U.S. Grant thought little of the Confederates at this point, but said he would be prepared for a spoiling attack by the Rebs. So Grant was prepared, but just barely. And though his army took it on the chin, he knew he'd "whip 'em tomorrow." Great soldier, who absorbed his weakest day ever and turned it into a monument of guts and stamina. He delivered a tactical and strategic Union victory. What a general. All he wanted was that 2nd day.
Grant said before the battle that he "scarcely" believed a Confderate spoiling attack would occur. Yet Grant told his boss he'd be ready for it if it came. Grant's leaned on his own ability to turn a crisis into a victory. And he did so, with utmost confidence in himself, his generals, and his troops. Helluva soldier, that Grant guy.
Yeah, he did well once shit went down, but he was careless to be taken by surprise. Very fortunate Prentiss’ men (and to a slightly lesser extent, Sherman’s men) fought their asses off.
One of my ancestors died at Shiloh. Simon John Reading was from Wales. His family came over. Simon joined the Union side. He developed some kind of problem with his throat with bleeding and he died. Unfortunately the Reading family had large numbers of the family die so Simon wasn't alone when he died. It's a sad story.
Ya thunk maybe he was shot in the throat, or died of strep throat? It was a nasty raw part of Spring the year of'62. He wasn't a conscript, because that didn't happen until '63 around the time of the NYC riots.
I lost two gggg uncles at Fredericksburg in the Irish brigade and nowadays I get blamed for slavery and everything else by a tyrannical government in DC, looks like the rebels were right and they fought for the wrong side.
I have been studying this battle for 35 years beginning with the massive books of Bruce Catton with the big battle maps inside, and yet, I learned things in this video I had never known before. Amazingly detailed job! For me, Shiloh is the most dramatic of Civil War battles with Grant's very career hanging in the balance and the ferocious defense of the Hornets Nest ultimately turning the tide. One could argue that the defense of that position was as important as any in the war, if you consider the possibility of Sherman and Grant dead or in a Confederate prison and Albert Sydney Johnson still alive! I think by 1864 any general on either side would have known the futility of leading a charge against that position. But in 1862, generals on both sides still thought any position could be taken with enough courage and determination. Fortunately, the Army of the Mississippi spent 6 hours learning the hard way.
What got you so interested in this battle in particular? Is there anything not in the video that people who really want to understand the battle should know?
Thank you for taking your time studying Shiloh/Pittsburgh Landing. My youngest daughter is named after that little church. A Hebrew word ironically meaning 'Place of Peace' As much as I can't cheer for the Confederacy, I would have loved to see what A.S. Johnston would have done later on.
Damn! I thought I was already subbed to all the great war documentary channels... Then this comes up on my recommends and now I'm gonna be binge watching for the next week to see what I've been missing. You should have WAY more subs with work of this quality!
Speaking of Superior Officers, there's one "Officer" that, had I been in the Confederate Army, that I never would have served under. Gen. Braxton Bragg! He was one of the most argumentative, and bull-headed Confederate Generals, that I've ever heard of, in my entire life! He hurls Gen. Allen's Confederates against the Union Line, and after this poor guy, who'd already been shot through the mouth, ends up being shot and killed by the Union, then General Bragg has the absolute temerity, to call Gen. Allen a coward! Upon hearing that, I felt rage flow through me like a river! Many of his own officers wanted to stay away from Gen. Bragg, because they knew how troublesome and quarrelsome he could be. In my opinion, he was EASILY the worst officer in the entire Confederate Army!!!
Old Brains caught him slacking, ain't gonna let him get away with such foolishness again. Unless of course Grant manages to get Old Brains on his side down the road, but like that's ever gonna happen. Don Carlos though, he's going places.
There are aspects to your retelling these battles that many, and I mean many, other documentary channels don't cover. I have listened to hundreds of hours of recounts of the Civil War and can speak from personal experience. Listening and watching your videos is like hearing these events for the first time. I am truly impressed.
The last known use of a British "Brown Bess" in battle was the Battle of Shiloh. One was picked up off the battlefield after the battle. Nobody knows just who it belonged to.
@@WarhawkYT At the other end of the spectrum. Those who could afford to purchase their own were using breach loading and repeating rifles that were far superior to the standard rifled muskets in use.
John Burns, Constable of Gettysburg, joined the fighting on the first day using his old flintlock musket until he was able to get a modern rifled musket from a wounded Union soldier.
Thanks for this! I've visited the park many times and read the accounts while standing on the different parts of the field. This video just puts it all together, love the troop movement maps.
@@WarhawkYT This was a good video, with the state regiments of the CSA. I only have one gripe, personally l try to pronounce names of places in the locale. I heard the narrator pronounce one of the railroads as the Ohio & Mo-bile. Down South we pronounce it Mobill. Savvy? I am from Texas, and l surely wouldn't pronounce the largest city in the South as Howston. As the people in NYC call that street in Manhattan... But,as l stated a good video overall. Y'all take care...
I remember being at the Antietam Battlefield, back in the late 1970s, viewing and listening to the accounts of what happened there. A Thunderstorm came up, as we were there, so we had to seek shelter. Suddenly, I felt this terrible sadness come over me, as I listened to the accounts of that Battle, and I was only a little bit from weeping, as I thought about those Brave Men, from both sides, that had fought and died there. They fought for what they believed in. May they Rest In Peace.
Really well done with excellent detail and no groundless speculation. Grant is superb in his command of this battle, from the front for the most part and the depositions before the battle were professional. Sherman proves his courage and tactical aplomb. Bravo !
I do have one question, that has just come to me:If Gen. Don Carlos Buell, and his men, hadn't been in place to help General U. S. Grant, and the Union Army, on the second day of Battle, would the Confederate Army have been able to have beaten the Union Army? I make no judgement here... I'm only asking. As you recall, both sides mauled each other very badly on the first day of Battle. Had the Confederate Forces congealed together, as a solid Army, is there any chance that the Confederates would've won the Battle of Shiloh? Have you ever asked yourself that question?
@@ronaldshank7589 The confederates we’re definitely a tired force by the second day and with the US gunboats and the entrenched fortifications at Pittsburg landing itself I don’t think they could have but maybe
In the evening of the first day, Sherman stumbled upon U.S. Grant calmly smoking a cigar under a tree. Sherman said Grant: "We took a hell of a beating today." Grant puffed on his cigar for a moment, then said "Yeah. We'll get 'em tomorrow though." And that was the end of the conversation.
@@David-zq6hoA correspondent of the NY Evening Post accompanied Sherman during the March. In addition, papers across the country began reporting on Sherman's March as soon as it began. The Philadelphia Evening Telegraph, for example, usually had headlines entitled "Latest From Sherman" during the March period.
I’ve walked this battlefield many times, it’s such a nice park now with monuments, stones and statues describing the events that took place, and honoring the generals and soldiers on both sides, it’s worth a visit I would highly recommend it. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get just standing on this historic battlefield knowing that many men died there fighting for their cause with bravery and willingness to sacrifice their lives. The way that they fought is just terrifying in general, standing in rows marching toward each other while your fellow soldiers fold and fall all around you, and cannon fire from the artillery behind. Brothers fighting brothers on their own soil. It had to have been a surreal experience, may their souls rip 🪦
Agreed. Even now, you can still feel the sadness of the entire Civil War,in terms of so many lives that were lost during what the Confederacy called "The Second War of Independence". So many Brave Men, both from the North, and from the South, gave their very lives for what they believed in. May they all Rest In Peace.
I'm from the shiloh area and I've learned about it my whole life. This was very informative even for someone who thought he knew a lot about the subject
My stepdad was from Corinth, Mississippi. He told me his Grandparents used to talk about Shiloh and that it was a meat-grinder. My stepdad passed away 2 years ago. I'd like to go visit the battlefield. I'm planning on visiting a friend in Nashville. How long is the drive from Nashville to Shiloh?
Grant had no reason to dig in since his plans were to keep advancing. His troops wouldn't of cared to dig out trenches since the soil was soggy from the Spring rains and would've filled up with water when it rained some more.
The way you do this is great. That comment from Sherman to Grant. Sherman is very down he’s quite tired. Grant is to but when he replies he is confident he will suceed
You know your in deep shit when you lose what Jeff Davis called the greatest general and are left with Bragg, to face Grant with his 3 lieutenants Sherman, McPherson and Thomas. What a juggernaut. Excellent job.
Well, let's not forget that that greatest general signed off on a rather poorly conceived plan. Even a layperson can see that that wheel maneuver requires one wing to advance significantly faster than the other. That means they have to push back the enemy significantly faster. How do you suppose them to do that if you don't give them added strength? And with several days of marching in their bones? The breakdown of the structure of the units also already started while said greatest general was still around. He wasn't able to prevent it.
