Shiloh timeline draft & request for feedback

[gold lotus 99]

Hoping some of you Shiloh buffs can help me out... Making a timeline of battle activities and events that my ancestors would have done or seen or heard. Not attempting to track the entire battle, just my gg grandfather and gg uncle's unit.

So far, have integrated more than 10 sources, several of them first-hand accounts (full list of sources below timeline, in final e-mail). Included mostly the references to their unit, with some general entries for a wider view of the battle and their part in that big picture. (The entries here are edited down. Have probably another 15 pages of entries I included at first and then cut out.)

Appreciate any feedback as to what I've missed, or misunderstood, etc. Recommendations on other sources would be great, too. Thanks!

Because of length, I've divided the info into separate e-mails. This first one includes the timeline for 21 Feb to 5 Apr 1862, and casualty numbers.


Battle Preparation and Context
21 February 1862 Friday
•[The 7th Illinois] "... left Fort Donelson for Clarksville, Tenn., Major Rowett commanding, Lieutenant Colonel Babcock absent, sick, and Colonel Cook commanding Brigade." Official Regimental History

1 March Saturday to 5 April Saturday
• "Grant transports his Army of west Tennessee (over 58,000 men) into southwest Tennessee. Establishes it at Pittsburg Landing, and awaits Buell's army." Mc Pherson
1 March Saturday
⁃ "Johnston transports 55,000 Confederates to Corinith to defend the Memphis and Charleston Railroad." Mc Pherson
22 March Saturday
⁃ [The 7th Illinois] "Ordered to Nashville, and afterwards to Pittsburg Landing, where it arrived March 22, 1862." Official Regimental History
⁃ "In the later days of March Pittsburg Landing was a busy place. Regiments and brigades were daily arriving. Many of the troops were newly enlisted, undrilled, in some cases un-uniformed and unarmed and in others with old muskets of the pattern of by-gone days." p. 9 Waterloo, Report of Shiloh Battlefield Commission
Unknown date, possibly late March or early April
⁃"Morale remained high—too high. 'I think the rebellion is getting nearly played out, and I expect we will be home soon' concluded one Federal. A steady trickle of Rebel deserters came into camp, all telling stories of a demoralized Southern army." The Federal Advance, National Park Civil War Series
April 3 Thursday
⁃ "Johnston advances toward Pittsburg Landing, Rain and bad roads delay his advance." Mc Pherson
⁃ "These troops, particularly the advance division under Sherman, were mostly fresh from the recruiting camps, and wholly unpracticed, even in the simplest company maneuvres. Many of the regiments were not supplied with arms until their departure up the Tennessee. This was the case with my own regiment. With such disadvantages we went into the great battle of Sunday." De Hass
4 April Friday
⁃ "... a [CSA] cavalry dash on Buckland's picket-line swooped off a [Union] lieutenant and seven men." p. 117 Force
⁃ "General Grant being advised... by L. Wallace, of the assembling of the force in his front, directed W.H.L. Wallace to hold his division in readiness to move to the support of L. Wallace immediately in case he should be threatened..." p. 119 Force
⁃ The positions of W.H.L. Wallace and Sherman controlled bridges across Owl Creek, and the roads between the camps at Pittsburg Landing and L. Wallace's position. p. 119 Force
5 April Saturday
⁃ [The 7th Illinois] "Nothing of note has occurred to relieve the monotony of camp life." p. 47 Ambrose
⁃ [The 7th Illinois] "There is now a large army concentrated here. Far away on the hills and in the ravines the tents and the soldiers are seen." p. 47 Ambrose
⁃ [The 7th Illinois] "Up to this time we have had considerable rain. The roads and by-ways into the camps are cut up terribly. It is with difficulty that the Seventh keeps above mud and water." p. 47 Ambrose
⁃ [The 7th Illinois] "Vague rumors are afloat this evening to the effect that Albert Sidney Johnson is moving towards the Tennessee with his entire command; however, not much credit is attached to it." p. 47 Ambrose
⁃ "Several sizable detachments of Confederates were spotted..." The Confederate Advance, National Park Civil War Series
⁃ "...Sherman wrote to Grant: 'All is quiet along my lines now...'" p. 119 Force
⁃ "Grant telegraphed to Halleck..., 'I have scarcely the faintest idea of an attack (general one) being made upon us, but will be prepared should such a thing take place.' Grant's preparedness proved to be overstated." Shiloh, Wikipedia
⁃ "No earthworks had been constructed, and only a light picket line extended forward of the camp." The Confederate Advance, National Park Civil War Series
⁃ "That night young George Jones of Stanford's Mississippi Battery jotted in his diary: 'I have the shakes badly. Well, I am not alone—in fact, we all look like shaking Quakers. Scared? Oh, no; only an old fashioned rigor...' Years later a Louisiana soldier recalled that he shivered that night (no fires were allowed) as he listened to a Yankee band in the distance play 'Home Sweet Home.'" The Confederate Advance, National Park Civil War Series
⁃ "'In the struggle tomorrow we shall be fighting men of our own blood, Western men, who understand the use of firearms. The struggle will be a desperate one.' P.G.T. Beauregard" [CSA] Shiloh, Wikipedia.

