was pursuing him with his army numbering 95,000, from Maryland. Lee sent a number of brigades to check on Meade’s location and to secure supplies for the remainder of the army. The two armies met by chance northwest of the town of Gettysburg. Fighting began almost immediately. Both armies sent for reinforcements. Lee’s army came from the north and west and Meade’s army came from the south and southeast. A battle that was never planned continued for three days.
On July 1, 1863, the Confederate troops fought fiercely, driving Union troops through the streets of Gettysburg to a point south of the city. At the end of the first days battle both sides had suffered heavy losses but the Confederate army had the upper hand.
During the second day of battle, the Confederate Army continued to dominate the Union Army. Confederate troops forced the Union army back in the areas of Devil’s Den, Valley of Death, Wheatfield and Peach Orchard. However the Confederates were unsuccessful in taking Culp’s Hill and Little Round Top.
July 3, 1863, General Lee planned an attack that later became known as Pickett’s charge. After two days dominating the Union, he was overconfident. 12,000 Confederate soldiers charged in parade dress formation from Seminary Ridge believing that the cannon fire that preceded them had cleared the way to take the area. When the smoke from the cannons cleared they found that the cannon fire had missed its mark. Union soldier were able to fire artillery weapons and kill all but a few men. Devastated the Confederate Army retreated back to Virginia. Ironically, fighting ceased for the United States independence day.
More than 50,000 men were lost in the Battle of Gettysburg. Of the 75,000 that fought for the Confederacy 18,735 were wounded, 3,903 were killed, and 5,425 were declared missing. Of the Union soldiers involved in the battle, 14,329 were wounded, 3,155 were killed, and 5,365 were missing.
The Battle of Gettysburg is often considered the beginning of the end of the War Between the States. Unfortunately, the war continued for another two years.
The Battle of Fredericksburg as a four day battle fought around Fredericksburg, Virginia in December of 1962. Union General Ambrose E. Burnside faced off against Confederate Robert E. Lee in one of the most one-sided battles of the entire Civil War.
The initial plan was for Burnside’s Union army to regain an upper hand againt Lee’s smaller but infinitely more aggressive army. Burnside’s plan was to fool Lee’s army into waiting for a frontal encounter while he really slid around and crossed the Rappahannock River in an effort to flank Lee. By way of mistake, the pontoon bridges had not arrived before the foot soldiers and rendered Burnside’s army immobile.
By the time the bridges had arrived, Lee’s and Longstreet’s armies were already dug in and prepared. To Burnside’s credit, a battery of cannons were placed preventing any counter-attack while plans were reorganized. Burnside decided on a crossing directly at Fredricksburg in an attempt to surprise the southern forces.
Given plenty of time to set up, the south had an obvious advantage against the north. The battle begun at 8:30am, and lasted for four days. The Union suffered heavy losses as the South had dug in and prepared for the worst. Wave after wave of Union soldiers were heavily wounded in a succession of charges that failed. All said, over 1,000 Union soldiers were killed, and 9,000 were injured. The Condederates lost 600 soldiers with over 4,000 wounded.