My husband's Great Great Grandpa died on the first day of this battle. He was with the 40th Illinois. We have visited this battlefield and thank you for sharing this story.
My GGG was in Company F of the 40th Illinois from Franklin County (Webbs Prairie). Survived Shiloh, wounded at Atlanta and back in time for the March to the Sea
I really appreciate this channel and this series. As a history buff, one of my weak points has been the Civil War because growing up where I did (New Jersey and New York) we basically learned about Lee's campaigns, the North's failures against them, Gettysburg, Sherman's March and Appomattox. My moving to Tennessee made me realize how lacking I was in Civil War knowledge and this series has helped fill in the blanks very nicely. Thank you.
I've never heard a civil war battle described so vividly that you can almost imagine being there yourself learned so much about such a pivotal battle of the civil war thanks so much
Nothing changes. Regardless of how many documentaries I watch, how man books I read, how many courses I take relating to the Civil War the horror of what the US put itself though is always without equal. Thank you for another very lucid lesson on how much can go wrong so quickly.
This was so well written and narrated! I have studied the Civil War for several decades, and, not claiming to be an expert, I still learned some further details from this presentation. I have subscribed.
+My great grandfather was there but arrived late with Buell's army and so saw little action. He was to see plenty though before the war was over as would his brother who was, like him a private in the 65th Ohio Infantry. Thank you for bringing this battle alive for me.
Actually, the South did smile again. As author Walker Percy noted, "after the war, the South got rich." He further observed, "The north got the former slaves and moved to the suburbs to get away from them." This, apparently, was not what the emancipators had in mind.
@@bradleymosman8325the Yankees never wanted nor cared about the slave's. The South wanted and cared for the slave's. Black's were merely used as a political pawn. Black's were lied to by northern Yankees and Abraham Lincoln. Funny how the northern White's fled the cities to the suburbs to avoid interacting with the Black's. The South is still prospering while the north is a rustbelt. As the great liar in chief Abraham Lincoln said when asked why not just let the South go? "Without the South, there is no North!"
As a scout leader whom has hiked the entire battlefield many times, read many accounts and been to each field of battle; have camped close as allowed; it humbles ones self and sprit at Bloody Pond, Hornets Nest and at the Shiloh church. Have witnessed every type of weather as did the combated men of those two days, it brings hope for peace. The thoughts these men of both sides must have had of victory and defeat. Seeing the numbers killed and wounded and later beyond the battle to try and identify and restore some honor to the dead. US soldiers placed in marked graves while Confederate where placed in trenches unmarked.
I used to live within an hour of driving distance to this place. I’ve been to the reenactment of the Battle of Shiloh where I climbed a tree for a seat to get a better view, and it was truly something to see. The smoke that filled the field was unbelievably thick. Cannons thundered as horses reared and screamed, and with all the guns firing it all made for a blinding, deafening scene. I thought about the men who ran blindly through trees to get to the fighting while others ran the other way, wanting only to escape the unbelievable carnage their eyes were seeing. You have a wonderful voice for these stories, the best I’ve ever listened to. It’s like being able to hear Shelby Foote’s words coming audibly off pages. It’s a fine gift you possess. Thank you for using it to narrate our history. Edit: subscribed!
My 2x greatgrandfather and his brother both from west central Illinois fought in the battle of Shiloh. After the war ended grandpa Matthew returned home and bred draft horses some of which were purchased by General U.S. Grant who spoke of my grandpa saying that he raised some of the finest draft horses he had ever seen.
My great great grandfather Pvt. Eli J. Todd was there with the 22nd/25th Alabama CSA He survived the war dying in 1900. He suffered from breathing problems ever since that battle.
@@thomascoburn The Union army was an invader. Pvt Eli J Todd honorably defended his home. The Native Americans did the same thing when the US army arrived.
I have always been fascinated with this battle. I think its importance is underrated. Albert Sydney Johnson died at Shiloh and the South was very thin in top commanders, so this loss was huge. It really cemented the friendship of Grant and Sherman. Finally, the South never really repaired its defenses in the West. That combined with the huge causalities Lee suffered later in 1862 and 1863 lead to the defeat of the Confederacy.
You're not wrong, but I think the word "underrated" really needs to leave the common vernacular. It's not underrated in its importance at all. It's one of the major battles of the war, and anyone who studies the war will know that. Certainly in the Top 10 in terms of importance. That's pretty high up there.
@@aubreycoltharp8446 looking at his prior career in California, he had great command capacity. I believe that his loss along with Stonewall Jackson sealed the fate of the Confederacy. Hood. Bragg and Joe Johnson could not equal him in the west
Grant was the only General in the Union who had the wherewithal, tenacity and steadfastness to defeat RE Lee. Many blustering incompetents had tried and failed.
George Meade smashed Lee at Gettysburg a week after he was promoted to General. Grant also severed the rebels in half on the Mississippi, sent Sherman to the coast via Atlanta and then systematically destroyed the rest of Lee’s rebels. Grant stands head and shoulders above Lee, who could barely leave Virginia.
