My Mississippi Manifest Destiny: Shiloh Part One

Soon I'll make it to Mississippi. But first I need to cover the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee. That battle, which stunned both North and South with its shockingly high casualties--which outnumbered all of the casualties in every American War--combined.

The conflict has a Mississippi tie. Confederate Brigadier General Albert Johnston based his forces in nearby Corinth, Mississippi, and on April 6 he marched his forces north into Tennessee, where he surprised Union forces under Major General Ulysses S. Grant. The goal of Johnston's army was to drive the Federals from Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee River, pictured on the right. The Southerners came close to doing just that. But late that afternoon, reinforcements led by Major General Don Carlos Buell disembarked at the landing, and the next day, the now-larger Northern army routed the Confederates, who withdrew to Corinth.

I'm going to do a few Shiloh posts--then I'll cover Corinth. However, if time and geography allow it, I recommend that you make your first stop at the Corinth Interpretive Center.

Throughout the Shiloh Battlefield, there are granite memorials to the many units that fought--and died--in the two-day battle. The one below honors the Illinois 55th Infantry.

Technorati tags: history Americana byways travel travel blog Tennessee photos photography culture Civil War Ulysses Grant Mississippi Tennessee River