Casualties
[The 7th Illinois] "Total killed, 14; total wounded, 43; sum total of casualities, 57." p. 59 Ambrose
[The 7th Illinois] "In this battle the regiment lost, in killed, 2 commissioned officers and 15 men; wounded 79. Lieutenant Colonel Rowett was among the latter." Official Regimental History

 

[gold lotus 99]

Timeline for 6 Apr, partial

Battle Timeline 6 April Sunday

-About 4:50 A.M. "...as the shadowy forms of Powell's skirmishers closed to within two hundred yards, Hardcastle's Mississippians opened fire. The Battle of Shiloh had begun. For the next hour, as sunlight streaked the sky, both sides doggedly traded blows, each refusing to give way." Prentiss's Division Routed, National Park Civil War Series

-"4:55-6:30 am: Federal patrol discovers Confederates in Fraley Field. Federal Skirmish, then fall back." civilwarhome.com
*"... the Confederates struck with the intention of driving the Union defenders away from the river and into the swamps of Owl Creek to the west, hoping to defeat Grant ... before the anticipated arrival of Maj. Gen. ... Buell... The Confederate battle lines became confused during the fierce fighting, and Grant's men instead fell back to the northeast, in the direction of Pittsburg Landing." Shiloh, Wikipedia

6:00 AM "...Johnston's army was deployed for battle, straddling the Corinth Road. In fact, the army had spent the entire night bivouacking undetected in order of battle just two miles (3 km) away from the Union camps. Their approach and dawn assault achieved almost total strategic and tactical surprise. The Union army had virtually no patrols in place for early warning." Shiloh, Wikipedia

6:30 AM approximately "The National pickets, posted a mile in front of the camps, were struck..." p. 124 Force
"...Confederate brigades under Polk and Hardee... smashed their way into Union camps, sending Hildebrand's and Buckland's brigades reeling. At the same time, Bragg's brigades hit scattered units of Prentiss' inexperienced division, which also retreated northward. The Federals refused to collapse completely, however, and Sherman managed to cobble together a make-shift defensive line on the crest of a small hill. Most of Prentiss' men, giving ground but still fighting stubbornly, threw up a temporary line two miles to the rear." p. 95 Shiloh
*[The 7th Illinois] "...the sullen roar of artillery breaks upon our ears, telling to us that the storm-king of battle would ride upon the banks of the Tennessee to-day." p. 49 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "... moving south on Hurlbut's right, General Wallace advanced his other two brigades and three artillery batteries down the Eastern Corinth road. Hurlbut's and Wallace's reinforcements encountered Prentiss's refugees streaming northward in retreat. *'Stragglers were seen coming down the road which leads to the front of our lines some wounded, but most of them badly scared,' observed a Federal. As the roar of battle increased, an officer in the 3rd Iowa shouted that any man seen deserting his post would be shot. The entire regiment gave a resounding cheer." The Confederate Attack Stalls, National Park Civil War Series

8:30 AM [The 7th Illinois] "In answer to Prentiss's early morning pleas for assistance ... William Wallace advanced two of his brigades from their camps located west of the landing to the edge of Duncan's farm on the Eastern Corinth road." The Hornets' Nest, National Park Civil War Series
*[The 7th Illinois] "... the division moved... Wallace led his other two brigades to the support of Prentiss, placing Tuttle on Prentiss' right, and Sweeney [including the 7th] to the right of Tuttle. Tuttle's left was about one hundred yards to the right of the Corinth road, and the division line extending northwestwardly behind a clear field, Sweeney's right reached the head of a wide, deep ravine -- called in some of the Confederate reports a gorge -- which ravine, filled with impenetrable thickets, extended from his right far to his rear and ran into the ravine of Brier Creek." p. 143 Force
*[The 7th Illinois] "Was engaged continually, ... under command of Lieut. Col. Rowett, Col. Babcock being absent, sick, and Colonel Cook having been promoted to Brigadier General ... was a part of Colonel Sweeny's Brigade of General W. H. L. Wallace's Division." Official Regimental History
*[The 7th Illinois] "The army of the Tennessee springs to arms to meet the advancing columns of Albert Sidney Johnson. The pennons are now flying. Major Rowett and the Seventh are quickly buckled for the conflict. Her old, tattered and shot-riven flag goes flying through the woods, and the regiment is soon in the conflict." p. 49 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Their position is now behind a rail fence... Belching cannons, shotted to the muzzle, are now plowing deep lanes in the Union ranks." p. 49 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "How can we describe the sound of a storm of grape and canister, cutting their hellish paths through serried ranks of human beings. It is impossible." p. 50 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Many are the storms flying around the Seventh now. Thicker and faster they come..." p. 50 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Many have breathed quickly, and, trampled under their comrades' feet, have rolled in bloody agonies and now lie in quiet eternal slumber." p. 50 Ambrose