Johnston had the killer instinct to push his hard men to make an unexpected attack. But his battle plan at Shiloh was amateurish, and the attack fell into disarray and floundered, as was inevitable. If only he had survived to learn from his mistakes, he might have grown into a great general. But, by his actual performance, Johnston is the most overrated general of the war.
General Nathan Bedford Forrest saw general grant getting off the boat around 2 in the morning . Forrest wanted to attack but couldn’t find anybody until beaugard show up around 8 in the morning.
These videos work perfectly with my reading of Civil War history. Not only do the graphics drive the information through, you cover some topics that aren't brought up in some of the books I've been going through. I was able to visit Shiloh National Military Park last year, and this video even brought up things I hadn't thought of while visiting. Great work!
Personally I don't think Sidney Johnston deserves accolades for doing a field officers job, but he was courageous and determined. To answer your question just in regards to the USA, the last army commander KIA was Lt. General Simon B. Buckner, Jr. who was killed by a mortar shell on Okinawa. He was the Civil War general's grandson. One general was killed in Vietnam but I can't recall his name or the circumstances of his death.
Luigi Cardonna "13.000 casualties and they give him the title of butcher, amateur hour!" Conrad von Hötzendorf "You have to remember the limitations of the times he lived in!" Aleksej Brusilov "Tell me more of this Zapp Brannigans school of military tactics!"
As a war gamer I'm a big fan of animated maps to describe battles and this is the best use of it that I've ever seen! Congratulations on the outstanding work! I'm anxious to watch your other videos! Thanks!!
Being from the area and walking the battlefield many times I just want to correct some small inconsistencies. I don't wanna be a cherry picker. This presentation of the battle is excellent.
Well done! You must of read Tim Smith... I was raised 4 miles across the river from Shiloh in the Nixon community and have led 27 overnight excursions there with my history students. It never gets old. Shiloh is a place that you sense someone is behind you and you turn around and no one's there but not very far away...
@ Kirk Wilson is Tim Smith the author or the name of a book! I’m interested in all things civil war and any new info is greatly appreciated. If it’s a book what’s the name? Many thanks.
@@leza6288 This Great Battlefield of Shiloh, The Untold Story of Shiloh, Rethinking Shiloh are a few of Timothy B. Smith's books. If you want to hear him in person, he leads battlefield walks at Shiloh on RUclips.
@@kirkwilson10 ahhhh yes! I do know his work. I have one of his books on Vicksburg. I thought I might have missed an author!! Many thanks!!!! PS we where supposed to go to Shiloh when covid hit. It ruined our plans. Hopefully, We will get there this year in September.
My great Grandfather was in this Battle in a unit from KY 3rd or 2nd ,inf, Union . He was wounded and layied out all night and caught "congestion of the breast " That disabled him . My Grandfather would talk about his dad describing all the smoke and how it hung in the air . The only way they could see who was who was to look for the flags ,
This was great. I'm from just north of Shiloh tn. There is tons of CW history stuff around west tn. Shiloh, battle of parker's cross roads, battle of Jack's creek, my town was known as henderson station back then....it was and still is a rail way town. The old train tracks are still here today.
Great Work! It is incomprehensible to me, how the militaries on both sides got so many people to kill and maim each other in such an organized fashion.
Union General Lew Wallace wrote Ben Hur. There's a tiny town named Ben Hur at the very southwest point of Virginia. Even though I'm a dazzling urbanite I've been there.
For those of you who enjoy learning about the civil war and also playing strategy games I highly recommend you check out ultimate general - civil war. The game follows the conflict pretty spot on and you can play as both the union and confederate forces.
I am no Civil War battle enthusiast but preparing for a discussion this animated account of Shiloh is excellent, perfect, and supports a lecture I have watched. This animation is invaluable. Thank You.
Really great video, well done. In deference to both sides and with apologies to those who will be offended, I've dubbed this the Battle of Holy Shitsburg Landing. There's a Shiloh in that title if you look hard enough. And I wish to receive no further feedback that the battles of Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing are the same battle. That said, any and all feedback are welcome.
Very well done, sir 👍🏻. I plan to visit Shiloh this spring on the anniversary of the battle. Hopefully it’s a sunny warm spring day. Maybe I’ll see some of ya there 😎
The computer graphics of the leaders and their units makes reading about these battles much easier for comprehension. I would like to point out one important fact. We always hear about Civil War historians telling us the rifle musket helped increase battle distances over Napoleonic wars. Napoleonic battles had engagement ranges of about 80 yards or less. Most Civil War battles were similar with opening ranges at a 100 yards/meters or less between the opposing sides of double lined infantry in closed order double ranks. At Shiloh, many Union and Confederate regiments did NOT fire until the enemy was within about 50 yards or less or as the narrator said 20 some yards. The idea was let the enemy come close, aim at their belt buckle to make sure every round fired dropped an enemy soldier. So the impact of the rifle musket was minimal at Shiloh including most other battles. Most regiments had smoothbore muskets with buck and ball rounds of one .69 caliber ball and three .30 caliber buckshot firing at under 50 yards. These regimental volleys of buck and ball rounds were utterly devastating and much more lethal at close range than a single Minie bullet fired from a rifle musket. The shooter had much higher probabilities of a hit on a target. We should remember the blinding clouds of smoke muzzle loading black powder weapons created on the battlefield. The battlefield literally was covered in the "fog of war" because soldiers could only see about 50 to 60 yards in front of them. Skirmishers fought as light infantry working in partners in pairs or groups of four soldiers in open order. Skirmishers hid behind whatever cover was available while one partner kept his loaded musket or rifle musket aimed at the enemy and the other partner soldier loaded their rifle or musket behind a tree, ravine or whatever cover was available. Skirmishers had to be able to judge distance and adjust their aiming point based in the trajectory of the Minie ball which was parabolic like a rainbow at a 150 meters going right over the enemy target from level line of sight. Most Civil War soldiers were POORLY trained on range estimation for rifle marksmanship. The picking of the correct aiming point adjustment corresponding to the range to the target for their Springfield and Enfield rifled musket was almost never taught in training camps.. So the soldiers in the ranks just waited until their enemies were within a 100 yards or less before opening fire with their rifled muskets. The tactic was to let the enemy get within about 70 to 80 yards and aim straight at their beltbuckle. Often times, commanders ordered their soldiers not to shoot at targets until they were closer than 50 yards to the enemy. No one could see a darn thing on black powder Civil War battlefields. Sometimes Civil War historians overhype things like the rifled musket and MInie ball. In theory it was a gamechanger but in reality most soldiers wounded by a rifle musket firing a Minie ball were probably only 50 to 60 yards away from their enemy.
Your comment about the smoke hanging on and covering the battlefield is great , My GreatGarndfather was at Shiloh in the 2KY inf unit .Now my Grandfather would tell us about his dad in the battle , how hard it was to see because of the smoke hanging in the damp air . the only way to see who was who was to look for the flags , Nimrod Smith was my Great Grandfathers name he was wounded and caught " Consumption of the breast" and was discharged in 1863 ,
And “Pittsburg Landing” implies a place of trade and this was so true where Blue & Grey exchanged lead for lead, saber cut for saber cut & blood for blood. This battle was the beginning of how the west was won by the Union forces.
When the union were Initially pushed back to the river, the union charged there own men with cavalry trying to get them to return to battle. There was an entire division from Wisconsin I believe that went into the hornets nest, and when they came out they refused to fight after that
@@willoutlaw4971 source is “Shiloh-1862” Written by Winston groom, noted journalist and author. You can find the information there. I’m guessing your mad because it doesn’t trot in your narrow perspective of soldierly high stepping union troops marching to fight for “freedom” not taking into account the nuances of life in general, and the fact many were literally press-handed to fight a war they were against. Same thing happened in the south, idiots like you just breeze over nuance and cherry pick facts
When I toured civil war battlefields I also wanted to see Confederate cannons. I met a ranger at Chickamauga who had worked also at Gettysburg. He had never seen an original but said he hear Shiloh had some. Visiting there I discovered an entire row of them. Worth knowing.
Only when I learn American history do I found out how much Americans are fond of Greco-Roman culture names like Leonidas, Ulysses and places like Syracuse and Corinth.
Yep. We have plenty of towns named Athens, Rome, Sparta and Carthage. Those were founded by educated settlers while those by illiterates had more colorful names like Cut and Shoot, Plain Dealing, Knaw Bone and Smackover.
I think Grant had two major bad battles. I think he totally under estimated the Confederacy at Shilo and Cold Harbor was an all out slaughter. I think he was the general the north needed and overall succeeded in finally defeating General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, along with General Sherman taking Atlanta and his march through the south. Lee had Gettysburg as his biggest disaster. Both were great Generals, but still human with human flaws. I think the Union just had too many resources and such a numerical superiority that they were destined to win the war. It's too bad it took a war of attrition to do it, but that is how it was ultimately won. Grant could lose 20,000 men and replace them. Lee couldn't. I think that kind of sums up how the war was determined.
