by Jeffrey Schaffer

Created on: October 24, 2009

The Battle of Shiloh, fought on April 6-7 of 1862, began in September 1861 when General Leonidas K Polk seized the town of Columbus Kentucky on the banks of the Mississippi. This action violated Kentucky's neutrality, but General Polk believe it was necessary because Union forces had been preparing to occupy Kentucky themselves. After capturing the town, Polk began to turn the area into a strong fortress. Believing that it would cost too much in time and energy to attack the town, Generals Halleck, Buell and Grant looked to move down the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers to penetrate into the heart of the south.

Because Kentucky had declared neutrality, the forts erected by the Confederacy to defend the river were posted on the Tennessee and Kentucky border. If the Federal Army could take them, not only would the South's Mississippi defensed be flanked but the city of Nashville would be defenseless. Fort Henry, a poorly sighted and constructed fort, was taken easily by a force of gunboats. Fort Donaldson would be much harder, for it was better situated and defended by a larger army. The fort managed to repulse a gunboat attack and managed to attack and drive back Grant's army. Due to poor coordination, however, the Confederate army was unable to exploit the attack and were besieged until surrendering.

General Albert Johnston, commander of the Confederate armies in the west, was force to order all of his units in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi to retreat and concentrate at Corinth Mississippi. Nashville fell to General Buell easily, and General Grant prepared to advance down the Tennessee River to capture Corinth. Corinth was a major railroad hub in north Mississippi and linked Vicksburg and Memphis with the Eastern half of the country. Controlling Corinth would force Memphis to fall and act as a base from which to capture Vicksburg and Jackson.

General Johnston knew that to attack Corinth, Grant would have to land at Pittsburgh Landing. He divided his army into four corps under the commands of Generals Bragg, Polk, Hardee, and Breckinridge. General P.T. Beauregard would act as his second-in-command and direct the movement of the army. However Beauregard's over-elaborate orders allowed the Confederate army to become confused and delayed its march to Pittsburgh Landing. Despite the delay and confusion, General Grant had no idea that a full Confederate army was prepared to strike him. On the evening of April 5th, the night before the battle, General Johnston

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