9:00 AM [The 7th Illinois] "Reinforcements under William Wallace and Hurlbut encounter Prentiss's division... Wallace's brigades (Sweeny, Tuttle) along with two regiments of Lauman (Hurlbut's division) deploy behind an oak thicket along an old wagon trace 'sunken road.' [The 'hornets' nest.'] Prentiss reforms between Wallace and Lauman, and five regiments are held in reserve." The Confederate Attack Stalls, National Park Civil War Series
*[The 7th Illinois] "Realizing that Prentiss's division had been defeated, Wallace's men (Tuttle's Iowa brigade and a portion of Col. Thomas Sweeny's brigade) quickly formed a defensive line to block further Southern advance up the Eastern Corinth road. Some 3,700 of Wallace's 5,800 available troops (the balance being held in reserve or sent under McArthur to support Hurlbut and Stuart) were placed along an old wagon road that connected the Corinth road with the Hamburg-Savannah road." The Hornets' Nest, National Park Civil War Series

About 9:00 AM [The 7th Illinois] "... Commanded by Major Richard Rowett. Went into position here ... advanced to right and front, and after a sharp encounter fell back to this position where its greatest loss occurred." Shiloh National Military Park
9:00 - 10:00 AM [The 7th Illinois] "Went into action ... and first took possession at Duncan's Field and drove the enemy in its front across the field but was in turn driven back." Official Regimental History
*[The 7th Illinois] "In all, Wallace, Prentiss, and Hurlbut deployed about 5,700 Federal infantry along a small half-mile (north-south) section of the Union front. Supporting the Federal infantry massed along the 'Sunken Road,' as the old wagon road became known in the decades following the battle, were six batteries of artillery totaling twenty-five guns. Fronting four hundred yards of the northern half of the Union position, which faced west-southwest, was Joseph Duncan's large field. The southern half of this center section of the Union front ran through a dense thicket south of the field. At midmorning, Grant had personally inspected the position and ordered his division commanders to hold at all hazards." The Hornets' Nest, National Park Civil War Series

"10:00-11:30 am: Confederates assault Sherman and McClernand on the Hamburg - Purdey Road, driving back Union right flank." Mc Pherson

After 10:00 AM [The 7th Illinois] "In between Wallace's left, south of the Eastern Corinth road, and the right of Hurlbut's line located slightly southeast at Sarah Bell's field, the remnants of Prentiss's broken division (about 500 men), joined 575 members of the 23rd Missouri who had marched inland from the landing, took position..." The Hornets' Nest, National Park Civil War Series

10:30 AM [The 7th Illinois] "Fiercer and fiercer rages the battle." p. 50 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "The great Grant is moving on the field with a mighty power. But fearful odds are against us, and the army of the Tennessee is compelled to yield position after position." p. 50 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "... has been forced to yield many points to-day; at one time being so far in the advance, we were left without support, and had it not been for the quick perception of our gallant Major, we would have been cut off and captured." p. 50 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Forming columns by divisions, we retreated from our critical position, and were compelled to fall back across an Open field. It was a trying time." The cannon fire made the earth tremble. p. 50 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "But there was no confusion in the Seventh no panic there. Led by the brave Rowett, they moved firmly, as if to say, that shot-pierced flag, tattered and torn, shall not go down to-day." p. 50 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Major Rowett, with the aid of Captain Monroe, acting Major now form a new line with the Seventh. War's ruthless machine is moving with a relentless force." p. 50 - 51 Ambrose

11 AM to 4 PM [The 7th Illinois] "Confederate brigades charge into the dense underbrush. Each assault is shattered by a 'murderous storm' of Federal musketry and artillery. Confederate survivors label the position 'a hornets' nest.'" The Confederate Attack Stalls, National Park Civil War Series

After 12:00 Noon [The 7th Illinois] "Confusion reigns; brave men are falling like rain drops. All seems dark seems that the Union army will be crushed by this wild sweep of treason. But on the crippled army of the Tennessee struggles; they still keep the flag up." p. 51 Ambrose

2:30 PM "... Johnston fell. The loss paralyzed operations in that part of the field, and for an hour there was here a lull." p. 153 Force

2:50 to 3:50 PM "The gunboat Tyler, commanded by Lieutenant Gwin, fired ... upon Breckenridge's brigades ... and ... later upon the portion of Bragg's command close to the river-bank, for thirty-five minutes." p. 155 Force

4:00 PM [The 7th Illinois] "Step by step the army is being driven back towards the river. The old Union banner seems to be drooping in the wrathful storm, but by an almost superhuman effort the tide is checked." p. 51 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "For a while there is a lull in the battle, but only to make preparations for the last desperate assault an assault in which the enemy expect to see the old flag come down to their feet." p. 51 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Buell is said to be approaching; he is hourly expected." p. 51 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Grant is now seen moving with a care-worn countenance. He moves amid the carnage to form his last grand line one-fourth mile from the Tennessee, where the advance is now driven. Grant's last line is formed. It is a line of iron, a line of steel, a wall of stout hearts, as firm, as powerful as Napoleon under like reverses ever formed in the days of his imperial power. It seems almost impossible for such a line to be formed at this hour so compact. On every available spot of earth an iron-lipped monster frowns. It is a trying moment, for Grant knows and his army knows that should this line be broken, the battle would be lost and the proud flag would be compelled to fall." p. 51 Ambrose