Grant was the one General in the union that understood and was not afraid of using his army's advantage; superior numbers. Once Lincoln understood this he knew he had the man who would lead the union army to victory.
My Great great Uncle General Thomas Jordan was Beauregard’s adjutant at Shiloh. My great great grandfather Capt Francis Jordan (Thomas’s brother) was under his command at Shiloh.
This is much more descriptive of the soldiers' experience than the generals....the story at 44:30 to me mostly told the whole story of the war "Oh God What made you come down here and fight us? We would never have come up there". That was the cause of the Civil War in a nutshell.
The lesson of Shiloh was no matter what you may THINK the enemy might do, the enemy often has mind of his own to attack when you least expect it. Here are some observations to consider: 1. As a commander of an army in enemy country or near the frontier, a basic line of infantry outposts, with patrols in between the outposts, must be established. Cavalry scouts are essential some distance out along likely avenues of enemy approach. Key pieces of terrain need to fortified or garrisoned with guard details. A routine practice of "stand to" at about dawn for troops needs to be accomplished in line with full combat ammo loads, water in canteens and troops awake and alert in any coats or rain gear to deal with the elements. Pickets in front of the main encampment must be manned at all times during the night and during the day during rest periods. 2. Outpost details need to relieved in the early morning. A report of any enemy activity needs to be relayed by the Noncom in charge of the outpost back to staff officers who ensure their commander is informed of any new activity. Patrols from the outposts are sent out before dawn to ensure no enemy troop movements are occurring nearby for attacks. These patrols comeback before they are relieved in the morning. Cavalry patrols and cavalry observation posts need to report any fresh activities to the infantry outposts with new enemy activity. Staff officers are essential in establishing this chain of communications. 3. A basic defensive line needs to be established even for overnight positions. It will NOT be feasible to dig the troops in during a halt before night during a march with a march planned the next day.. However, a quick reconnaissance and terrain analysis by officers is essential. Areas of natural cover and concealment need to be identified for troops to occupy in case of enemy attack. Certain areas should have brush cut for concealment of troops and field guns. 4. Encampments with dug in fortifications are necessary for prolonged periods of occupation. Troops need to dig in everywhere possible when time allows. Troops that are dug in with entrenchments can hold off three times their numbers if attacked. The point here is a layered early warning reconnaissance system needs to be established in enemy territory. Cavalry patrols and observation posts need to be established several miles out from the infantry outpost line. The infantry outpost line with patrols in between needs to be established a half mile or mile from the main encampment. The main encampment needs "stand to" at dawn practices to prevent surprise enemy attack at dawn. A line of pickets must be maintained at night to ensure enemy forces do not sneak up for a surprise attack. A system of reporting enemy activities during the night must be established to keep tabs on enemy activity. Ulysses Grant wasn't caught by surprise again during the Civil War. These lessons of having redundant overlapping security is essential to prebvent surprise assaults, ambushes orunexpected encounter battles that can slaughter large numbers of men so quickly resulting in catastrophe. I may or may not have characterized everything perfectly here but it is essential to establish troop leading procedures that provide security/reconnaissance with guard outposts and some amount of early warning to enemy attack or stumbling into an enemy ambush during a march. At Shiloh both sides were green. It is essential to have basic infantry training for all soldiers and when possible have advanced infantry training with unit field drills so everyone understands what to do before their first battle starts.
Regarding the importance of scouts. Even the Roman Empire Legions hardly dared to move without scouts in front and on the flanks, especially in northern Germania. Romans had been ambushed in the past so flank guards were essential. The flank guards also helped protect the column from attacks of the much feared aurochs, the very large, angry wild ox/cattle of northern Europe. Also out from the Roman columns were hunters usually on horseback. They were to supply fresh meat so the supplies they packed would last longer. One of those "little" things that comes from hard experience.
My daughter's and I went to the Shiloh battlefield and was amazed by the pyramids of cannon ball's with the names of states in the battle We saw the film at the museum Quite an interesting place All those dead men over the railroad yard 4 miles away at Corynth
The revolutionary war would be amazing to hear stories about... The native wars too.. although very sad, it's incredibly important history... And tells the story of both sides of my ancestry...
If you admire Grant, look up the feature the History Channel did a couple years ago. Outstanding. An English actor played Grant and really did a nice job.
I just cant admire the guy. He burned everything. Including churches. Im a big fan of old buildings and to see none where I grew up makes me sad. I hate modern architecture. When going to school in oxford Mississippi we were told only two buildings survived the union. One the main University school building the union used as a med station and the main church in the city. Which they tried to burn but it didn't fall cause majority of the construction was stone. All these documentaries post the union as saints when they were just as bad when it came to pillaging and burning buildings. They targeted everything including small family homes.
I was born and raised in southern Illinois. Most people do not realize that many people in Illinois were supporters of the Confederacy. Two of my relatives fought with Company G, 15th Tennessee infantry at Shiloh. One was killed, and the other wounded. In the old cemetery where I was raised, Confederate veterans were buried on the south side, and Union veterans on the north side. There were a lot of Illinois rebels!