Great summary, thank you! I totally agree with everything you said. I would add that this is why Lee invaded the north. He knew that the CSA had to win the war quickly because every day that went by, the North was out gaining them. The quickest way to bring the war to its end was to take the fight to the north. He also needed the food and supplies that existed above the border because his army had picked Virginia dry. That was also a significant reason but not nearly as much as needing to win quickly or lose. Also, he chose the time to invade the North in an attempt to sway voters to Elect McClellan over Lincoln in 1864 in the hopes that McClellan would come to the bargaining table, something Lincoln would never have done. Even though Grant would become president, I think this is what separates these two great generals. Lee wasn't just a great leader and master strategist, he was also adept at politics. In short, Lee had finesse. Grant, on the other hand, was simply willing to do what needed to be done, as brutal and horrific as that turned out to be.
Grant and Lee were damn good generals. Both had their fuck ups though (Cold Harbor, Wilderness, Gettysburg, Antietam) The numerical superiority point is true, but overstated. There were quite a few reasonable actions that could’ve been taken by the Confederates to overcome that disadvantage. They also blew some battles when they were the more numerous side too (like Pea Ridge).
A lot of old information here. Grant was hands down the better general, as evidenced by the fact that he had THREE Confederate armies surrender to him. Furthermore, he managed to win decisive battles in both theaters of the war, including Vicksburg and Petersburg, while Lee was never able to achieve more than immediate tactical successes. Even more damningly, Lee, with the smaller, less easily replenished army, suffered higher casualties, both in absolute terms and in rates. Grant forced the surrender of three Confederate armies, including 12,000 men at Fort Donelson, 29,495 at Vicksburg, and 28,356 at Appomattox. These surrenders accompanied vital and decisive victories. At Fort Donelson, Grant's victory and capture of the fort and garrison opened Kentucky and Tennessee to the Federals, enabling the capture of Nashville and further campaigns that would culminate in the captures of Vicksburg and Chattanooga, followed by Sherman's March. At Vicksburg, Grant cut off Lee's access to vital supplies of lead, sugar, salt, and molasses, among other items, that were primarily sourced from locations in Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas, now located on the wrong side of the Mississippi River. And, finally, Appomattox followed Grant's masterful series of battles in the Overland and Petersburg Campaigns, which saw Lee pinned against Richmond before being decisively beaten at Petersburg and forced to withdraw, a withdrawal Grant denied him, leading to the surrender. Even the battle that is the subject of this video demonstrates Grant's qualities. Most other Federal commanders would have fled the field after the first day. Grant, however, kept a cool head, stabilized the defense, and then sent the rebels packing the next day, following it up with a victory at Corinth. In contrast, Lee only ever managed to achieve tactical successes, forcing Federal armies to retreat but never being in a position to pursue them. This was a result of Lee's pathological inability to avoid the temptation to try and one shot the Federal army, which resulted in casualty rates that made Grant's pale in comparison. At Chancellorsville, for example, over 21% of his 60,000 men were killed, wounded, captured, or missing by the end of the battle, compared to less than 13% of the Federal army. Then, at Gettysburg, some 50% of Lee's army became casualties. When Grant failed, he could continue the fight. When Lee failed, he had to spend months recovering. Finally, on the subject of casualties, Grant suffered a grand total of 154,000 casualties during the entire war across both theaters. In exchange, he inflicted 191,000 casualties on the Confederates and systematically demolished their ability to wage the war. Lee, in contrast, suffered 209,000 casualties while never being able to achieve more than tactical success. By any metric, Lee was out-generaled by Grant. The only reason he is remembered well today is because his subordinates and their descendants spent the last century and a half deifying him as a god of war while denigrating Grant.
That’s good and all, but you forgot to mention Hamish Sinclair, a Union soldier who served under General Buell in this battle. He lost his leg in the battle and later named his horse Buell. He would become friends with Arthur Morgan before sadly being gored by a wild hog
SUGGESTION: Repeated references to compass directions e.g. SE, NE etc are made with only a very general frame of reference provided - PUT a compass rose on the screen at all times - this will greatly aid the viewer.
Another fantastic video, I love Military history and your civil war is incredibly fascinating and not just because of the battles but the history before and after….thank you.
Not nitpicking but just adding some more info. At 27:03 you have Madison Miller's brigade engaging the Confederates on the southern edge of Spain Field. They did initially hold that position but very quickly fell back into the woods behind their encampments where they had the main part of the engagement. Interestingly a lone regiment appeared from Pittsburg Landing to reinforce this part of the line at this time, the 15th Michigan. The only problem was they arrived at the landing with no weapons. They were sent to the front with the promise that rifles would arrive shortly. They stood at the far left of Madison's line and actually starting taking hits from the rebels until wisely ordered to fall back and soon the whole line was routed shortly after.
Thanks for the extra info Heaven, I tried to get the animations as accurate as possible but sometimes there is info I cant find. So I do my best in showing off what I have info on.
this is a reallly good channel. damn you do good work. ay, my boys in the south lose you win some you loose some. being mexicano, would love to see where the Mexicans fought , i know around 3000 joined the Confederates. great work tho, im gonna be hooked on this for a while
I love history. Remember when the history channel used clips from Total War: Rome to do a history series on battles around..whenever the romans were doing there thing lol. Anyways, I would like to see game technology used to show some of the battles. That would be sick. For now, these will work. It is still animated which is cool.
One overlooks how the rivers were the 19th century version of Interstate Highways. A most cogent and interesting exposition of actions and battles I'd not heard of. What I wonder is where did the CSA garner their heavy weapons, given that they lacked heavy industry? Were they mostly captured Federal weapons? Superb documentary.
I spent two days at Shiloh it was a sacred ground Union forces were put in a nice cemetery there at the church the Confederate boys were through in Pitts and trenches in Mass Graves hopefully history will never repeat this again but the lessons learned from this great battle stand to show what the heart of America is willing to do
Before I criticize, I wanna say great work. This is a good video. You missed the 8th Iowa, completely leaving them out of the Hornet's Nest. At least, I didn't see them. They should've been in between Hickenlooper's 5th Ohio Battery and the 23rd Missouri on the Union side
I’m taking a motorcycle ride to Shiloh this spring on the anniversary of the battle 👍🏻😎. Well…unless it’s to cold lol. If it’s cold I’ll just drive the truck. Either way I’m going 👍🏻. I’m about 4 hours away. Bowling green KY area
The battle ended with an epic victory for the North. But idiot politicians and the ignorant Northern citizens wanted Grant's head. They were so wrong. This Shiloh action by Grant, I think, is his finest hour. He could have lost. But he bucked up all his soldiers and officers, and said: "Whip 'em tomorrow." What a great general, this man Grant.
Not just a "Lee of the West" I'd argue Johnston may have even outperformed Lee had he lived, we'll never know of course, and I DO like Lee, but Johnston was no pushover himself.
@@mjfleming319 His death is one of the two great what ifs of the US Civil War. What if Johnston had survived Shiloh? What if Jackson had survived Chancelorsville? I believe the outcome would have been the same. However, it would have taken the Union longer to do it. Johnston living may have, I say again may have turned the outcome of this battle which would have delayed if not ended Grant. Gettysburg would likely have a different outcome as odds are Jackson would have pushed his Corps to take the hills before the AOP could occupy them. The South's fate was sealed as long as Lincoln was Prez, and Europe did not intervene. Lincoln losing in 64 could have happened although I believe he would have had a narrow victory. Great Britian or France intervening is IMHO was a wet err I mean pipedream of the "Lost Causers".
@@GhostRider-sc9vu interesting what ifs. Here’s my analysis: 1. Johnston wasn’t doing a particularly good job before Shiloh, nor during the battle itself. Only the surprise attack (mostly Sherman’s fault, speaking of overrated generals) gave the rebels a chance at Shiloh, and by the time Johnston was killed Grant and his army were fighting stubbornly as well; the true crisis had passed. Johnston enjoyed his position due to his personal friendship with Jefferson Davis. Overall, Davis turned out to be a very poor judge of generals when they were his personal friends...why would he have been correct about Johnston? 2. Jackson was streaky and often reckless. Which Jackson would have showed up at Gettysburg? Would a reckless late-day attack on cemetery hill have led to a stunning victory...or a catastrophic repulse?