Between 4:00 to 5:00 PM [The 7th Illinois] "General Wallace was stunned to learn of the breakup of Colonel Sweeny's brigade on his right. Many of Sweeny's men had retreated with McClernand's troops. Sweeny's breakup permitted the Confederates moving on the left to turn the right flank of Wallace's line and penetrate into the Federal rear." Surrender in the Center, National Park Civil War Series

4:30 PM [The 7th Illinois] "...Grant dashes through the woods. His voice rings out: 'They come! they come! Army of the Tennessee stand firm!' A breathless silence pervades these serried ranks, ... until broken by the deafening crash of artillery." p. 51 - 52 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "The last desperate struggle on Sunday evening now commences. One hundred brazen guns are carrying terror and death across Shiloh's plain." p. 52 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "The Seventh is at its place; every officer and soldier is at his post; Rowett and Monroe are at their stations, now on foot; (Rowett's horse killed in former charge; Monroe's disabled.)." p. 52 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "All the company officers are in their places, cheering and encouraging their gallant men, and as we gaze upon the bristling bayonets that are gleaming along the Seventh's line, we know that every brawny arm that is beneath them will be bared to shield the old flag." p. 52 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "The infantry are clashing now, but this line of stout hearts stands firm. The traitor hosts grow desperate; the earth trembles; the sun is hid behind the wrathful smoke, but amid all the deafening battle elements of the darkened field, the flag and its defenders stand...The storm still increases in its sweeping power." p. 52 Ambrose

5:00 PM [The 7th Illinois] "... both Wallace and Prentiss dispatched orders for their men to withdraw. But already, thousands of Southerners were advancing rapidly around both Wallace's and Prentiss's exposed flanks to threaten a complete envelopment of the Union center. In the ensuing confusion, some Union troops managed to shoot their way out and escape toward the landing through a narrow outlet along the Corinth road, but others never received orders." Surrender in the Center, National Park Civil War Series

Approximately 5:00 PM [The 7th Illinois] "...the issue becomes doubtful; each seems to hold the balance, and like Napoleon at Waterloo, who prayed that night or Blucher would come, so we prayed that night or the army of Ohio would come." p. 52 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "About this time, Albert Sidney Johnson poured out his life-blood upon the altar of a vain ambition. At that fatal hour the enemy's lines waver, and the sun goes down with the army of the Tennessee standing victorious on their last great line." p. 52 - 53 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "When the Division Commander, General W. H. L. Wallace, was killed and the Brigade Commander, Colonel T. W. Sweeny, was wounded and taken off the field, Lieutenant Colonel Rowett obtained permission from General McClernand to form on his left and become a part of his line, where his horse was killed in a charge on the enemy." Official Regimental History
*[The 7th Illinois] "... was in the line that repulsed the last charge of the enemy ... when it was advanced to a picket line and remained there until relieved by General Buell's command near daylight next morning." Official Regimental History

 

[gold lotus 99]

Timeline for 6 Apr, from 6:00 pm on and 7 Apr

Battle Timeline 6 April Sunday, continued
Approximately 6:00 PM [The 7th Illinois] The sun was setting, and dark would fall by about 7:00 PM. Shiloh, Wikipedia
*[The 7th Illinois] "When night came the National troops held W.H.L. Wallace's camp and an adjoining portion of Hurlbut's..." p. 158 - 159 Force
*"Along the sheltered strip of beach between the river bank and the water was a confused mass of humanity - several thousands of men. They were mostly unarmed; many were wounded; some dead. All the camp-following tribes were there; all the cowards; a few officers. Not one of them knew where his regiment was, nor if he had a regiment. Many had not. These men were defeated, beaten, cowed. They were deaf to duty and dead to shame." Chapter V, Bierce
*"The appearance of Buell's advance, in the dark hours of that terrible Sabbath afternoon, was a spectacle the most inspiriting that despairing men ever looked upon. As they filed across the broad bottoms of the Tennessee, with colors flying, and filling the vale with their shouts of encouragement, the most despairing felt that the day was not entirely lost." De Hass
*"These lines were the regiments of Buells leading division, which having moved up from Savannah through a country presenting nothing but interminable swamps and pathless 'bottom lands,' with rank overgrowths of jungle, was arriving at the scene of action breathless, footsore and faint with hunger. It had been a terrible race; some regiments had lost a third of their number from fatigue, the men dropping from the ranks as if shot, and left to recover or die at their leisure." Chapter III, Bierce
*[The 7th Illinois] "Night comes, and with it Buell comes, but only in time to witness the closing scene... We thanked God for the arrival of the army of the Ohio, but we never thanked God for Don Carlos Buell when he rode across the Tennessee and spoke lightly of the great Grant, who had successfully stemmed the wildest storm of battle that ever rolled upon the American continent." p. 53 Ambrose

*"The sun went down in a red halo, as if the very heavens blushed and prepared to weep at the enormity of man's violence. Night fell upon and spread its funereal pall over a field of blood where death held unrestrained carnival! Soon after dark,- the rain descended in torrents, and all through the dreary hours of that dismal night it rained unceasingly. The groans of the dying, and the solemn thunder of the gunboats came swelling at intervals high above the peltings of the pitiless storm." De Hass
*"That evening the two Federal gunboats... kept up a methodical shelling of the enemy lines. Little damage was caused beyond the psychological effects on the enemy. The incident is mentioned in so many letters and diaries that the sound must have been tremendous. The same roar that kept the Confederates awake, of course, also played on the nerves of the Federals. 'These black monsters, for some reason, kept up their fire all through the night, and the roar of this cannonading and the shrieking of the shells . . . gave little opportunity for slumber,' noted a lad of the 24th Ohio in General Buell's army." A Night of Misery, National Park Civil War Series