My great great grandfather was in the 122co b Illinois lived to be 91 died in 1933, the last one of his company. My dad was born in 1921 and told me stories about setting on his grandpa’s lap listening to stories of the long marches and enduring Mother Nature’s rath but wouldn’t speak of any battles. Personally I love the south and the southern way of life, being stationed in SC for three years. If I’d lived back in the early 1860s I would be fighting for the south and cessation.
Good to know that not all were damn Yankees. My x3Grandfather was Maj. General Frank Cheatham, Tennessee Volunteers fought in the Battle of Shiloh and many others. I have enjoyed tracking him and learning more about our family.
Wonderful presentation, but I question what the graphic of the Black 54th Massachusetts' assault on Battery Wagner in South Carolina, seen during the description of A.S. Johnston's fallback to Corinth, is doing in this narrative.
I had two great-great grandfathers who were part if the Union Army of the Tennessee. One on my mother's side (Wisconsin) and one on my father's (Michigan). I wrote my Master's thesis on the USCT at the Battle of Nashville in December 1864. I've toured many of the battlefields in the western theater including Shiloh. I'm extremely proud of my GAR ancestors.
Grant lost the first day at Shiloh,if he had some cavalry scouts he could have ordered some reconnaisance on the road to Corinth,he could have prepared for the battle better. Halleck wanted him off his army.
The difference between Grant and almost all other Generals is that Grant was beaten on the first day, but he refused to retreat. He turned disaster into victory. You mention that Halleck wanted Grant relieved. That was true in late February 1862, but after Shiloh Halleck essentially put him on the shelf. Halleck's official report blamed other officers and not Grant.
@@johnfleet235 Yes but until old brains got named general in chief instead of Brinton,he quite put him in the freezer. Look at that Corinth siege,he got nearly 100.000 men under Pope,Thomas,Buell,Sherman and still he was extremely cautious there. Beauregard didn't have more than 38.000 including Van Dorn and Price,still reeling after Pea Ridge.
@@calinmarian98 You are right about putting Grant in the freezer by Halleck. I wonder if that was deliberate to shield Grant from the press and Congress until future battles overshadowed Shiloh for causalities.
Halleck was not a General, he was a bureaucrat. Despite being on a different side, Grant was NOT a bureaucrat, he was a General. The South was blessed with Lee, Jackson, Stuart, and Hill as Generals, but only in the East. With only 2 of the 4, the war would have been over in 2 years. It's a mix or match which 2 to delete, and I won't argue with anyone about it.
Lincoln said his trust of Grant ran marrow deep...good enough for Abe, good enough for me...I personally think Grant is the most underrated, under appreciated person in American history, right beside George Marshall & those two men are on my Mt Rushmore beside Lincoln & Washington...and yes I would put them on there before FDR
Your wording is strange. FDR=/=Mt.Rushmore. I get it though. I'm not sure why TR's face is on the side of a South Dakota mountain. A fake charge up Cuba's San Juan hill shouldn't a hero make😆. Unfortunately, Grant made a better General than politician. Easy to see he was attempting to fulfill Lincoln's vision of Reconstruction and post war America.
The scary thing about the Civil War was that more men didn't come out of it as alcoholics a great many generals and doctors could never face another sober day.
My great great great grandpa fought with the 11th Kentucky, and arrived the second day under General Buell. I don't know what action he saw that day, but he survived and was offered a commission in the 37th Kentucky Mounted Infantry, which were essentially cavalry with rifles instead pistols or carbjnes.
The consolidation of the states into one vast empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it.
The funny thing about war is that afterwards the opponents can be friends. It’s the leaders pushing to war, not the average soldier/citizen. In a war the leaders have to be stopped, not the common citizens.
It wasn't the leaders screaming in the charges against the Union forces. It was the common, dirt poor, Southern farmers. The leaders voiced their stands, and ambitions but it was the common soldiers who killed without remorse. Never underestimate your fellow man's hatred.
At about minute 39, I love the Napoleonic pose of Gen Garfield, future President of the US. That also wraps in the concepts of Baron de Jomini (war strategist), the Napoleonic Wars and reverence/fascination by the generals of the US Civil War Era.
Should it be Johnson's ARMY OF MISSISSIPI, not ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPI? I believe the Union named its armies after rivers. The Confederacy named them after states.
The confederate army @ the battle of Shiloh was “Army of Mississippi.” @ the battle of Franklin 2 1/2 years later it was “Army of Tennessee.” The Union army @ Shiloh was “Army of Tennessee” named after the river. Buell’s army was “Army of Ohio.”
My maternal and fraternal great grandfathers both fought for the union. Both born in West Virginia. Didn’t realize that when I was in grade school listening to my teacher talk about it. I’d have been more interested had I known. I’m 66 and just finding out is so exciting.
You have high pitched fast accentuated openings to new paragraphs and you trail off quietly and slowly towards the ends of them. Then you repeat process.......
