"If the Confederates could have attacked the Union left flank along the Hamburg-Savannah road more vigorously, why didn't they? Is it because they were more concerned with cracking the center, and the Hornets Nest position in particular or lost confidence because of Johnston's death, or both?"
@stryder I certainly don't have the answers to the questions you posed just my ideas/opinions/thoughts. I am more than willing to post my views and sincerely hope more readers will weigh in on this thread.
1)
"...they were more concerned with cracking the center..."?
I do not know the "they" is you asked as I honestly believe no one was in charge of the Confederate assault on Sunday, April 6. Johnston was moving around, cheering and encouraging the troops and looking into the smoke from the front line. He was, in my opinion, was acting more like a brigadier general than the Commander of the Army of Mississippi fixated on the part of the battle he could see.
The only Corps commander that was acting somewhat like a filed commander was General Bragg who was wailing away against the right flank of "the Hornets Nest" with successive waves of attacks across Duncan Filed. Bragg believed the failure of the Confederate attacks was a lack of courage and determination.
General Beauregard was far in the rear at his Headquarters near the Shiloh Meeting House. Beauregard was far out of touch as evidenced by his telegram of Victory was sent to Jefferson Davis:
"Battle-field of Shiloh, Miss., April 6,
Via Corinth, Miss., via Chattanooga, Tenn., April 7,1862.
We this morning attacked the enemy in strong position in front of Pittsburg, and after a severe battle of ten hours, thanks be to the Almighty, gained a complete victory, driving the enemy from every position. Loss on both sides heavy, including our commander-in-chief, General A. S. Johnston, who fell gallantly leading his troops into the thickest of the fight.
G. T. BEAUREGARD,
General, Commanding.
General S. Cooper, Assistant Adjutant-General.*"
Beauregard was sick and incapacitated to a degree and spent little if anytime near the front and in fact Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest could not find him or his headquarters at night to report the arrival of General Buell's Army of the Ohio!
2)
"... lost confidence because of Johnston's death..."
I believe the conditions were so chaotic on the Confederate side that Johnston's death did not cause the Confederates to lose the battle but rather some of these factors
1) Poor leadership
2) Difficult to being near impossible plan of attack
3) Poor intelligence and correct maps
4) Lack of supplies prior to and resupply Sunday night
5) No one took command to order units to be positioned correctly to be ready to repel the expected Union assault on Monday morning
These are my thoughts and I look forward to comments from members
Regards
David
*Official Records of the Rebellion
Series 1, Volume X, Part 1
Page 384