10:00 PM "The real discomfort began about 10..., when the skies opened and rain fell in torrents. The Southerners found shelter in the captured Union tents. Federal soldiers had little choice but to tough it out. Sergeant C.C. Briant of the 6th Indiana well remembered the discomfort that evening. Exhausted and soaked to the skin, he walked about aimlessly in the woods, sometimes stepping on sleeping men, 'but I never halted to apologize.'" A Night of Misery, National Park Civil War Series

11:00 PM "... a heavy rain begins to pour. All the National troops and most of the Confederate lay on the ground without shelter. The gunboats every fifteen minutes through the night fired a shell over the woods, to explode far inland and banish sleep." p. 164 Force
*[The 7th Illinois] "Soon it commences to rain. Dark, dark night for the army of the Tennessee... The human pen will fail to picture the battle-field of Shiloh as it presented itself on Sunday night." p. 53 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "...was advanced to a picket line and remained there until relieved by General Buell's command near daylight next morning." Official Regimental History
*[The 7th Illinois] "... tired and almost exhausted, drops down on the ground, unmindful of the falling rain, to rest themselves." p. 53 Ambrose
*"The pitiful cries of wounded and dying men on the fields between the armies could be heard in the Union and Confederate camps throughout the night. A thunderstorm passed through the area and rhythmic shelling from the Union gunboats made the night a miserable experience for both sides." Shiloh, Wikipedia
*"A famous anecdote encapsulates Grant's unflinching attitude to temporary setbacks and his tendency for offensive action. As the exhausted Confederate soldiers bedded down in the abandoned Union camps, Sherman encountered Grant under a tree, sheltering himself from the pouring rain. He was smoking one of his cigars while considering his losses and planning for the next day. Sherman remarked, 'Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?' Grant looked up. 'Yes,' he replied, followed by a puff. 'Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though.'" Shiloh, Wikipedia
*"The army really did not know when it was whipped. A prominent Confederate officer afterward said: 'You were thoroughly beaten on Sunday, but did not know it.' This was literally true." De Hass

7 April Monday
*[The 7th Illinois] "All night long there was a chilling rain, and the April wind sighed mournfully around the suffering, wounded warriors. Many a wounded soldier died last night." p. 54 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] The men hear cannon and gunfire. p. 54 Ambrose
*"The sheer power of the Federal thrust jolted the unsuspecting Southerners. 'They appeared to me like ants in their nest, for the more we fired upon them, the more they swarmed about; one would have said that they sprouted from the ground like mushrooms,' noted a member of the Crescent Louisiana Regiment of New Orleans. For the first time, Mississippi Private A.H. Mecklin recorded in his diary, 'I began to have doubts as to the issues [outcome] of this contest. I knew that the enemy were reinforced and stoutly.' Observed Pvt. Thomas C. Robertson of the 4th Louisiana: 'At daybreak our pickets came rushing in under a murderous fire and the first thing we knew we were almost surrounded by six or seven regiments of Yankees.'" Second Day of Battle, National Park Civil War Series

"7:00 - 900 am: Grant and Buell advance. Skirmishing light as majority of Confederates retired south of Hamburg/Purdy road during night." Mc Pherson
*"In a few moments we had passed out of the singular oasis that had so marvelously escaped the desolation of battle, and now the evidences of the previous days struggle were present in profusion. The ground was tolerably level here, the forest less dense, mostly clear of undergrowth, and occasionally opening out into small natural meadows. Here and there were small pools - mere discs of rainwater with a tinge of blood. Riven and torn with cannon-shot, the trunks of the trees protruded bunches of splinters like hands, the fingers above the wound interlacing with those below. Large branches had been lopped, and hung their green heads to the ground, or swung critically in their netting of vines, as in a hammock. Many had been cut clean off and their masses of foliage seriously impeded the progress of the troops. The bark of these trees, from the root upward to a height of ten or twenty feet, was so thickly pierced with bullets and grape that one could not have laid a hand on it without covering several punctures. None had escaped... Angular bits of iron, concavo-convex, sticking in the sides of muddy depressions, showed where shells had exploded in their furrows. Knapsacks, canteens, haversacks distended with soaken and swollen biscuits, gaping to disgorge, blankets beaten into the soil by the rain, rifles with bent barrels or splintered stocks, waist-belts, hats and the omnipresent sardine-box - all the wretched debris of the battle still littered the spongy earth as far as one could see, in every direction. Dead horses were everywhere; a few disabled caissons, or limbers, reclining on one elbow, as it were; ammunition wagons standing disconsolate behind four or six sprawling mules. Men? There were men enough; all dead, apparently, except one, who lay near where I had halted my platoon to await the slower movement of the lint - a Federal sergeant, variously hurt, who had been a fine giant in his time. He lay face upward, taking in his breath in convulsive, rattling snorts, and blowing it out in sputters of froth which crawled creamily down his cheeks, piling itself alongside his neck and ears. A bullet had clipped a groove in his skull, above the temple; from this the brain protruded in bosses, dropping off in flakes and strings. I had not previously known one could get on, even in this unsatisfactory fashion, wih so little brain. One of my men, whom I knew fro a womanish fellow, asked if he should put his bayonet through him. Inexpressibly shocked by the cold-blooded proposal, I told him I thought not; it was unusual, and too many were looking." Chapter VII, Bierce