To the producers: at around minute 33, map clips would have been a helpful addition. You’re giving verbal cardinal directions of units on both sides of the war, and while in my mind’s eye, I can picture it perfectly because of my knowledge in tactics, strategy, military history, geography, and advances in weapons technology driving changes in tactics, your average person would not. That should be your target audience, to make history accessible to more people.
With all the excellent material presented, the presentation falls flat for not providing map locations as the battle raged. One is left bewildered as to what occurred where. It's an easy error to resolve and I hope you make the appropriate changes. Otherwise, well presented.
Those Overland Battles like Wilderness, Spotsylvania were pretty nasty..,almost every major battle was pretty brutal in their own way…Stones River, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Franklin…
I have been deep diving the Western Campaigns…they don’t get the attention the Eastern battles had but the West seems to be almost more important as it was about the control of the Mississippi River, mountains passed and key rail lines.
I live 70 miles from Shiloh 50 from Corinth 10 miles from Brice’s Crossroads 2 miles from tupelo, my land is the first day battle of tupelo on July 14,1864. My other family land is the 2nd day action @ Old Town Creek on July 15,1864.
Johnston was a huge loss. A great Texan he was. His portrait hung in the Texas Capitol house chambers until last year. Austin is the liberal blue dot in the midst of a scarlet red Texas. Rip
I live in Dallas and couldn't agree more. I don't even like to go to Austin, it's so bloody Liberal. I fear we may yet anticipate another internal War of Northern Agression. But you can be assured that Texas will stand. We are FED UP with the nauseating actions of New York and Washington. God Bless Texas!
I can't tell you how much I enjoy your channel. The Civil War is my favorite era of US history. You do make it all come alive. Thank you so much!😊
The Demcrats are still trying to destroy America
My husband's Great Great Grandpa died on the first day of this battle. He was with the 40th Illinois. We have visited this battlefield and thank you for sharing this story.
My GGG was in Company F of the 40th Illinois from Franklin County (Webbs Prairie). Survived Shiloh, wounded at Atlanta and back in time for the March to the Sea
How wonderful to hear a proper story teller.
That's right
Shaw was not there. No usct at Shilo need different art.
So True
I listen to and view A LOT of civil war podcasts, videos and programs and the narration and presentation of this video is one of the very best.
I really appreciate this channel and this series. As a history buff, one of my weak points has been the Civil War because growing up where I did (New Jersey and New York) we basically learned about Lee's campaigns, the North's failures against them, Gettysburg, Sherman's March and Appomattox. My moving to Tennessee made me realize how lacking I was in Civil War knowledge and this series has helped fill in the blanks very nicely. Thank you.
The narration brings, through the procession of many years, the absolute slaughter and horror of the Civil War. Excellent work.
I've never heard a civil war battle described so vividly that you can almost imagine being there yourself learned so much about such a pivotal battle of the civil war thanks so much
Nothing changes. Regardless of how many documentaries I watch, how man books I read, how many courses I take relating to the Civil War the horror of what the US put itself though is always without equal.
Thank you for another very lucid lesson on how much can go wrong so quickly.
Today looks a lot like that. History doesn’t just repeat. It often rhymes.
This was so well written and narrated! I have studied the Civil War for several decades, and, not claiming to be an expert, I still learned some further details from this presentation. I have subscribed.
+My great grandfather was there but arrived late with Buell's army and so saw little action. He was to see plenty though before the war was over as would his brother who was, like him a private in the 65th Ohio Infantry. Thank you for bringing this battle alive for me.
"After Shiloh, the South never smiled again." Fitting epitaph for those whose knowledge is full of the human sorrow of men who were there..
Actually, the South did smile again. As author Walker Percy noted, "after the war, the South got rich." He further observed, "The north got the former slaves and moved to the suburbs to get away from them." This, apparently, was not what the emancipators had in mind.
@@bradleymosman8325the Yankees never wanted nor cared about the slave's. The South wanted and cared for the slave's. Black's were merely used as a political pawn. Black's were lied to by northern Yankees and Abraham Lincoln. Funny how the northern White's fled the cities to the suburbs to avoid interacting with the Black's. The South is still prospering while the north is a rustbelt. As the great liar in chief Abraham Lincoln said when asked why not just let the South go? "Without the South, there is no North!"
As a scout leader whom has hiked the entire battlefield many times, read many accounts and been to each field of battle; have camped close as allowed; it humbles ones self and sprit at Bloody Pond, Hornets Nest and at the Shiloh church. Have witnessed every type of weather as did the combated men of those two days, it brings hope for peace. The thoughts these men of both sides must have had of victory and defeat. Seeing the numbers killed and wounded and later beyond the battle to try and identify and restore some honor to the dead. US soldiers placed in marked graves while Confederate where placed in trenches unmarked.