@@JeepWrangler1957 Exact quote from video: "Johnston demonstrated high moral character and great dignity." I don't consider slave ownership to be an indicator of high moral character or great dignity. That's not to say other qualities or actions by Johnston didn't show those traits. I just think that the repugnancy of slave ownership can outweigh the good attributes of people. Many people both back then and now would agree with that, so Warhawk's sweeping statement here is a bit misleading. It would be correct, and even more relevant, if Warhawk instead said "He was considered by his *soldiers/colleagues/compatriots* to have high moral character and great dignity", as that would be more objectively true, while also speaking to the morale and spirit of the army. All that said, I'm still pleased that this channel focuses on military history, and doesn't waste time bashing historical figures on either side.
If Lincoln's invasion of Dixie was about slavery, then it was unconstitutional and illegal and treason as slavery was legal under the Constitution. Lincoln's war was still illegal because it was about securing Southern cash crops to preserve the Union Treasury!
@Aditya Chavarkar The US Constitution recognized slavery as legal in five clauses. The SCOTUS recognizes slavery as legal in Dred Scott 1857. Congress recognized slavery as legal in 1820 Missouri Compromise, 1850 Fugitive Slave Law. Abraham Lincoln recognized slavery as legal in his 1st Inaugural: I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."
@Aditya Chavarkar Not only is a war to free slaves violates SCOTUS rulings, Congressional laws, it violates the Constitution, adding it violates the Ex Post Facto (After the Fact) restriction in Article 1 Section 9 for the federal government. How many more violations of the Constitution do you want to rack up here?
@@WarhawkYT definitely do. Right now I'm reading the biography of Ulysses S. Grant. He speaks about all his battles so as I'm reading I'm watching the videos after each chapter to gain a better perspective. Sherman at the battle of Shiloh was hit like there times and lost 5 horses. Grant said he didn't know how Sherman got through that battle.
@@WarhawkYT yeah I figured you did 👍 One thing about Grants details about the war is he adds little known things that he personally went through. One thing I thought was interesting he added in was after the first days battle he went to a tree for cover out of the Rain with Sherman which you had in there and after they spoke he said he decided to go into the hospital tent to get dry but what grant said he witnessed with the all the blood from amputations and the wounded he decided to go back to the tree.
I always buy my Civil War relics from Shiloh Relics they have a awesome selection and the owner grew up on Shiloh battle area and found tons of stuff when metal detectors come out for the public
*I feel the the Confederacy lost the war partially by losing the West exposing their Left strategic flank. The Confederacy could barely muster forces to defend that part of the Confederacy at the start of the war and the lost of strategic locations and cities was devastating for sure.
The Hornets' Nest is a prime example of why operations have evolved to bypass these pockets of stubborn resistance. The initiative and momentum of the attack is inevitably lost.
My Great-Greatgrandfather and his brother were drafted into the 12th Michigan near the end of the war in November 1864. By this time units of the 12th were guarding the rail roads in Arkansas.
An impressive display of this, the most chaotic battle of the War of Northern Aggression. Several things stand out to me: 1. However it came about, it was sound for Johnson and Beauregard to command the two haves of the army. Command and control was the most serious problem of the early war, as other than Johnson (1860 Mormon War) no Confederate commander including Robert E. Lee, had ever commanded anything larger than a regiment. 2. A lot of people would learn a lot from this battle. Cleburne and Breckenridge of the CSA, for example (neither a West Pointer) would show much more skill in future battles. Ditto Sherman and Grant, as well as a host of future high-ranking officers. 3. Tactics were crude to a fault as it became obvious the Old Bory's complicated attack plan would never be carried out by the green troops and inexperienced battle leaders. In a nutshell, Beauregard's plan of attack reflects a lot of other complicated grand plans he concocted to win the war. 4. For green troops there was an amazing amount of tenacity shown by both sides.
1st illinois light artillery battery a saw Johnston fall. Theres a book written by a private of the unit. The accounts and overall story is very interesting
I read more informatiom about Shiloh. Federal pickets found the CSA soldiers in the wood in the night of 5. April! Sherman and Prentiss refused the reports and instead of warning Grant they went to sleep!!!! I learnt there was leader who thought about the Confederat attact possibility and Colonel Everett Peabody (from the 25th Missouri infranty) sent out scouts at drawn of 6th April. The scout group (Major Powell) started a short time fight, so divisions (and their leaders) of Sherman and Prentiss did not sleep but Prentiss was angry with Peabody, I think for a very short time! Peabody lived in Springfield I think he had to remember for the battle of the Wilson's creek. However Sherman and Prentiss made big mistake not to alarm Grant. Thomas got similar dawn attact in Mill Springs Tennessee earlier.
My ancestors(widowed great great great great grandmother and great great great grandfather and grandmother) lived at shiloh during this, its a shame I don't have any stories from them
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🤣🤣 The north had manufacturing superiority not military leadership. History needs fact tellers not cheer leaders
Or the best criminals ever that when the Federal government killed states rights it's all how you see it
I have!!! ////Lars
The most critical win at this point in the war was Lincoln understanding that Grant would be the man to win this thing.
U.S. Grant thought little of the Confederates at this point, but said he would be prepared for a spoiling attack by the Rebs.
So Grant was prepared, but just barely. And though his army took it on the chin, he knew he'd "whip 'em tomorrow."
Great soldier, who absorbed his weakest day ever and turned it into a monument of guts and stamina.
He delivered a tactical and strategic Union victory. What a general. All he wanted was that 2nd day.
Grant said before the battle that he "scarcely" believed a Confderate spoiling attack would occur. Yet Grant told his boss he'd be ready for it if it came.
Grant's leaned on his own ability to turn a crisis into a victory. And he did so, with utmost confidence in himself, his generals, and his troops.
Helluva soldier, that Grant guy.
Yeah, he did well once shit went down, but he was careless to be taken by surprise. Very fortunate Prentiss’ men (and to a slightly lesser extent, Sherman’s men) fought their asses off.
He did it with cocaine
He did it with cocaine
@@cal4837 wow. And comments like this don't get touched. What a story thank you
@@blindingshadow3463 …what?
One of my ancestors died at Shiloh. Simon John Reading was from Wales. His family came over. Simon joined the Union side. He developed some kind of problem with his throat with bleeding and he died. Unfortunately the Reading family had large numbers of the family die so Simon wasn't alone when he died. It's a sad story.
Ya thunk maybe he was shot in the throat, or died of strep throat?
It was a nasty raw part of Spring the year of'62.
He wasn't a conscript, because that didn't happen until '63 around the time of the NYC riots.
I lost two gggg uncles at Fredericksburg in the Irish brigade and nowadays I get blamed for slavery and everything else by a tyrannical government in DC, looks like the rebels were right and they fought for the wrong side.
@@jakemocci3953 I'd say Grant and Sherman would be disgusted by present day government...
@@jakemocci3953So unfair! Grow up!
No doubt you would like to join todays traitors. Regardless of their feelings,they fought for the Union.
I have been studying this battle for 35 years beginning with the massive books of Bruce Catton with the big battle maps inside, and yet, I learned things in this video I had never known before. Amazingly detailed job!
For me, Shiloh is the most dramatic of Civil War battles with Grant's very career hanging in the balance and the ferocious defense of the Hornets Nest ultimately turning the tide. One could argue that the defense of that position was as important as any in the war, if you consider the possibility of Sherman and Grant dead or in a Confederate prison and Albert Sydney Johnson still alive!
I think by 1864 any general on either side would have known the futility of leading a charge against that position. But in 1862, generals on both sides still thought any position could be taken with enough courage and determination. Fortunately, the Army of the Mississippi spent 6 hours learning the hard way.
Veterans would later say they were never so scared as they were at Shiloh.
Fredricksburg for me Irish killing Irish! "Poor misled fools"- Cobs Georgia Brigade. God Bless Patrick Cleburne. Legend.
What got you so interested in this battle in particular? Is there anything not in the video that people who really want to understand the battle should know?
@Shawn N..... that was yankee general Grant's only strategy in 1864 duh
Thank you for taking your time studying Shiloh/Pittsburgh Landing. My youngest daughter is named after that little church. A Hebrew word ironically meaning 'Place of Peace' As much as I can't cheer for the Confederacy, I would have loved to see what A.S. Johnston would have done later on.
Damn! I thought I was already subbed to all the great war documentary channels... Then this comes up on my recommends and now I'm gonna be binge watching for the next week to see what I've been missing. You should have WAY more subs with work of this quality!
Im here thinking maybe
absolutely
Agree. Algorithm worked this time. Any other channel suggestions?
Excellent, gripping stuff, isn't it? I love this kind of material...and may God cause us ALL, as a Great Nation, to unite, and fight for what's right!
@@ronaldshank7589 you used to be a great nation a few elections ago although the avalanche started nov 22nd 1963
Everett Peabody was a hero. Initiative and moral courage to realize what needed to be done even against his superior officer's wishes.