Noon - 3:00PM [The 7th Illinois] "... went into action before noon ... and was hotly engaged when the enemy retreated at 3 o'clock P.M." Official Regimental History
*[The 7th Illinois] "We are marched to the front, where we find Nelson engaged. His hounds of war are let loose. Inroads are being made." p. 54 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "... is filed into position and ordered to lie down." p. 54 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Though the enemy has given ground, they still show stubbornness." p. 54 - 55 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "We are now in a sharp place; there is some uneasiness here. A cold chill creeps over the soldiers. How uncomfortable it is to be compelled to remain inactive when these whizzing minies come screaming through the air on their mission of death. From such places, under such circumstances, the Seventh would ever wish to be excused, for it grates harshly with the soldier, and is exceedingly distressing when he is prevented from returning compliment for compliment, as the Seventh will testify to-day." p. 55 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "But we do not remain here long, for from this place of inactivity, we are moved to a place cf action." p. 55 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "The battle is raging furiously. The army of the Ohio and the army of the Tennessee are striking hand to hand." p. 55 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "The tables are turning; step by step the rebels are being driven." p. 55 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Position after position the Seventh is now taking. The sharp, positive crack of their musketry makes a terrible din along their line. It is apparent that the rebels are retreating." p. 55 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Another day is waning... Many patriot, loyal soldiers died to-day, and as they died, many of them were seen to smile as they saw the old flag, the pride of their hearts, riding so proudly over the bloody field. Many shed a tear of joy as they beheld the beautiful streams of light falling on the crimson wings of conquest." p. 55 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "The rebels are now flying. Nelson is making a terrible wreck in the rear of the retreating army." p. 55 Ambrose 

*[The 7th Illinois] "Kind reader, stand with me now where the Seventh stands; look away yonder! Your eye never beheld a grander sight. It is the northwest's positive tread. They move firmly; there is harmony in their steps. Ten thousand bayonets flash in the blazing sunlight. They are moving in columns on the bloody plain. Their tramp sounds like a death knell. The band is playing 'Hail to the chief.' Its martial anthems seem to float as it were on golden chords through air, and as they fall around the weary soldier their hopes of glory beat high." p. 55 - 56 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "They are retreating now; the rear of the rebel army is fast fading from Shiloh's field. Before the northwest's mighty power how they dwindle into littleness, as turrets and spires beneath the stars. They are far away now, and the great battle of Shiloh is over; the fierce wild drama is ended; the curtain falls ; the sun is hid, and night has come." p. 56 Ambrose

"2:00-4:00 pm: Breckinridge, supported by massed artillery south of Shiloh Branch ravine, checks Union advance and Confederates retire from field. Federals reclaim possession of the field and bivouac." Mc Pherson

3:00 PM The battle is ended. p. 177 Force
*[The 7th Illinois] "... goes into camp on the battle-field; their camp fires are soon burning, and those noble ones, who have fought so well, lie down, worn and weary, to rest themselves. They have passed through two days of fearful battle; amid thunder, smoke and perils they bore their tattered flag, and when the storm-king was making his most wrathful strides, it still waved in the wind and never went down, for strong arms were there and they held it up. But how painful it is to know that some comrades who were with us in the morning, are not with us now." p. 56 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Heavy rain fell again Monday night." p. 182 Force

 

[gold lotus 99]

Timeline Final, plus Battle Analysis and References

8 April Tuesday Timeline; Battle Analysis; References and Resources

*"...Grant sent Sherman south along the Corinth Road on a reconnaissance in force to ascertain if the Confederates had retreated, or if they were regrouping to resume their attacks." Shiloh, Wikipedia.
*[The 7th Illinois] "Oh! what a terrible scene does Shiloh's field present this morning. It is a scene of death; its victims lay everywhere. The blood of about thirteen thousand warriors has been shed here in the last two days." p. 57 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "In these two days of battle the Seventh sustained a heavy loss." p. 57 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] At the hospital steamer. "The Seventh's wounded lay here...Some have lost a leg, others have frightful wounds in the face; but these are their patents of nobility. Dr. Hamilton, our popular Assistant Surgeon, as ever, has a care for the unfortunate ones. He is now, with his usual promptness, preparing to send them north." p. 62 - 63 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "Large parties are now at work burying the dead of both armies. Shiloh will be one vast grave-yard, but it will be destitute of marble slabs. Hundreds of Union soldiers will sleep here, and in the years to come, the patriot pilgrims will tread the earth above them, and know not that beneath sleeps Shiloh's martyrs." p. 64 Ambrose

Battle Analysis
*"On the eve of battle, Grant's and Johnston's armies were of comparable size, but the Confederates were poorly armed with antique weapons, including shotguns, hunting rifles, pistols, flintlock muskets, and even a few pikes. However, some regiments, notably the 6th and 7th Kentucky Infantry, had Enfield rifles. They approached the battle with very little combat experience; Braxton Bragg's men from Pensacola and Mobile were the best trained." Shiloh, Wikipedia.
*"Grant's army included 32 out of 62 infantry regiments who had combat experience at Fort Donelson. One half of his artillery batteries and most of his cavalry were also combat veterans." Shiloh, Wikipedia.