I used to live within an hour of driving distance to this place. I’ve been to the reenactment of the Battle of Shiloh where I climbed a tree for a seat to get a better view, and it was truly something to see. The smoke that filled the field was unbelievably thick. Cannons thundered as horses reared and screamed, and with all the guns firing it all made for a blinding, deafening scene. I thought about the men who ran blindly through trees to get to the fighting while others ran the other way, wanting only to escape the unbelievable carnage their eyes were seeing.
You have a wonderful voice for these stories, the best I’ve ever listened to. It’s like being able to hear Shelby Foote’s words coming audibly off pages. It’s a fine gift you possess. Thank you for using it to narrate our history.
Edit: subscribed!
Thank you!
What a wonderful speaking voice. Thank you for this.
Pinkfloyd-
Personally i prefer to hear Shelby Foote speak about the south, or the civil war.
This guy is a bit bombastic for me.
is it just me or does he sound exactly like that AI voice used in shorts@@afellowamericanafellowamer5317
These are absolutely great! I love your storytelling
My 2x greatgrandfather and his brother both from west central Illinois fought in the battle of Shiloh. After the war ended grandpa Matthew returned home and bred draft horses some of which were purchased by General U.S. Grant who spoke of my grandpa saying that he raised some of the finest draft horses he had ever seen.
My great great grandfather Pvt. Eli J. Todd was there with the 22nd/25th Alabama CSA He survived the war dying in 1900. He suffered from breathing problems ever since that battle.
Thank you Pvt Eli J Todd for your Honorable and Brave Service!
@@sammyfolsom3928 what the fuck? No.
@@neilzientek what the fuck? YES
@@neilzientekexplain
@@thomascoburn The Union army was an invader. Pvt Eli J Todd honorably defended his home. The Native Americans did the same thing when the US army arrived.
Thanks!
This channel makes the best historical videos.
I have always been fascinated with this battle. I think its importance is underrated. Albert Sydney Johnson died at Shiloh and the South was very thin in top commanders, so this loss was huge. It really cemented the friendship of Grant and Sherman. Finally, the South never really repaired its defenses in the West. That combined with the huge causalities Lee suffered later in 1862 and 1863 lead to the defeat of the Confederacy.
You're not wrong, but I think the word "underrated" really needs to leave the common vernacular. It's not underrated in its importance at all. It's one of the major battles of the war, and anyone who studies the war will know that. Certainly in the Top 10 in terms of importance. That's pretty high up there.
ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS TELL SOMEONE HE GOT HIT, the tree he died on is still preserved on the battlefield
People forget how important what Bedford Forrest did at Fallen Timbers was as well, that allowed the Confederate Army to escape
I live 2.5 hours from this battlefield. It is so well preserved, it feels like the battle happened yesterday.
@@aubreycoltharp8446 looking at his prior career in California, he had great command capacity. I believe that his loss along with Stonewall Jackson sealed the fate of the Confederacy. Hood. Bragg and Joe Johnson could not equal him in the west
This is an A grade narration of the events. Thank you so much for this presentation.
I have served in my own conflict, but the horrors of this war far surpass anything I think I could ever endure.
Grant was the only General in the Union who had the wherewithal, tenacity and steadfastness to defeat RE Lee. Many blustering incompetents had tried and failed.
Hancock?
George Meade smashed Lee at Gettysburg a week after he was promoted to General. Grant also severed the rebels in half on the Mississippi, sent Sherman to the coast via Atlanta and then systematically destroyed the rest of Lee’s rebels. Grant stands head and shoulders above Lee, who could barely leave Virginia.
Sherman was also a very good general as well
You talk about McDowell
Grant was the one General in the union that understood and was not afraid of using his army's advantage; superior numbers. Once Lincoln understood this he knew he had the man who would lead the union army to victory.
Great storytelling. I salute this narrator.
Brilliant doc, very well done. Respect from the UK.
My Great great Uncle General Thomas Jordan was Beauregard’s adjutant at Shiloh. My great great grandfather Capt Francis Jordan (Thomas’s brother) was under his command at Shiloh.
I think it was the historian Shelby Foote who had described this horrible battle as..."a disorganized, murderous fistfight."
I have been to Shiloh twice. Amazing sacred place.
Peaceful
Thank you so much for your wonderful stories
The perfect voice for a tale of horror, passion and loss that was, unfortunately, all too real.
Not even Sam Elliott couldn't have done a better job.
EXCELLENT NARRATION and PRESENTATION----TYVM!
Oh wow. I just came across this channel. Love it. Just saw that there's an Arkansas playlist. I live in NW Arkansas so I'm excited about that.
Appreciate the honest way the story is told. Not politically biased.the truth is never nice or gentle.where subjects like war are involved.
There were more who died at Shilo than had died at all the wars and battles up to that date. Yet there would be more battles even more bloody.
Brings mind the near 20k British soldiers who died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, but if not then.... When.
Thank you for your narration and the ability to express the feelings of passion for this subject. Enjoy the stories.
This is much more descriptive of the soldiers' experience than the generals....the story at 44:30 to me mostly told the whole story of the war "Oh God What made you come down here and fight us? We would never have come up there". That was the cause of the Civil War in a nutshell.
