Johnston was mortally wounded on the first afternoon. The battle was fought in the woods by inexperienced troops on both sides. To their surprise, General Johnston seized the initiative and attacked Grant before reinforcements could arrive. Since Union troops were planning an offensive, they had not fortified their camps. Beauregard were collecting a force aimed at recovering some of their recent losses. Johnston, commanding Confederate forces in the West, and General P.G.T.
Grant’s next aim was to attack the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, and to this end he encamped his troops on the Tennessee at Pittsburg Landing. The Confederates had acknowledged the importance of these forts by abandoning their strong position at Columbus, Kentucky, and by evacuating Nashville. Grant had taken Fort Henry on the Tennessee River and Fort Donelson on the Cumberland.
© Civil War Trust ( A Britannica Publishing Partner) See all videos for this articleīattle of Shiloh, also called Battle of Pittsburg Landing, (April 6–7, 1862), second great engagement of the American Civil War, fought in southwestern Tennessee, resulting in a victory for the North and in large casualties for both sides. Overview of the Battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War.