Speaking of Superior Officers, there's one "Officer" that, had I been in the Confederate Army, that I never would have served under. Gen. Braxton Bragg! He was one of the most argumentative, and bull-headed Confederate Generals, that I've ever heard of, in my entire life! He hurls Gen. Allen's Confederates against the Union Line, and after this poor guy, who'd already been shot through the mouth, ends up being shot and killed by the Union, then General Bragg has the absolute temerity, to call Gen. Allen a coward! Upon hearing that, I felt rage flow through me like a river! Many of his own officers wanted to stay away from Gen. Bragg, because they knew how troublesome and quarrelsome he could be. In my opinion, he was EASILY the worst officer in the entire Confederate Army!!!
@@ronaldshank7589 yeah but he had a cool name
I'm predicting this grant guy won't go anywhere
oh definitely, after shiloh he aint going anywhere
Old Brains caught him slacking, ain't gonna let him get away with such foolishness again.
Unless of course Grant manages to get Old Brains on his side down the road, but like that's ever gonna happen.
Don Carlos though, he's going places.
@@The_Unrepentant_McClellanite Is buell the hindman of the Union
You made me laugh! I wish I had thought to put this in the comments first!
🖤
There are aspects to your retelling these battles that many, and I mean many, other documentary channels don't cover. I have listened to hundreds of hours of recounts of the Civil War and can speak from personal experience. Listening and watching your videos is like hearing these events for the first time. I am truly impressed.
Ditto!
The last known use of a British "Brown Bess" in battle was the Battle of Shiloh. One was picked up off the battlefield after the battle. Nobody knows just who it belonged to.
I find it quite interesting that many men on both sides were using antique guns that were at their prime 50-100 years ago
Brackenridge's men were very poorly supplied. And I know Bragg's men fought weapon shortages as well
@@WarhawkYT At the other end of the spectrum. Those who could afford to purchase their own were using breach loading and repeating rifles that were far superior to the standard rifled muskets in use.
John Burns, Constable of Gettysburg, joined the fighting on the first day using his old flintlock musket until he was able to get a modern rifled musket from a wounded Union soldier.
@@MrNiceGuyHistory They may be superior but that cased ammo was a bitch to buy.
Thanks for this! I've visited the park many times and read the accounts while standing on the different parts of the field. This video just puts it all together, love the troop movement maps.
Thank you Eddie C!
@@WarhawkYT This was a good video, with the state regiments of the CSA.
I only have one gripe, personally l try to pronounce names of places in the locale.
I heard the narrator pronounce one of the railroads as the Ohio & Mo-bile. Down South we pronounce it Mobill. Savvy? I am from Texas, and l surely wouldn't pronounce the largest city in the South as Howston. As the people in NYC call that street in Manhattan...
But,as l stated a good video overall. Y'all take care...
As to pronunciation, Grant's first name is typically u-LISS-ees by Americans.
I remember being at the Antietam Battlefield, back in the late 1970s, viewing and listening to the accounts of what happened there. A Thunderstorm came up, as we were there, so we had to seek shelter. Suddenly, I felt this terrible sadness come over me, as I listened to the accounts of that Battle, and I was only a little bit from weeping, as I thought about those Brave Men, from both sides, that had fought and died there. They fought for what they believed in. May they Rest In Peace.
Really well done with excellent detail and no groundless speculation. Grant is superb in his command of this battle, from the front for the most part and the depositions before the battle were professional. Sherman proves his courage and tactical aplomb. Bravo !
I do have one question, that has just come to me:If Gen. Don Carlos Buell, and his men, hadn't been in place to help General U. S. Grant, and the Union Army, on the second day of Battle, would the Confederate Army have been able to have beaten the Union Army?
I make no judgement here... I'm only asking. As you recall, both sides mauled each other very badly on the first day of Battle. Had the Confederate Forces congealed together, as a solid Army, is there any chance that the Confederates would've won the Battle of Shiloh?
Have you ever asked yourself that question?
@@ronaldshank7589 The confederates we’re definitely a tired force by the second day and with the US gunboats and the entrenched fortifications at Pittsburg landing itself I don’t think they could have but maybe
@@ronaldshank7589 Who knows?
But it didn't go that way, that >s what counts. 😉
@@ronaldshank7589 - I think the USA would have won in either case. Consider that Lew Wallace’s men would be pretty much fresh on the second day.
@@ronaldshank7589who knows. Keep in mind, even without Buell, Grant finally got Lew Wallace’s division back before the start of day 2.
In the evening of the first day, Sherman stumbled upon U.S. Grant calmly smoking a cigar under a tree. Sherman said Grant: "We took a hell of a beating today." Grant puffed on his cigar for a moment, then said "Yeah. We'll get 'em tomorrow though." And that was the end of the conversation.
"Mission failed. Well get em next time" cod4
Sherman's March was the last of the south he made reporter's leave for secrecy,,
@@David-zq6hoA correspondent of the NY Evening Post accompanied Sherman during the March. In addition, papers across the country began reporting on Sherman's March as soon as it began. The Philadelphia Evening Telegraph, for example, usually had headlines entitled "Latest From Sherman" during the March period.
@@LTrotsky21stCentury no Lincoln didn't know his whereabouts he cut his supply lines no one was reporting anything not possible..
@@LTrotsky21stCentury well he disappeared for a while yea .
I’ve walked this battlefield many times, it’s such a nice park now with monuments, stones and statues describing the events that took place, and honoring the generals and soldiers on both sides, it’s worth a visit I would highly recommend it. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get just standing on this historic battlefield knowing that many men died there fighting for their cause with bravery and willingness to sacrifice their lives. The way that they fought is just terrifying in general, standing in rows marching toward each other while your fellow soldiers fold and fall all around you, and cannon fire from the artillery behind. Brothers fighting brothers on their own soil. It had to have been a surreal experience, may their souls rip 🪦
Agreed. Even now, you can still feel the sadness of the entire Civil War,in terms of so many lives that were lost during what the Confederacy called "The Second War of Independence". So many Brave Men, both from the North, and from the South, gave their very lives for what they believed in. May they all Rest In Peace.
I'm from the shiloh area and I've learned about it my whole life. This was very informative even for someone who thought he knew a lot about the subject
My stepdad was from Corinth, Mississippi. He told me his Grandparents used to talk about Shiloh and that it was a meat-grinder. My stepdad passed away 2 years ago. I'd like to go visit the battlefield. I'm planning on visiting a friend in Nashville. How long is the drive from Nashville to Shiloh?
One of the gravest errors Grant made was failing to dig in before settling in for the evening of April 5th. After that, he knew what a pick was for.
Grant had no reason to dig in since his plans were to keep advancing. His troops wouldn't of cared to dig out trenches since the soil was soggy from the Spring rains and would've filled up with water when it rained some more.
The way you do this is great. That comment from Sherman to Grant. Sherman is very down he’s quite tired. Grant is to but when he replies he is confident he will suceed
Thank you Paul!
You know your in deep shit when you lose what Jeff Davis called the greatest general and are left with Bragg, to face Grant with his 3 lieutenants Sherman, McPherson and Thomas. What a juggernaut. Excellent job.
Well, let's not forget that that greatest general signed off on a rather poorly conceived plan. Even a layperson can see that that wheel maneuver requires one wing to advance significantly faster than the other. That means they have to push back the enemy significantly faster. How do you suppose them to do that if you don't give them added strength? And with several days of marching in their bones?
The breakdown of the structure of the units also already started while said greatest general was still around. He wasn't able to prevent it.
Johnston had the killer instinct to push his hard men to make an unexpected attack. But his battle plan at Shiloh was amateurish, and the attack fell into disarray and floundered, as was inevitable.
If only he had survived to learn from his mistakes, he might have grown into a great general. But, by his actual performance, Johnston is the most overrated general of the war.
General Nathan Bedford Forrest saw general grant getting off the boat around 2 in the morning . Forrest wanted to attack but couldn’t find anybody until beaugard show up around 8 in the morning.
With a genius like Bragg on your side, who would even need a Union army to defeat you? ^^
That was well put together, thoughtful, and precise. Good job, I look forward to more videos from you.
These videos work perfectly with my reading of Civil War history. Not only do the graphics drive the information through, you cover some topics that aren't brought up in some of the books I've been going through. I was able to visit Shiloh National Military Park last year, and this video even brought up things I hadn't thought of while visiting. Great work!
I said the same and recognized as much from the beginning first videos I watched.
I love Generals who share the hardships of his troops, fight and die alongside them.. Does such Generals still exist?
Personally I don't think Sidney Johnston deserves accolades for doing a field officers job, but he was courageous and determined. To answer your question just in regards to the USA, the last army commander KIA was Lt. General Simon B. Buckner, Jr. who was killed by a mortar shell on Okinawa. He was the Civil War general's grandson. One general was killed in Vietnam but I can't recall his name or the circumstances of his death.
Luigi Cardonna "13.000 casualties and they give him the title of butcher, amateur hour!"