Nicely written and narrated by a real person.Subscribed!
Great chanel, great stories and told in most epic way, thank you !
Well done brother! A tasteful educational, thanks for sharing!
The lesson of Shiloh was no matter what you may THINK the enemy might do, the enemy often has mind of his own to attack when you least expect it. Here are some observations to consider:
1. As a commander of an army in enemy country or near the frontier, a basic line of infantry outposts, with patrols in between the outposts, must be established. Cavalry scouts are essential some distance out along likely avenues of enemy approach. Key pieces of terrain need to fortified or garrisoned with guard details. A routine practice of "stand to" at about dawn for troops needs to be accomplished in line with full combat ammo loads, water in canteens and troops awake and alert in any coats or rain gear to deal with the elements. Pickets in front of the main encampment must be manned at all times during the night and during the day during rest periods.
2. Outpost details need to relieved in the early morning. A report of any enemy activity needs to be relayed by the Noncom in charge of the outpost back to staff officers who ensure their commander is informed of any new activity. Patrols from the outposts are sent out before dawn to ensure no enemy troop movements are occurring nearby for attacks. These patrols comeback before they are relieved in the morning. Cavalry patrols and cavalry observation posts need to report any fresh activities to the infantry outposts with new enemy activity. Staff officers are essential in establishing this chain of communications.
3. A basic defensive line needs to be established even for overnight positions. It will NOT be feasible to dig the troops in during a halt before night during a march with a march planned the next day.. However, a quick reconnaissance and terrain analysis by officers is essential. Areas of natural cover and concealment need to be identified for troops to occupy in case of enemy attack. Certain areas should have brush cut for concealment of troops and field guns.
4. Encampments with dug in fortifications are necessary for prolonged periods of occupation. Troops need to dig in everywhere possible when time allows. Troops that are dug in with entrenchments can hold off three times their numbers if attacked.
The point here is a layered early warning reconnaissance system needs to be established in enemy territory. Cavalry patrols and observation posts need to be established several miles out from the infantry outpost line. The infantry outpost line with patrols in between needs to be established a half mile or mile from the main encampment. The main encampment needs "stand to" at dawn practices to prevent surprise enemy attack at dawn. A line of pickets must be maintained at night to ensure enemy forces do not sneak up for a surprise attack. A system of reporting enemy activities during the night must be established to keep tabs on enemy activity.
Ulysses Grant wasn't caught by surprise again during the Civil War. These lessons of having redundant overlapping security is essential to prebvent surprise assaults, ambushes orunexpected encounter battles that can slaughter large numbers of men so quickly resulting in catastrophe. I may or may not have characterized everything perfectly here but it is essential to establish troop leading procedures that provide security/reconnaissance with guard outposts and some amount of early warning to enemy attack or stumbling into an enemy ambush during a march. At Shiloh both sides were green. It is essential to have basic infantry training for all soldiers and when possible have advanced infantry training with unit field drills so everyone understands what to do before their first battle starts.
Beauregard blew it.
Regarding the importance of scouts. Even the Roman Empire Legions hardly dared to move without scouts in front and on the flanks, especially in northern Germania. Romans had been ambushed in the past so flank guards were essential. The flank guards also helped protect the column from attacks of the much feared aurochs, the very large, angry wild ox/cattle of northern Europe. Also out from the Roman columns were hunters usually on horseback. They were to supply fresh meat so the supplies they packed would last longer. One of those "little" things that comes from hard experience.
I live in Corinth MS it's about 20 minutes from Shiloh, the battlefield/park is a really awesome place.
My daughter's and I went to the Shiloh battlefield and was amazed by the pyramids of cannon ball's with the names of states in the battle We saw the film at the museum Quite an interesting place All those dead men over the railroad yard 4 miles away at Corynth
It’s Corinth, Mississippi. It’s spelled like the book of the Bible, Corinthians. It’s also 19 miles from Shiloh, TN to Corinth, MS.
Excellent detail. I am so enriched by your hard work
Th a nk ypu😊
The revolutionary war would be amazing to hear stories about...
The native wars too.. although very sad, it's incredibly important history... And tells the story of both sides of my ancestry...
The words of the first hand accounts… my God… witnessing it…. PTSD? Unreal.
If Forrest would have been in charge the second day, the battle might have been different.
Once Buell arrived, the Confederates were done after all they had been through the day before, they couldn't beat a force double their size.
I love your narration!
It’s reminiscent of Shelby Foote.
Narrator brings an energy to this work not unlike Dan Carlin; fantastic work.
Many of Grant’s predecessors were casualties averse, it’s not simply a matter of logistics but that of attrition that wears upon the enemy army.
Grant was a butcher.
Your rebellion lost, cope harder...
Then why is everyone moving South...?
If you admire Grant, look up the feature the History Channel did a couple years ago. Outstanding. An English actor played Grant and really did a nice job.
Grant was a war criminal as well as Sherman, Sheridan, Custer and the rest of them.
Yep, It's excellent.
Grant was a creep.