*"Neither in his abbreviated battle report nor later in his memoirs did General Grant provide much insight or comment on the day-long stand made by the defenders of the Hornets' Nest. But the courageous stand made by Wallace's and Prentiss's men had gained the surviving Federal forces precious time. Since 4 P.M. the Hornets' Nest had occupied the full attention of the majority of Confederate forces still effectively engaged on the field." Surrender in the Center, National Park Civil War Series

*[The 7th Illinois] "Of the noble survivors we can only say of them, they did well; they played their part as nobly as the most gallant warriors have ever done on any battle-field." p. 63 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "In these two days of battle Major Rowett... proved himself worthy the leadership of brave men. Where danger most threatened, there he was always found... He was wounded twice and had his horse shot but nothing could check him. At the head of his regiment he was always found, and it is conceded by those who knew, that no regimental commander handled his command on Shiloh's field better than Major Rowett handled the Seventh." p. 63 Ambrose
*[The 7th Illinois] "At no time was the regiment driven into confusion, though many times its line was broken, but each time was reformed promptly, and be it said to the credit of the regiment, not a prisoner was taken in consequence of straggling." p. 63 Ambrose

*"In my dispassionate judgment, no men could have done better than Grant's army did on Sunday. Veterans could not have withstood the solid lines and unbroken fire which girdled them throughout that long and terrible day. It is true there was disorder, and many brigades on the front, after hours of incessant fighting, did give way; but the men were not whipped-only disheartened. Some obloquy has been thrown on certain Ohio troops. This was both unjust and cruel. No men could have stood better against a wall of fire than those Western troops, fresh from the plough and the shop. The Confederate dead who lay over that field on Sunday night told how severe had been the fire, and dreadful the carnage, inflicted by the sturdy men of the West." De Hass


*"The charge that the officers were derelict is also unjust. That grave military errors were committed in the disposition of the camp, and the exercise of proper precaution, has been shown; but that they were remiss on the field is not true. General Grant, after reaching the field, was active, and his presence gave confidence. The division commanders were untiring in their efforts; General Sherman particularly distinguished himself, and by his presence and bravery greatly inspirited the men. McClernand, Hurlbut, and others did effective service. General Prentiss, who was captured with part of his division, contended bravery with an overpowering force before he succumbed. The brigade commanders displayed great courage, coolness and skill. The same may be said of regimental commanders, and down to the lowest noncommissioned officers." De Hass 


*"If the army had not behaved well, where would it have been when darkness closed the scene? It has been assumed by those inimical to officers engaged at Shiloh, that the army was utterly demoralized. and routed from any definite line. This is untenable. Sherman's line of battle was never wholly destroyed." De Hass

*"These organizations were of varying strength in numbers, a regiment sometimes counting 250 men, sometimes 600 or more, but never, in any case, an effective force of 1,000 — the number usually thought of as making a regiment. Many of these regiments, batteries and independent companies and battalions were under fire for the first time at Shiloh. Some of them were undrilled, and some were very indifferently armed. The sudden onslaught of the enemy, driving in the pickets, overpowering the outlying forces and carrying their camps, coming on toward the Landing with seemingly irresistible power, sweeping all before him, was an exhibition of the terror of war which was sufficient to try the nerves of a veteran. It is not surprising that under the severe trial some of the raw recruits became terrorized and unmanageable; the real matter for wonder is that the green and untried regiments stood so well the most terrible test of war — a sudden, well- planned attack in force by an able enemy." Illinois at Shiloh

*"Grant's troop dispersement on the forested plateau was highly questionable. Holding the advance were two untested divisions—Sherman's on the right ... and Brig. Gen. Benjamin M. Prentiss on the left ... The three combat-tested veteran divisions, those of Brig. Gen. John A. McClernand ... Stephen A. Hurlbut, and William H. L. Wallace camped in the rear, closer to the landing." The Federal Advance, National Park Civil War Series

*"The citizens of the divided nation were stunned when the Shiloh casualty lists began pouring in." The Nation Stunned, National Park Civil War Series

*"The fact of a Christian church ... giving name to a wholesale cutting of Christian throats by Christian hands need not be dwelt on here..." Chapter VI, Bierce

References and Resources
Books
*McPherson, James M. The Atlas of the Civil War. New York: Macmillan, 1994. Print. From book cover: "This atlas reconstructs the battles of America's bloodiest war with unparalleled clarity and precision. It charts all of the major campaigns and many of the smaller skirmishes of the Civil War."
*Woodhead, Henry and the Editors of Time-Life Books, et al, eds. Shiloh. Alexandria, Va: Time-Life Books, 1996. Print. This is a collection of letters, diaries, photos and memorabilia, with explanatory text written by the editors.