Conrad von Hötzendorf "You have to remember the limitations of the times he lived in!"
Aleksej Brusilov "Tell me more of this Zapp Brannigans school of military tactics!"
As a war gamer I'm a big fan of animated maps to describe battles and this is the best use of it that I've ever seen! Congratulations on the outstanding work! I'm anxious to watch your other videos! Thanks!!
A war gamer. Great.
An asshole leaves a useless comment. Great.
You heard the guy, Doc Beaton, stop enjoying things a complete stranger doesn't like.
I LOVE THAT YOU USE A SIMILAR STYLE TO EPIC HISTORY TV ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Being from the area and walking the battlefield many times I just want to correct some small inconsistencies. I don't wanna be a cherry picker. This presentation of the battle is excellent.
Well done! You must of read Tim Smith... I was raised 4 miles across the river from Shiloh in the Nixon community and have led 27 overnight excursions there with my history students. It never gets old. Shiloh is a place that you sense someone is behind you and you turn around and no one's there but not very far away...
@ Kirk Wilson is Tim
Smith the author or the name of a book! I’m interested in all things civil war and any new info is greatly appreciated. If it’s a book what’s the name? Many thanks.
@@leza6288 This Great Battlefield of Shiloh, The Untold Story of Shiloh, Rethinking Shiloh are a few of Timothy B. Smith's books. If you want to hear him in person, he leads battlefield walks at Shiloh on RUclips.
@@kirkwilson10 ahhhh yes! I do know his work. I have one of his books on Vicksburg. I thought I might have missed an author!! Many thanks!!!!
PS we where supposed to go to Shiloh when covid hit. It ruined our plans. Hopefully, We will get there this year in September.
Great video that I use in my classroom along with A Teenager’s Guide to the Civil War: A History Book for Teens.
While in that area working, I visited this battle field! It's hard to believe that such beautiful place was such a scene of such horror!
My great Grandfather was in this Battle in a unit from KY 3rd or 2nd ,inf, Union . He was wounded and layied out all night and caught "congestion of the breast " That disabled him . My Grandfather would talk about his dad describing all the smoke and how it hung in the air . The only way they could see who was who was to look for the flags ,
I love to be chasing history and I'm going to all I can handle with this show.📺🎥🎬📽️.
This was great. I'm from just north of Shiloh tn. There is tons of CW history stuff around west tn. Shiloh, battle of parker's cross roads, battle of Jack's creek, my town was known as henderson station back then....it was and still is a rail way town. The old train tracks are still here today.
Great Work!
It is incomprehensible to me, how the militaries on both sides got so many people to kill and maim each other in such an organized fashion.
Union General Lew Wallace wrote Ben Hur. There's a tiny town named Ben Hur at the very southwest point of Virginia. Even though I'm a dazzling urbanite I've been there.
The inauguration picture you represent as Richmond is actually Davis being sworn in at the Montgomery Capitol.
For those of you who enjoy learning about the civil war and also playing strategy games I highly recommend you check out ultimate general - civil war. The game follows the conflict pretty spot on and you can play as both the union and confederate forces.
The Southern Novelist George W. Cable wrote: "After Shiloh, the South never smiled again".
Long live the old South. 😆😆😆
It was def the Confederates’ strongest, fiercest haymaker in the West.
@@cal4837chickamauga? The union army was saved by George Thomas.
@@doublepoet7852 nah you’re right. That was bigger in scale. Shiloh does get bonus points imo for the importance of the time it happened
Endurance and Commitment, Grants first nightly staff meeting after day 1 first clash on any and all campaigns.
hell yeah Bryan!
Generals Grant and Sherman might be the best pair of American army generals of all time
I would agree with that statement.
Lee and stonewall too
Might. If not for Lee and Jackson
@@markcrites7060 but only in tactical field battle. In strategic, the grant and sherman pair is stronger.
Maybe, but the two were miles apart in terms of character. Sherman was a monster. Grant was a decent man.
The 160th anniversary event is coming and I’m stoked!
less gooo
ONE OF THE VERY BEST EXPLANATIONS OF A BATTLE I HAVE SEEN SO FAR, KUDOS TO THE ORGANIZATION WHO MADE THIS VIODEO.
I am no Civil War battle enthusiast but preparing for a discussion this animated account of Shiloh is excellent, perfect, and supports a lecture I have watched. This animation is invaluable. Thank You.
Just be sure to pronounce Mobile as Mo-BEEL, not Mo-BILE .. unlike the video at the 7:27 mark.
And shiloh means in hebrew tranquil or the gift of god. Not house. House was a tv show
Really great video, well done.
In deference to both sides and with apologies to those who will be offended, I've dubbed this the Battle of Holy Shitsburg Landing.
There's a Shiloh in that title if you look hard enough.
And I wish to receive no further feedback that the battles of Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing are the same battle.
That said, any and all feedback are welcome.
Very well done, sir 👍🏻. I plan to visit Shiloh this spring on the anniversary of the battle. Hopefully it’s a sunny warm spring day. Maybe I’ll see some of ya there 😎
The computer graphics of the leaders and their units makes reading about these battles much easier for comprehension. I would like to point out one important fact. We always hear about Civil War historians telling us the rifle musket helped increase battle distances over Napoleonic wars. Napoleonic battles had engagement ranges of about 80 yards or less. Most Civil War battles were similar with opening ranges at a 100 yards/meters or less between the opposing sides of double lined infantry in closed order double ranks. At Shiloh, many Union and Confederate regiments did NOT fire until the enemy was within about 50 yards or less or as the narrator said 20 some yards. The idea was let the enemy come close, aim at their belt buckle to make sure every round fired dropped an enemy soldier.
So the impact of the rifle musket was minimal at Shiloh including most other battles. Most regiments had smoothbore muskets with buck and ball rounds of one .69 caliber ball and three .30 caliber buckshot firing at under 50 yards. These regimental volleys of buck and ball rounds were utterly devastating and much more lethal at close range than a single Minie bullet fired from a rifle musket. The shooter had much higher probabilities of a hit on a target. We should remember the blinding clouds of smoke muzzle loading black powder weapons created on the battlefield. The battlefield literally was covered in the "fog of war" because soldiers could only see about 50 to 60 yards in front of them. Skirmishers fought as light infantry working in partners in pairs or groups of four soldiers in open order. Skirmishers hid behind whatever cover was available while one partner kept his loaded musket or rifle musket aimed at the enemy and the other partner soldier loaded their rifle or musket behind a tree, ravine or whatever cover was available. Skirmishers had to be able to judge distance and adjust their aiming point based in the trajectory of the Minie ball which was parabolic like a rainbow at a 150 meters going right over the enemy target from level line of sight.
Most Civil War soldiers were POORLY trained on range estimation for rifle marksmanship. The picking of the correct aiming point adjustment corresponding to the range to the target for their Springfield and Enfield rifled musket was almost never taught in training camps.. So the soldiers in the ranks just waited until their enemies were within a 100 yards or less before opening fire with their rifled muskets. The tactic was to let the enemy get within about 70 to 80 yards and aim straight at their beltbuckle. Often times, commanders ordered their soldiers not to shoot at targets until they were closer than 50 yards to the enemy. No one could see a darn thing on black powder Civil War battlefields. Sometimes Civil War historians overhype things like the rifled musket and MInie ball. In theory it was a gamechanger but in reality most soldiers wounded by a rifle musket firing a Minie ball were probably only 50 to 60 yards away from their enemy.
Your comment about the smoke hanging on and covering the battlefield is great , My GreatGarndfather was at Shiloh in the 2KY inf unit .Now my Grandfather would tell us about his dad in the battle , how hard it was to see because of the smoke hanging in the damp air . the only way to see who was who was to look for the flags , Nimrod Smith was my Great Grandfathers name he was wounded and caught " Consumption of the breast" and was discharged in 1863 ,
Shiloh is a Hebrew word meaning “ place of peace.”
Shalom is Hebrew for peace... I thought???
And “Pittsburg Landing” implies a place of trade and this was so true where Blue & Grey exchanged lead for lead, saber cut for saber cut & blood for blood. This battle was the beginning of how the west was won by the Union forces.
@@josephblacke7912 It was the original religious center in Israel before Jerusalem
Talking like they named it Shiloh after the battle…
That day, it was anything but peaceful
When the union were Initially pushed back to the river, the union charged there own men with cavalry trying to get them to return to battle. There was an entire division from Wisconsin I believe that went into the hornets nest, and when they came out they refused to fight after that
So many "factual" sounding comments with no source given. We call that "bullshit".
@@willoutlaw4971 source is
“Shiloh-1862”
Written by Winston groom, noted journalist and author. You can find the information there.