Mark Newton is a low quality troll.
I just cant admire the guy. He burned everything. Including churches. Im a big fan of old buildings and to see none where I grew up makes me sad. I hate modern architecture. When going to school in oxford Mississippi we were told only two buildings survived the union. One the main University school building the union used as a med station and the main church in the city. Which they tried to burn but it didn't fall cause majority of the construction was stone. All these documentaries post the union as saints when they were just as bad when it came to pillaging and burning buildings. They targeted everything including small family homes.
Command lead is such a important thing, even in these games now, hell let loose is fun but with no officers or commander its tough
I was born and raised in southern Illinois. Most people do not realize that many people in Illinois were supporters of the Confederacy. Two of my relatives fought with Company G, 15th Tennessee infantry at Shiloh. One was killed, and the other wounded. In the old cemetery where I was raised, Confederate veterans were buried on the south side, and Union veterans on the north side. There were a lot of Illinois rebels!
My great great grandfather was in the 122co b Illinois lived to be 91 died in 1933, the last one of his company. My dad was born in 1921 and told me stories about setting on his grandpa’s lap listening to stories of the long marches and enduring Mother Nature’s rath but wouldn’t speak of any battles. Personally I love the south and the southern way of life, being stationed in SC for three years. If I’d lived back in the early 1860s I would be fighting for the south and cessation.
Good to know that not all were damn Yankees. My x3Grandfather was Maj. General Frank Cheatham, Tennessee Volunteers fought in the Battle of Shiloh and many others. I have enjoyed tracking him and learning more about our family.
Wonderful presentation, but I question what the graphic of the Black 54th Massachusetts' assault on Battery Wagner in South Carolina, seen during the description of A.S. Johnston's fallback to Corinth, is doing in this narrative.
I had two great-great grandfathers who were part if the Union Army of the Tennessee. One on my mother's side (Wisconsin) and one on my father's (Michigan). I wrote my Master's thesis on the USCT at the Battle of Nashville in December 1864. I've toured many of the battlefields in the western theater including Shiloh. I'm extremely proud of my GAR ancestors.
You shouldn't be.
Stoked to see this, your detial and narration are danged top notch. Err "first rate"
Great narration.
Great documentary and narration. Thank you.
Excellent narration, I thought I knew the Battle of Shiloh, You taught me something.
Grant lost the first day at Shiloh,if he had some cavalry scouts he could have ordered some reconnaisance on the road to Corinth,he could have prepared for the battle better. Halleck wanted him off his army.
The difference between Grant and almost all other Generals is that Grant was beaten on the first day, but he refused to retreat. He turned disaster into victory. You mention that Halleck wanted Grant relieved. That was true in late February 1862, but after Shiloh Halleck essentially put him on the shelf. Halleck's official report blamed other officers and not Grant.
@@johnfleet235 Yes but until old brains got named general in chief instead of Brinton,he quite put him in the freezer. Look at that Corinth siege,he got nearly 100.000 men under Pope,Thomas,Buell,Sherman and still he was extremely cautious there. Beauregard didn't have more than 38.000 including Van Dorn and Price,still reeling after Pea Ridge.
@@calinmarian98 You are right about putting Grant in the freezer by Halleck. I wonder if that was deliberate to shield Grant from the press and Congress until future battles overshadowed Shiloh for causalities.
Beauregard blew it.
Halleck was not a General, he was a bureaucrat. Despite being on a different side, Grant was NOT a bureaucrat, he was a General. The South was blessed with Lee, Jackson, Stuart, and Hill as Generals, but only in the East. With only 2 of the 4, the war would have been over in 2 years. It's a mix or match which 2 to delete, and I won't argue with anyone about it.
One thing Old Brains did was keep Grant supplied. His ability to handle the logistics is impressive to me.
This his magnificent content o love this channel 😊
Terrific research and narration. Bravo!
Superb work .... Sad and disconcerting
Lincoln said his trust of Grant ran marrow deep...good enough for Abe, good enough for me...I personally think Grant is the most underrated, under appreciated person in American history, right beside George Marshall & those two men are on my Mt Rushmore beside Lincoln & Washington...and yes I would put them on there before FDR
Your wording is strange. FDR=/=Mt.Rushmore. I get it though. I'm not sure why TR's face is on the side of a South Dakota mountain. A fake charge up Cuba's San Juan hill shouldn't a hero make😆. Unfortunately, Grant made a better General than politician. Easy to see he was attempting to fulfill Lincoln's vision of Reconstruction and post war America.
The scary thing about the Civil War was that more men didn't come out of it as alcoholics a great many generals and doctors could never face another sober day.
Thanks for posting
My great great great grandpa fought with the 11th Kentucky, and arrived the second day under General Buell. I don't know what action he saw that day, but he survived and was offered a commission in the 37th Kentucky Mounted Infantry, which were essentially cavalry with rifles instead pistols or carbjnes.
The consolidation of the states into one vast empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it.
