The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, took place from April 6 to April 7, , and was one of the major early engagements of the American Civil War The battle began when the Confederate Army launched a surprise attack on Union forces The Fort Pillow Massacre in Tennessee on April 12, , in which some African-American soldiers were killed, was one of the most controversial events of the American Civil War Though most of the Union garrison surrendered, and thus should have been taken as Fort Sumter is an island fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina most famous for being the site of the first shots of the Civil War Originally constructed in as a coastal garrison, U.
Major Robert Anderson occupied the unfinished fort in The victories forced the Grant in the spring of In May , Confederate forces clashed with the advancing Union Army in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, which lasted for the better part of two weeks and included some of the bloodiest fighting of the Civil War.
After an indecisive battle in the dense Virginia woods Hoping to seize Corinth Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. By early afternoon, reinforcements from the Union center arrived and stabilized the situation. Although a breakout was still possible, Pillow ordered his men back to their trenches to re-supply before making another attempt.
Taking advantage of the delay, Grant ordered a counterattack on the left, forcing the Rebels back into a defensive position. By nightfall, the Federals reclaimed much of the ground they lost in the morning. During the night, the Confederate commanders concluded that their situation was hopeless. Fearing harsh reprisals for political acts they committed before the war, Floyd and Pillow turned the command over to Buckner and fled during the night to evade being captured.
The Federals awoke the next morning, surprised to see white flags of truce flying over Fort Donelson. Buckner requested an armistice and asked Grant for his terms of surrender. The Rebels suffered about 14, casualties at the Battle of Fort Donelson , compared with Union losses of about 2, men. However, the 12, prisoners inflated the Confederate losses. Although the total casualty rate for both sides was small in comparison with later battles in the war, the fall of Fort Donelson was a serious blow to the Confederacy.
Grant is determined to move quickly to capture the much larger Fort Donelson, located on the nearby Cumberland River. Despite his conviction that no earthen fort could withstand the power of the Union gunboats, Confederate general Albert Sidney Johnston allows the garrison at Fort Donelson to remain and even sends new commanders and reinforcements there.
On February 11, Johnston appoints Brig. John B. Floyd as the commander of Fort Donelson and the surrounding region. Nearly 17, Confederate soldiers, combined with improved artillery positions and earthworks, convince Floyd that a hasty retreat is unnecessary. February Flag Officer Andrew H. While Grant contemplates an extended siege, the Confederate leadership devises a bold plan to mass their troops against the Union right to force open a path of escape.
The Union army retreats, but inexplicably, Confederate Brig. Gideon Pillow orders the attacking Rebel force back to their earthworks, causing them to abandon the hard-fought gains of the morning. Seizing an opportunity, Grant orders McClernand and Brig. Lew Wallace to retake their lost ground and then rides to the Union left to order an attack upon the Confederate works opposite Brig. Charles F. Grant reasons, correctly, that the Confederate right must be greatly reduced in strength given the heavy assault from the Confederate left.
February 15 and During the night, Confederate leaders discuss their options. Despite many disagreements, they determine that surrender is the only viable option for the garrison. Generals Floyd and Pillow abandon their men and flee across the river, while Lt.
Nathan Bedford Forrest , disgusted with the Confederate decision to surrender, takes his cavalrymen and escapes down the Charlotte Road.
Even with these defections, more than 13, Confederate soldiers remain in the fort. Poised to strike again, the Federal soldiers are surprised to see white flags flying above the Confederate earthworks. Brigadier General Simon B.
Buckner , now in command, meets with Grant to determine the terms of surrender. Buckner, who knew Grant at West Point, is hoping for generous terms from the Union general. I propose to move immediately upon your works. But the exchange between the commanders grows more cordial when they meet face to face. I told him that if he had been in command I should not have tried in the way I did: I had invested their lines with a smaller force than they had to defend them, and at the same time had sent a brigade full 5, strong, around by water; I had relied upon their commander to allow me to come up safely outside their works.
Grant is eventually promoted to major general for his victories in Tennessee. His subsequent success at Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga earn him the rank of lieutenant general and appointment as commander of all Union armies. The favorable outcome for the Union in the Civil War ultimately results in his election as president of the United States in
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