What is Battle of Shiloh?
[[File:Thure de Thulstrup - Battle of Shiloh.jpg|thumb|290px|[[Painting]] of the Battle of Shiloh]] The '''Battle of Shiloh''' was a [[battle]] in the [[American Civil War]]. It was fought on April 6 and April 7, 1862, in [[Tennessee]]. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. ==Background== The [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] [[Army of the Tennessee]] was commanded by [[Ulysses S. Grant]]. Grant had captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in western Tennessee during the early months of 1862. This forced the [[Confederate States Army|Confederate Army]] to leave [[Kentucky]], western Tennessee, and central Tennessee. Grant wanted to capture the city of Corinth, [[Mississippi]], next. But his superior, [[Henry W. Halleck]], didn't want Grant to go any further south until other [[Union Army|Union soldiers]] joined him. So Grant moved his [[army]] to a place called Pittsburg Landing, which was on the [[Tennessee River]]. There was a church near the landing called Shiloh Church. His army stayed there for several weeks. [[File:Shiloh Church.jpg|thumb|250px|Re-built Shiloh Church in 2006]] [[General officer|General]] [[Albert Sidney Johnston]] commanded the Confederates. Johnston's second-in-command was [[P. G. T. Beauregard]]. Beauregard came up with a plan to recapture western Tennessee. Confederate soldiers from all over the Western theater gathered in Corinth. Then, starting on April 3rd, they marched north toward Grant's army. The Confederate Army was ready to attack on the morning of the 6th. ==The Battle== The battle started around [[dawn]] on April 6th. The Confederates surprised the Union Army. After fighting all day, Grant's army [[Withdrawal (military)|retreated]] back to Pittsburg Landing. Johnston was killed during the battle, and Beauregard took over the Confederate Army. More Union soldiers arrived at the battlefield during the night. They were part of the [[Army of the Ohio]], commanded by Don Carlos Buell. Grant attacked the Confederates the next morning. The two armies fought all