The battle of Shiloh is also known as the battle of Pittsburgh Landing. The battle was for the key railroad crossing at Corinth, Mississippi.
This was the battle that shocked the nation. 65,000 Union troops under US Grant battled 44,000 Confederates led by Albert Johnston. The 2 days of fighting resulted in 24,000 casualties in including Johnston who was killed.
“When Sidney Johnston fell, it was the turning point of our fate; for we had no other hand to take up his work in the West.”
Jefferson Davis
There was not a clear winner but eventually the Union was able to capture Corinth which gave them access to the state of Mississippi.. The country was horrified by the carnage and realized this was going to be a long and bloody war. There were more casualties at Shiloh than all previous wars combined: Revolutionary, War of 1812, and Mexican.
The battle is named for Shiloh Methodist Church. Shiloh is a Hebrew word that means place of peace.
Graphic from American Battlefield Trust
The battlefield also contains the Shiloh Indian Mounds. The site was inhabited from 1000 to 1450. The mounds are a National Historic Landmark.
Looks like Ohioans were here a long time before the Whytes.
