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"The story of the April battle of Shiloh is well-known, but there occurred a smaller First Shiloh five weeks earlier in which the same Navy gunboats “secured the beach” for Grant’s arrival three weeks later."
Admiral, this is a most interesting account of some activity that is not widely known, certainly not by me. The author almost makes the Tennessee River seem like a mighty thoroughfare, which it certainly wasn't. Gunboats on this stream in early 1862 were certainly manned by soldiers of strong will. Where was Forrest with his cannon when we needed him?
Haven't yet studied you link but, as usual, will ask about it anyway. I was aware that a small group of Confederates had set up a gun or two at Pittsburg Landing some weeks before Sherman decided it would be a good place to put in when returning from his disappointing forays upriver.
They were shelled out of there and a building or two burned in the process. Now, for the question: secured the beach for Grant's arrival Is that implying that Grant's arrival was anticipated? That Grant's arrival was the reason the Confederates were driven off Pittsburg Landing? Or simply that the gunboats were on the river to prepare the way for Grant's intended movement on Corinth, and were clearing the entire river with Pittsburg Landing notable only because it had a small emplacement on it?
Thanks for the link.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
I've just finished reading it in detail. There was a whole lot more to "first Shiloh" than I had thought. I knew some guns had been swept off the landing, but I had no idea of the extent of the fight that took place there. Incredible detail on a rather sharp set-to.
Thanks again.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Gentlemen, as part of my "research" on the movements of the Army of Tennessee in 1864, I've visited the area upstream from Shiloh and south of Tennessee a few times in the last several months. Much of my interest in this war has to do with geography. I've also made three or four visits to the area around Shiloh with that cemetery you described earlier as part of Shiloh I being one of those places that the spirits attach you from within. Upstream from Shiloh were/are two towns, Eastport on the south bank and Waterloo on the north side. Those seemed to have been the upward limits of water transport by the US Army, because of the schoals around Florence. In 1862 those areas would have been under Confederate control, but probably not very organized. What more can you tell us about Eastport? That location must have been more of a player early in the war with Waterloo being more active in 1865 when Wilson amassed his 13,000 man cavalry there between Waterloo and Gravely Springs.
Larry.
My recollections are not as detailed or as recent as yours, but my impression is that it was an access point with proximity to a major rail line.
Like the tides at Inchon, Eastport/Waterloo would have been time critical. As you have pointed out (and supported by the Veit article that the Tyler and Lexington couldn't get closer than 50 yards to the shore [in a river that couldn't have been much more than 150 yards wide during late winter]) the Tennessee was all but impassable above Florence under the best conditions. High water and heavy rain (common?) denied Sherman access to Eastport in March. In early April the water was high enough to put into Pittsburg Landing.
Military planning involving the Tennesse must have included and been restricted to windows of possibility presented by the river.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Yes, Eastport was near the main east-west line running between Tuscumbia south of the river at Florence and Corinth. But this line would have not been available for the Union forces in 1862? It was in Confederate hands after the retreat from Tennessee by the Army of Tennessee in 1865. I'm still learning. Eastport may also have been more developed as a town in 1862 or before. There was another major loading/unloading site for the Federals at Clifton, Tennessee.
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