I’m guessing your mad because it doesn’t trot in your narrow perspective of soldierly high stepping union troops marching to fight for “freedom” not taking into account the nuances of life in general, and the fact many were literally press-handed to fight a war they were against. Same thing happened in the south, idiots like you just breeze over nuance and cherry pick facts
When I toured civil war battlefields I also wanted to see Confederate cannons. I met a ranger at Chickamauga who had worked also at Gettysburg. He had never seen an original but said he hear Shiloh had some. Visiting there I discovered an entire row of them. Worth knowing.
Only when I learn American history do I found out how much Americans are fond of Greco-Roman culture names like Leonidas, Ulysses and places like Syracuse and Corinth.
Yep. We have plenty of towns named Athens, Rome, Sparta and Carthage. Those were founded by educated settlers while those by illiterates had more colorful names like Cut and Shoot, Plain Dealing, Knaw Bone and Smackover.
I think Grant had two major bad battles. I think he totally under estimated the Confederacy at Shilo and Cold Harbor was an all out slaughter. I think he was the general the north needed and overall succeeded in finally defeating General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, along with General Sherman taking Atlanta and his march through the south. Lee had Gettysburg as his biggest disaster. Both were great Generals, but still human with human flaws. I think the Union just had too many resources and such a numerical superiority that they were destined to win the war. It's too bad it took a war of attrition to do it, but that is how it was ultimately won. Grant could lose 20,000 men and replace them. Lee couldn't. I think that kind of sums up how the war was determined.
Great summary, thank you! I totally agree with everything you said. I would add that this is why Lee invaded the north. He knew that the CSA had to win the war quickly because every day that went by, the North was out gaining them. The quickest way to bring the war to its end was to take the fight to the north. He also needed the food and supplies that existed above the border because his army had picked Virginia dry. That was also a significant reason but not nearly as much as needing to win quickly or lose. Also, he chose the time to invade the North in an attempt to sway voters to Elect McClellan over Lincoln in 1864 in the hopes that McClellan would come to the bargaining table, something Lincoln would never have done.
Even though Grant would become president, I think this is what separates these two great generals. Lee wasn't just a great leader and master strategist, he was also adept at politics. In short, Lee had finesse. Grant, on the other hand, was simply willing to do what needed to be done, as brutal and horrific as that turned out to be.
Grant and Lee were damn good generals. Both had their fuck ups though (Cold Harbor, Wilderness, Gettysburg, Antietam)
The numerical superiority point is true, but overstated. There were quite a few reasonable actions that could’ve been taken by the Confederates to overcome that disadvantage. They also blew some battles when they were the more numerous side too (like Pea Ridge).
A lot of old information here. Grant was hands down the better general, as evidenced by the fact that he had THREE Confederate armies surrender to him. Furthermore, he managed to win decisive battles in both theaters of the war, including Vicksburg and Petersburg, while Lee was never able to achieve more than immediate tactical successes. Even more damningly, Lee, with the smaller, less easily replenished army, suffered higher casualties, both in absolute terms and in rates.
Grant forced the surrender of three Confederate armies, including 12,000 men at Fort Donelson, 29,495 at Vicksburg, and 28,356 at Appomattox. These surrenders accompanied vital and decisive victories. At Fort Donelson, Grant's victory and capture of the fort and garrison opened Kentucky and Tennessee to the Federals, enabling the capture of Nashville and further campaigns that would culminate in the captures of Vicksburg and Chattanooga, followed by Sherman's March. At Vicksburg, Grant cut off Lee's access to vital supplies of lead, sugar, salt, and molasses, among other items, that were primarily sourced from locations in Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas, now located on the wrong side of the Mississippi River. And, finally, Appomattox followed Grant's masterful series of battles in the Overland and Petersburg Campaigns, which saw Lee pinned against Richmond before being decisively beaten at Petersburg and forced to withdraw, a withdrawal Grant denied him, leading to the surrender.
Even the battle that is the subject of this video demonstrates Grant's qualities. Most other Federal commanders would have fled the field after the first day. Grant, however, kept a cool head, stabilized the defense, and then sent the rebels packing the next day, following it up with a victory at Corinth.
In contrast, Lee only ever managed to achieve tactical successes, forcing Federal armies to retreat but never being in a position to pursue them. This was a result of Lee's pathological inability to avoid the temptation to try and one shot the Federal army, which resulted in casualty rates that made Grant's pale in comparison. At Chancellorsville, for example, over 21% of his 60,000 men were killed, wounded, captured, or missing by the end of the battle, compared to less than 13% of the Federal army. Then, at Gettysburg, some 50% of Lee's army became casualties. When Grant failed, he could continue the fight. When Lee failed, he had to spend months recovering.
Finally, on the subject of casualties, Grant suffered a grand total of 154,000 casualties during the entire war across both theaters. In exchange, he inflicted 191,000 casualties on the Confederates and systematically demolished their ability to wage the war. Lee, in contrast, suffered 209,000 casualties while never being able to achieve more than tactical success. By any metric, Lee was out-generaled by Grant. The only reason he is remembered well today is because his subordinates and their descendants spent the last century and a half deifying him as a god of war while denigrating Grant.
Lee is no Washington. No Grant. No Sherman. No Longstreet. No Thomas. No Eisenhower. No big picture.
That’s good and all, but you forgot to mention Hamish Sinclair, a Union soldier who served under General Buell in this battle. He lost his leg in the battle and later named his horse Buell. He would become friends with Arthur Morgan before sadly being gored by a wild hog
SUGGESTION: Repeated references to compass directions e.g. SE, NE etc are made with only a very general frame of reference provided - PUT a compass rose on the screen at all times - this will greatly aid the viewer.
lol. The maps are oriented to true north.
Maps are almost always oriented with the north at the top of the map.
@@psychosneighbor1509 Technically maps are oriented to the east - Orient coming from the Latin "Orior", as the sun rose in the east.
Another fantastic video, I love Military history and your civil war is incredibly fascinating and not just because of the battles but the history before and after….thank you.
Not nitpicking but just adding some more info. At 27:03 you have Madison Miller's brigade engaging the Confederates on the southern edge of Spain Field. They did initially hold that position but very quickly fell back into the woods behind their encampments where they had the main part of the engagement. Interestingly a lone regiment appeared from Pittsburg Landing to reinforce this part of the line at this time, the 15th Michigan. The only problem was they arrived at the landing with no weapons. They were sent to the front with the promise that rifles would arrive shortly. They stood at the far left of Madison's line and actually starting taking hits from the rebels until wisely ordered to fall back and soon the whole line was routed shortly after.
Thanks for the extra info Heaven, I tried to get the animations as accurate as possible but sometimes there is info I cant find. So I do my best in showing off what I have info on.
@@WarhawkYT I get the impression that no matter how much information you include, there is always more popping up ?
this is a reallly good channel. damn you do good work.
ay, my boys in the south lose you win some you loose some.
being mexicano, would love to see where the Mexicans fought , i know around 3000 joined the Confederates.
great work tho, im gonna be hooked on this for a while
Glad to see this channel's going great!
great documentary, I was not interested in the US civil war and watched this by chance.....am glad I did.
Great documentary
I just discovered this channel and I like what I see. I just subscribed.
At Shiloh, the Union was able to concentrate two armies to the Confederacy's one, presaging the Union path to victory in the west.
Thank you for sharing this battle commentary. ❤️
I love history. Remember when the history channel used clips from Total War: Rome to do a history series on battles around..whenever the romans were doing there thing lol. Anyways, I would like to see game technology used to show some of the battles. That would be sick. For now, these will work. It is still animated which is cool.
One overlooks how the rivers were the 19th century version of Interstate Highways. A most cogent and interesting exposition of actions and battles I'd not heard of. What I wonder is where did the CSA garner their heavy weapons, given that they lacked heavy industry? Were they mostly captured Federal weapons? Superb documentary.
These documentaries are very interesting I enjoy them very much, keep up the good work.
Brilliant video, this is the kind of in depth civil war battle content I was looking for. Well done.
Glad you liked it Mike!
I spent two days at Shiloh it was a sacred ground Union forces were put in a nice cemetery there at the church the Confederate boys were through in Pitts and trenches in Mass Graves hopefully history will never repeat this again but the lessons learned from this great battle stand to show what the heart of America is willing to do
How many Spaniards will be blamed?
My 4x Great Grandfather was at this battle as apart of the 14th Iowa and was captured at the hornets nest!
Before I criticize, I wanna say great work. This is a good video. You missed the 8th Iowa, completely leaving them out of the Hornet's Nest. At least, I didn't see them. They should've been in between Hickenlooper's 5th Ohio Battery and the 23rd Missouri on the Union side
Or between the 23rd Missouri and 14th Iowa
Most amazing motorcycle roads... lots of history and amazing riding.... great video
I’m taking a motorcycle ride to Shiloh this spring on the anniversary of the battle 👍🏻😎. Well…unless it’s to cold lol. If it’s cold I’ll just drive the truck. Either way I’m going 👍🏻. I’m about 4 hours away. Bowling green KY area
All the movement of those blocks must have taken ages
yeah dont remind me lol
@@WarhawkYT well, gl with Antietam.
