April 11, 1862 - Friday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Wood's Division

Battle of Shiloh - Aftermath

On the 8th, Wood's division did participate in a short pursuit of the retreating Confederate army, but returned to camp without engaging.  The Confederates moved slowly back toward Corinth, but the Federal army could not easily pursue due to the continuous rain making the roads nearly unusable.

Union losses at Shiloh were: 

1754 killed, 8408 wounded, 2885 captured or missing = 13047 casualties, out of 37331 present for duty

Confederate losses at Shiloh were:

1728 killed, 8012 wounded, 959 captured or missing = 10699 casualties, out of 38773 present for duty

These were astonishing losses, and added up to more casualties than the nation had suffered in all its previous wars combined.  This also was more than double the losses in all Civil War battles up to that point.  Northerners were outraged, many blaming Grant for lack of preparedness.

In retrospect, the outcome is not surprising; large armies had been called up, the soldiers were of similar background, and were capable with firearms, having used them to hunt for food and protect the farm from predators.  Both sides had the same types of guns and artillery.  There were no new inventions that changed the battlefield, like tanks or airplanes; battles were at close range with rifles and artillery, or even closer with bayonets.

Sherman's estimate of 200,000 troops needed in the West, for which he was recently derided as "insane", was now clearly valid or even low.  No one would now speak of a short war or the imminent demise of the Confederacy, as was thought by many only a few days before.  The thing having started, it could not be stopped, and would be fought through to surrender.  There would be many more similar battles, all with similar casualty rates, both in the East and the West.  A long and deadly war now loomed ahead.

General Halleck arrived at Pittsburg Landing on April 11th, to take command in the field.  The Confederate army was regrouping at Corinth.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume X, Chapter XXII, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 97-108.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 66-67.
  
• Shelby Foote: The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1, Fort Sumter to Perryville, pp. 326-351.
• Shiloh, Larry J. Daniel, pp. 293-309
  
• Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Opening Battles, pp. 464-610.
  

 

NEXT POST: APRIL 15TH

 

April 7, 1862 - Monday - 160 years ago today

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.
  

 

NEXT POST: APRIL 11TH