Great video thanks
The funny thing about war is that afterwards the opponents can be friends. It’s the leaders pushing to war, not the average soldier/citizen. In a war the leaders have to be stopped, not the common citizens.
It wasn't the leaders screaming in the charges against the Union forces. It was the common, dirt poor, Southern farmers. The leaders voiced their stands, and ambitions but it was the common soldiers who killed without remorse. Never underestimate your fellow man's hatred.
At about minute 39, I love the Napoleonic pose of Gen Garfield, future President of the US. That also wraps in the concepts of Baron de Jomini (war strategist), the Napoleonic Wars and reverence/fascination by the generals of the US Civil War Era.
41:37 this cracked me the fuck up. he was so mad he STUNK!!! XD
25:19 Sherman was no where near the Hornets Nest that was the Union center, Sherman was on the Union extreme right.
My great grandfather, Benjamin Mills fought at Shiloh. He fought for the North but lived in Tennessee
Should it be Johnson's ARMY OF MISSISSIPI, not ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPI? I believe the Union named its armies after rivers. The Confederacy named them after states.
The confederate army @ the battle of Shiloh was “Army of Mississippi.” @ the battle of Franklin 2 1/2 years later it was “Army of Tennessee.”
The Union army @ Shiloh was “Army of Tennessee” named after the river. Buell’s army was “Army of Ohio.”
My maternal and fraternal great grandfathers both fought for the union. Both born in West Virginia. Didn’t realize that when I was in grade school listening to my teacher talk about it. I’d have been more interested had I known. I’m 66 and just finding out is so exciting.
That was cool 😎
Very entertaining
I didn't know that Atlanta was a town during the Civil War. I thought it was already a city by then and where is the town of Georgia located
You go, Mrs Bragg!
My 4th great grandfather was the first officer killed in the battle of Shiloh.
You have high pitched fast accentuated openings to new paragraphs and you trail off quietly and slowly towards the ends of them. Then you repeat process.......
Good details on an important battle. A Teenager’s Guide to the Civil War: A History Book for Teens covers this battle and more.
Anyone know anything about the 13th Kentucky Infantry, company i.
You probably meant cavalry instead of calvary😮
Man, the narrator is really trying to summon the spirit of Ed Bearss, aren't they? Lol
Bears was a dramatic blowhard of a historian!
Its amazing the hardships these people had to endure.
Most documentaries sugar coat this stupid war. Thank you for the visceral story about this horror. I am glad I was not born during this time.
To the producers: at around minute 33, map clips would have been a helpful addition. You’re giving verbal cardinal directions of units on both sides of the war, and while in my mind’s eye, I can picture it perfectly because of my knowledge in tactics, strategy, military history, geography, and advances in weapons technology driving changes in tactics, your average person would not. That should be your target audience, to make history accessible to more people.
With all the excellent material presented, the presentation falls flat for not providing map locations as the battle raged. One is left bewildered as to what occurred where. It's an easy error to resolve and I hope you make the appropriate changes. Otherwise, well presented.
Of all the battles of the Civil War, and their was many, I think Shiloh is one I would not want to be in.
Who would?
Those Overland Battles like Wilderness, Spotsylvania were pretty nasty..,almost every major battle was pretty brutal in their own way…Stones River, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Franklin…
Those who have the eyebrows of Bragg often prefer the label warlock.
I have been deep diving the Western Campaigns…they don’t get the attention the Eastern battles had but the West seems to be almost more important as it was about the control of the Mississippi River, mountains passed and key rail lines.
Who financed the north in the battle of Shiloh ? And why ? Why did the south not get funded ? Why.?
Yeah buddy why? Why? Yeah. Just Why?
@@peternagy-im4be nag ?, Foreign money is why .
Did Johnson’s personal doctor get punished or killed for aiding the union men instead of being there when his general was hit ?
Well read 📚
Shelby Foote, the late great historian of the American Civil War, said the Confederacy never stood a chance of ever winning.
3rd great grandfather was here in the 9th Kentucky.
I have visited the area twice.
I live 70 miles from Shiloh
50 from Corinth
10 miles from Brice’s Crossroads
2 miles from tupelo, my land is the first day battle of tupelo on July 14,1864. My other family land is the 2nd day action @ Old Town Creek on July 15,1864.
@@CSAFD Interesting
Johnston was a huge loss. A great Texan he was. His portrait hung in the Texas Capitol house chambers until last year. Austin is the liberal blue dot in the midst of a scarlet red Texas. Rip
The Gun boats saved the union. The south’s lack of a navy, or policing of its water ways allowed great northern advantage.
I live in Dallas and couldn't agree more. I don't even like to go to Austin, it's so bloody Liberal. I fear we may yet anticipate another internal War of Northern Agression.
But you can be assured that Texas will stand. We are FED UP with the nauseating actions of New York and Washington. God Bless Texas!
@@marquitasozio7489 amen
No such thing as a great Confederate. Disgusting!
Good story telling..
This narrator sounds just like Ed Bearss used to. Watch the Kern Burns Civil War series to hear Ed Bearss.