@@WarhawkYT I stand correct, moving blocks is literally hell.
Wow y’all do a fantastic job on these videos! Thanks for sharing
"Each dixie boy must understand he must mind his Uncle Sam"
Fascinating. Thank you.
The battle ended with an epic victory for the North. But idiot politicians and the ignorant Northern citizens wanted Grant's head. They were so wrong.
This Shiloh action by Grant, I think, is his finest hour. He could have lost. But he bucked up all his soldiers and officers, and said: "Whip 'em tomorrow."
What a great general, this man Grant.
VERY GOOD ! 💥🇺🇸💥
Although I am cringing at some of the narrator's pronunciation, lol
So specific to time line. Excellent work, thanks.
U s Grant. The joe cool of generals. Some people have got it. He had it.
Not just a "Lee of the West" I'd argue Johnston may have even outperformed Lee had he lived, we'll never know of course, and I DO like Lee, but Johnston was no pushover himself.
Based upon what though?
@@skymagruder5270 based on Davis having been Johnston’s West Point buddy...
@@mjfleming319 His death is one of the two great what ifs of the US Civil War. What if Johnston had survived Shiloh? What if Jackson had survived Chancelorsville?
I believe the outcome would have been the same. However, it would have taken the Union longer to do it. Johnston living may have, I say again may have turned the outcome of this battle which would have delayed if not ended Grant. Gettysburg would likely have a different outcome as odds are Jackson would have pushed his Corps to take the hills before the AOP could occupy them. The South's fate was sealed as long as Lincoln was Prez, and Europe did not intervene. Lincoln losing in 64 could have happened although I believe he would have had a narrow victory. Great Britian or France intervening is IMHO was a wet err I mean pipedream of the "Lost Causers".
@@GhostRider-sc9vu interesting what ifs. Here’s my analysis:
1. Johnston wasn’t doing a particularly good job before Shiloh, nor during the battle itself. Only the surprise attack (mostly Sherman’s fault, speaking of overrated generals) gave the rebels a chance at Shiloh, and by the time Johnston was killed Grant and his army were fighting stubbornly as well; the true crisis had passed.
Johnston enjoyed his position due to his personal friendship with Jefferson Davis. Overall, Davis turned out to be a very poor judge of generals when they were his personal friends...why would he have been correct about Johnston?
2. Jackson was streaky and often reckless. Which Jackson would have showed up at Gettysburg? Would a reckless late-day attack on cemetery hill have led to a stunning victory...or a catastrophic repulse?
The best tellingly of the battle I have ever heard , thank you.
Warhawk: "Albert Sidney Johnston had great moral character"
Albert Sidney Johnson: *owns slaves*
So did George Washington….your point is?
@@JeepWrangler1957 Exact quote from video: "Johnston demonstrated high moral character and great dignity."
I don't consider slave ownership to be an indicator of high moral character or great dignity. That's not to say other qualities or actions by Johnston didn't show those traits. I just think that the repugnancy of slave ownership can outweigh the good attributes of people. Many people both back then and now would agree with that, so Warhawk's sweeping statement here is a bit misleading.
It would be correct, and even more relevant, if Warhawk instead said "He was considered by his *soldiers/colleagues/compatriots* to have high moral character and great dignity", as that would be more objectively true, while also speaking to the morale and spirit of the army.
All that said, I'm still pleased that this channel focuses on military history, and doesn't waste time bashing historical figures on either side.
If Lincoln's invasion of Dixie was about slavery, then it was unconstitutional and illegal and treason as slavery was legal under the Constitution.
Lincoln's war was still illegal because it was about securing Southern cash crops to preserve the Union Treasury!
@Aditya Chavarkar The US Constitution recognized slavery as legal in five clauses. The SCOTUS recognizes slavery as legal in Dred Scott 1857. Congress recognized slavery as legal in 1820 Missouri Compromise, 1850 Fugitive Slave Law. Abraham Lincoln recognized slavery as legal in his 1st Inaugural: I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."
@Aditya Chavarkar Not only is a war to free slaves violates SCOTUS rulings, Congressional laws, it violates the Constitution, adding it violates the Ex Post Facto (After the Fact) restriction in Article 1 Section 9 for the federal government. How many more violations of the Constitution do you want to rack up here?
Thanks for all the work you put into your content i enjoy the videos of the civil war emencly.
You're welcome, im glad you enjoy it!
@@WarhawkYT definitely do. Right now I'm reading the biography of Ulysses S. Grant. He speaks about all his battles so as I'm reading I'm watching the videos after each chapter to gain a better perspective. Sherman at the battle of Shiloh was hit like there times and lost 5 horses. Grant said he didn't know how Sherman got through that battle.
@@MatthewCarmichael-od4yv Thats cool! I usually find one of the best books for each battle/campaign and use them as my guide when I animate!
@@WarhawkYT yeah I figured you did 👍 One thing about Grants details about the war is he adds little known things that he personally went through. One thing I thought was interesting he added in was after the first days battle he went to a tree for cover out of the Rain with Sherman which you had in there and after they spoke he said he decided to go into the hospital tent to get dry but what grant said he witnessed with the all the blood from amputations and the wounded he decided to go back to the tree.
I always buy my Civil War relics from Shiloh Relics they have a awesome selection and the owner grew up on Shiloh battle area and found tons of stuff when metal detectors come out for the public
*I feel the the Confederacy lost the war partially by losing the West exposing their Left strategic flank. The Confederacy could barely muster forces to defend that part of the Confederacy at the start of the war and the lost of strategic locations and cities was devastating for sure.
The Hornets' Nest is a prime example of why operations have evolved to bypass these pockets of stubborn resistance. The initiative and momentum of the attack is inevitably lost.
I like how colorful and bright how the map is.
I live in Savannah I visit the battlefield every chance I get since I live so close and It never gets old very beautiful place.
Amazing video
This. Is. Awesome!!! I can't believe I'm just finding this channel now
My Great-Greatgrandfather and his brother were drafted into the 12th Michigan near the end of the war in November 1864. By this time units of the 12th were guarding the rail roads in Arkansas.
An impressive display of this, the most chaotic battle of the War of Northern Aggression. Several things stand out to me:
1. However it came about, it was sound for Johnson and Beauregard to command the two haves of the army. Command and control was the most serious problem of the early war, as other than Johnson (1860 Mormon War) no Confederate commander including Robert E. Lee, had ever commanded anything larger than a regiment.
2. A lot of people would learn a lot from this battle. Cleburne and Breckenridge of the CSA, for example (neither a West Pointer) would show much more skill in future battles. Ditto Sherman and Grant, as well as a host of future high-ranking officers.
3. Tactics were crude to a fault as it became obvious the Old Bory's complicated attack plan would never be carried out by the green troops and inexperienced battle leaders. In a nutshell, Beauregard's plan of attack reflects a lot of other complicated grand plans he concocted to win the war.
4. For green troops there was an amazing amount of tenacity shown by both sides.
Excellent presentation, job well done. Thank you.
Awesome video! Great production quality.
Shiloh meant place of peace in Hebrew and Chickamauga meant river of death in Cherokee. Always found those names ironic in the western theater.
"We stayed long enough to say hello and then took to our heels" -A union soldier
1st illinois light artillery battery a saw Johnston fall. Theres a book written by a private of the unit. The accounts and overall story is very interesting
Excellent level of detail. Thiughts -
. . . Albert S. Johnston demonstrated what high moral characteristic? Treason?
I read more informatiom about Shiloh. Federal pickets found the CSA soldiers in the wood in the night of 5. April! Sherman and Prentiss refused the reports and instead of warning Grant they went to sleep!!!! I learnt there was leader who thought about the Confederat attact possibility and Colonel Everett Peabody (from the 25th Missouri infranty) sent out scouts at drawn of 6th April. The scout group (Major Powell) started a short time fight, so divisions (and their leaders) of Sherman and Prentiss did not sleep but Prentiss was angry with Peabody, I think for a very short time! Peabody lived in Springfield I think he had to remember for the battle of the Wilson's creek. However Sherman and Prentiss made big mistake not to alarm Grant. Thomas got similar dawn attact in Mill Springs Tennessee earlier.
Grant could have sent any order to Lew Wallace and division of Lew Wallace could have arrived earlier.
Totally underappreciated channel. I hope you break through soon.
My ancestors(widowed great great great great grandmother and great great great grandfather and grandmother) lived at shiloh during this, its a shame I don't have any stories from them
Yo Shiloh with no Hornets Nest. Yo Hornets Nest with no Shiloh.
shietttttttt