Books and Articles Available On-line with Full Text
*Ambrose, Daniel L. "History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, from Its First Muster into the U.S. Service, April 25, 1861, to Its Final Muster Out, July 9, 1865." Google Books. 1868. Print. Internet resource. Author Ambrose served in Company H of the 7th. He evidently combined a personal journal with official records to write this book, and includes rosters. Accessed 4 August 2011. http://books.google.com/books/about/History_of_the_Seventh_Regiment_Illinois.html?id=SLtEAAAAIAAJ
*"Battle of Shiloh." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Internet resource. Last modified 22 July 2011. Web. Accessed 4 August 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shiloh
*Bierce, Ambrose. "What I Saw of Shiloh." Civil War Home. Internet resource. Accessed 4 August 2011. Served in the 9th Indiana Infantry. http://www.civilwarhome.com/shilohbierce.htm
*Daniel, Larry J, and Stacy D. Allen. The Battle of Shiloh. Fort Washington, PA: Eastern National, 1998. Print. Internet resource. Accessed 6 August 2011. This is one of many free brief e-books focused on major battles, and general Civil War information. In addition to the text, books include maps, photos and paintings. The e-books are on-line copies of the books the NPS sells in print version. (Organized by section, no page numbers. Citations list the section title for each quote.) http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/civil_war_series/22/sec15.htm
*De Hass, Colonel Wills. "The Battle of Shiloh." Civil War Home. 1878. Internet resource. Author De Hass served in the 77th Ohio, Sherman's division. Accessed 4 August 2011. http://www.civilwarhome.com/shilohbattle.htm
*Force, M. F. (Manning Ferguson) "From Fort Henry to Corinth." New York: C. Scribner's Sons. 1881. Google Books. Print. Internet resource. Also written by a soldier, of the 20th Ohio Infantry, he was a major promoted to regimental commander. He cites official reports of battles and operations as primary sources, both Confederate and National. In the introduction he states, "These reports... will appear in the series of volumes of Military Reports now in preparation under the supervision of Colonel Scott, Chief of the War Records Office in the War Department." Accessed 4 August 2011. http://books.google.com/books?id=YYZBAAAAYAAJ
*Illinois, Adjutant General. "Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois for the Years 1861 - 1866." 1900-1902. rev. ed. Cyber Drive Illinois. Print. Internet resource. Note from site: "The histories, some written shortly after the war's end, are the work of numerous authors throughout the intervening years. The 1886 version of the Adjutant General's Report included regimental histories compiled by that office which had not previously been published. The final 1900- 1902 republication of the report incorporated revisions and corrections to the histories." Accessed 4 August 2011. http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/reghist.pdf
*Mason, George, and Stanley Waterloo. Illinois at Shiloh: Report of the Shiloh Battlefield Commission and Ceremonies at the Dedication of the Monuments Erected to Mark the Positions of the Illinois Commands Engaged in the Battle; the Story of the Battle. Chicago, Ill: M.A. Donohue & Co., printers, 1905. Print. Internet resource. http://www.archive.org/stream/illinoisatshiloh00illi/illinoisatshiloh00illi_djvu.txt

Websites
-Home of the American Civil War. Civilwarhome.com. Includes battle descriptions, biographies, essays, links, and more. Note from site: "The 'Index of Civil War Information Available on the Internet' formally maintained by the LSU Civil War Center is now maintained by civilwarhome.com." http://www.civilwarhome.com/
-7th Illinois Monument Inscription. Shiloh National Military Park. Accessed 3 August 2011. Includes photos and text from the monuments to the regiment. http://www.shilohbattlefield.org/closeup.asp?ClosePhoto=TN003M045C.jpg

 

[ole]

There seems to be missing parts, Tamara but, as I've never followed individual units, I can't address yours. That is, I don't know what brigade and division the 7th was in, and I'm too lazy to look it up.

 

[gold lotus 99]

Thanks, Ole.
Here's my cheat sheet to keep track.
Order of Command
(From multiple sources, including Force, McPherson, and civilwarhome.com)

Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Major General U.S. Grant. (Total of 6 divisions.)
*Second Division, first commanded by Brigadier General W.H.L. Wallace, until he was wounded (eventually fatal) Sunday, 6 April at about 5:00 pm. Next commanded by Colonel James M. Tuttle, from about 5:00 pm Sunday.
*Third Brigade. commanded first by Colonel T.W. Sweeney, 52nd Illinois, until his wounding in the afternoon of 6 April. Next commanded by Colonel S.D. Baldwin as of the morning of 7 April.
*8th Iowa *7th Illinois *50th Illinois *52nd Illinois *57th Illinois *58th Illinois
* Not Brigaded *2d U.S. Cavalry, Company C *4th U. S. Cavalry, Company I *2d Illinois Cavalry, Companies A and B
*1st Illinois Light Artillery, Battery A *1st Missouri Light Artillery, Battery D *1st Battery Light Artillery, Battery H *1st Missouri Light Artillery, Battery K

 

[jumpmastereast]

Great work, keep it up and thanks for the information.

 

[gold lotus 99]

Great work, keep it up and thanks for the information.

Thank you, and glad the info is helpful to others, not just me..