Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Wood's Division
Battle of Shiloh - Day 1
After some more delays, by late on April 5th, Confederate General Johnston had moved his forces into an attack position southwest of the Union army camped at Pittsburg Landing, and orders were given to attack early the next morning. Union generals still did not expect any attack, believing the Confederates to be entrenching at Corinth, MS.
Commencing their attack on Sunday morning, April 6th, the rebel army found that they had achieved almost complete surprise. They swept through Union camps, leaving the troops time only to run in retreat. On falling back, the Union divisions were able to regroup, and create a new line. The fight was daylong and bloody, Union divisions retreated constantly but slowly, and casualties were large on both sides. Both sides had about the same number of men available. Many on each side had not experienced battle; some Union troops broke and ran, cowering under the bluff next to Pittsburg Landing.
General Buell had arrived the day before, and early on Sunday, got a message from Grant informing him of the attack and requesting that Buell's divisions come up as quickly as possible. Grant and Buell later met; after the meeting, Grant rode back to the battle and Buell walked up the bluff, trying on the way to encourage the troops who had fled to return to their regiments.
Nelson's division had arrived earlier, but had not been moved to Pittsburg Landing. Nelson was only able to get his division to the battlefield late in the day, and it was deployed immediately to repel an attack near the river. Crittenden and McCook brought their divisions into line in Sunday night. At the end of the first day, the Union army was in a tight arc surrounding the landing, but had the addition of one division of Grant's army that had arrived late in the day, and 3 divisions of Buell's army.
Wood's division was not yet there; we will refer to the reports cited below for their story.
Wood's Division - April 6th and 7th; Shiloh Day 2
Wood describes in his report that on the 6th, his division was still about 18 miles short of Savannah, TN. He received several orders that day, and not all were consistent. The first encouraged him to leave his baggage and supply trains behind and move forward quickly with only his ammunition train, the second encouraged him to move forward as fast as possible but leave no trains behind, and then at 5:30 PM. the third order was to leave all the trains and move forward with haste.
All the division's regiments commenced a night march until midnight, when rain and reduced visibility forced a halt. Once the storm passed, the hurried march continued, and the division arrived in Savannah early Sunday morning. The 21st Brigade, with 40th Indiana, was embarked on boats first, and arrived on the battlefield by noon, and then the 20th Brigade followed after.
By noon the Union army had been moving forward slowly all day, as the new arrivals had tilted the battle. The 21st Brigade was sent forward on the left between McCook and Crittenden. The fighting was nearly ended, and the brigade engaged with Confederate cavalry and captured some prisoners, but the enemy retreated soon after their arrival. Brigade casualties were 4 wounded, all in the 57th Indiana. The 40th had no casualties.
By nightfall the opposing army was gone, headed back to Corinth. Regiments were ordered to bury their own dead, and the Confederate dead in their front.
More Information:
- Link: War Operations, see Volume X, Chapter XXII, Part II, Correspondence, pp. 90-97.
- Link: War Operations, see Volume X, Chapter XXII, Part I, Reports, pp. 376-381.
- Report of Brigadier General Thomas J. Wood. p. 376
- Report of Colonel George D. Wagner, commanding 21st Brigade, p, 380
- The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 65-67.
- Shelby Foote: The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1, Fort Sumter to Perryville, pp. 326-350.
- Shiloh, Larry J. Daniel, pp.
- Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Opening Battles, pp. 464-610.
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