It happened 150 years ago today.
It happened 150 years ago today.
INVADING YANKEE AGGRRESORS SURPRISE CONFEDERATE PATRIOTS AT SHILOH
There, fixed it - accuracy is important even in 150 year old news stories.
Interestingly, the entry only briefly mentions one of the pivotal points of the battle, which occurred the day before. The overall commander of Confederate forces at Shiloh, General Albert Sidney Johnston, was killed while leading his men along the front lines.
Johnston, considered the Confederacy’s finest general (before the emergence of Robert E. Lee) took a bullet in the back of his knee—a round almost certainly fired by one of his own soldiers (at the time, Johnston was well in front of his leading elements). Initially, General Johnston didn’t believe his wound was serious, and told his staff physician to attend to a ground of wounded Union soldiers nearby. But within minutes, Johnston almost fell off his horse as he began to lose consciousness. The bullet had severed an artery in his leg, and he died a few minutes later from blood loss.
Johnston’s death left P.G.T Beauregard in command of Confederate forces. Beauregard, who was well behind the lines, had a poor understanding of the tactical picture and made one of the most controversial decisions of the war. Not realizing that Grant was near defeat, he made the decision to postpone another attack against Union lines until the next day. By that time, Buell had arrived with reinforcements, and Union forces rallied, defeating Beauregard decisively.
While it is possible to read too much into Johnston’s death, he was a far better commander, strategist and tactician than the incompetents who followed him, particularly Braxton Bragg and John Bell Hood. Bragg was a competent engineer, and Hood was a fine commander at the brigade and division level. But as a leader of armies, they were among the worst of the Civil War, and helped hasten the south’s defeat.
Interestingly, the entry only briefly mentions one of the pivotal points of the battle, which occurred the day before. The overall commander of Confederate forces at Shiloh, General Albert Sidney Johnston, was killed while leading his men along the front lines.
Johnston, considered the Confederacy’s finest general (before the emergence of Robert E. Lee) took a bullet in the back of his knee—a round almost certainly fired by one of his own soldiers (at the time, Johnston was well in front of his leading elements). Initially, General Johnston didn’t believe his wound was serious, and told his staff physician to attend to a ground of wounded Union soldiers nearby. But within minutes, Johnston almost fell off his horse as he began to lose consciousness. The bullet had severed an artery in his leg, and he died a few minutes later from blood loss.
Johnston’s death left P.G.T Beauregard in command of Confederate forces. Beauregard, who was well behind the lines, had a poor understanding of the tactical picture and made one of the most controversial decisions of the war. Not realizing that Grant was near defeat, he made the decision to postpone another attack against Union lines until the next day. By that time, Buell had arrived with reinforcements, and Union forces rallied, defeating Beauregard decisively.
While it is possible to read too much into Johnston’s death, he was a far better commander, strategist and tactician than the incompetents who followed him, particularly Braxton Bragg and John Bell Hood. Bragg was a competent engineer, and Hood was a fine commander at the brigade and division level. But as a leader of armies, they were among the worst of the Civil War, and helped hasten the south’s defeat.
Had a g-g-g- grandfather who died at Shiloh. Was in the 10th AR Infantry. RIP.
bfl
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