James B. McPherson at Shiloh

[OldReliable1862]

Colonel James B. McPherson was Chief Engineer on Grant's staff at the time of Shiloh, though I don't know anything else about his role at Shiloh beyond this. Was he at the Cherry mansion with Grant at the beginning of the battle, and what did he do during the battle itself? Did he have any involvement in planning Grant's Last Line?

 

[USS ALASKA]

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Department of History
2016
Copyright ERIC DUDLEY

THE MEMORY AND MEMORIALIZATION OF JAMES BIRDSEYE MCPHERSON
ERIC A. DUDLEY

Abstract
General James Birdseye McPherson, the highest ranking Union officer killed during the Civil War, slowly over time became a largely forgotten figure in the collective memory of most Americans. A brief examination of the general's personal life and military career reveals that his life's narrative presented a captivating story, one which successfully captured the attention of his contemporaries. In the fifty years following his death, several groups of interested individuals sought to honor the general's memory through the construction of memorials. This dissertation approaches the history of McPherson through a memory study focusing particularly on the general's memorialization and the four main locations where the general had monuments built in his honor. In Washington, D.C., Clyde, Ohio, Atlanta, Georgia, and McPherson, Kansas, the attempts to preserve McPherson's memory both succeeded in certain ways but also fell short of accomplishing their primary goal. In the process of memorialization the general was both remembered and forgotten. The funding, unveiling, and preserving of the various monuments illuminates the politics of commemoration as well as the motives behind those seeking to honor McPherson. With the passing of time, McPherson's memory slowly began to evolve in each location and generally changed to reflect the times and circumstances of the citizens. In each case, the McPherson memorials signified something different to the community, including a permanent reflection of local identity, a symbol of sectional reconciliation, or a means of promoting civic pride and local boosterism. Ultimately, although the memorialization of McPherson served as the best attempt to honor the generals' memory, the narrow scope and reach of memorials could not successfully preserve McPherson's memory beyond a very limited range and within small communities of interested parties.

https://krex.k-state.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/98897529-22cf-4589-a249-e5ebe5af8ebb/content

Because of copyright, please use above link.

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

https://www.armyheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/ref-bibs/civil-war-union-biographies/McPherson%2C%20James.pdf

General James B. Mc Pherson: The Star Crossed Knight Of The Union by Thomas Waldsmith

General James B. Mc Pherson: The Star Crossed Knight Of…

Thorough, expansive, and meticulously researched, Gener…

www.goodreads.com

Grant's Lieutenants: From Cairo to Vicksburg by Steven E. Woodworth

Amazon.com

Not sure that helps,
USS ALASKA

 

[tony_gunter]

McPherson was a bit of a nut, so of course he was personally involved in reconnaissances to gauge the enemy's intentions. He camped with WHL Wallace and ordered his horse saddled and breakfast ready before dawn so he could ride the front for recon. When firing broke out to the south, he and Wallace rode to the front to see what was going on. As far as he reported, he was helping coordinate Wallace with Prentiss until Grant showed up at Wallace's HQ. Grant then utilized him as messenger to direct troops into place.

There's no explicit mention of him arranging subsequent lines of defense, but reports do mention him directing troops into place at fallback positions.

Late in the day, of course, he was sent to bring up Lew Wallace's division and hilarity ensued.