The Battle of Shiloh - Two Bloody Days in April 1862 

My husband's Great Great Grandpa died on the first day of this battle. He was with the 40th Illinois. We have visited this battlefield and thank you for sharing this story.

How wonderful to hear a proper story teller.

I can't tell you how much I enjoy your channel. The Civil War is my favorite era of US history. You do make it all come alive. Thank you so much!😊

I listen to and view A LOT of civil war podcasts, videos and programs and the narration and presentation of this video is one of the very best.

Nothing changes. Regardless of how many documentaries I watch, how man books I read, how many courses I take relating to the Civil War the horror of what the US put itself though is always without equal. Thank you for another very lucid lesson on how much can go wrong so quickly.

What a wonderful speaking voice. Thank you for this.

The narration brings, through the procession of many years, the absolute slaughter and horror of the Civil War. Excellent work.

I've never heard a civil war battle described so vividly that you can almost imagine being there yourself learned so much about such a pivotal battle of the civil war thanks so much

+My great grandfather was there but arrived late with Buell's army and so saw little action. He was to see plenty though before the war was over as would his brother who was, like him a private in the 65th Ohio Infantry. Thank you for bringing this battle alive for me.

I have been to Shiloh twice. Amazing sacred place. Peaceful Thank you so much for your wonderful stories

These are absolutely great! I love your storytelling

This was so well written and narrated! I have studied the Civil War for several decades, and, not claiming to be an expert, I still learned some further details from this presentation. I have subscribed.

As a scout leader whom has hiked the entire battlefield many times, read many accounts and been to each field of battle; have camped close as allowed; it humbles ones self and sprit at Bloody Pond, Hornets Nest and at the Shiloh church. Have witnessed every type of weather as did the combated men of those two days, it brings hope for peace. The thoughts these men of both sides must have had of victory and defeat. Seeing the numbers killed and wounded and later beyond the battle to try and identify and restore some honor to the dead. US soldiers placed in marked graves while Confederate where placed in trenches unmarked.

I really appreciate this channel and this series. As a history buff, one of my weak points has been the Civil War because growing up where I did (New Jersey and New York) we basically learned about Lee's campaigns, the North's failures against them, Gettysburg, Sherman's March and Appomattox. My moving to Tennessee made me realize how lacking I was in Civil War knowledge and this series has helped fill in the blanks very nicely. Thank you.

"After Shiloh, the South never smiled again." Fitting epitaph for those whose knowledge is full of the human sorrow of men who were there..

My great great grandfather Pvt. Eli J. Todd was there with the 22nd/25th Alabama CSA He survived the war dying in 1900. He suffered from breathing problems ever since that battle.

If Forrest would have been in charge the second day, the battle might have been different.

Appreciate the honest way the story is told. Not politically biased.the truth is never nice or gentle.where subjects like war are involved.

I think it was the historian Shelby Foote who had described this horrible battle as..."a disorganized, murderous fistfight."

I used to live within an hour of driving distance to this place. I’ve been to the reenactment of the Battle of Shiloh where I climbed a tree for a seat to get a better view, and it was truly something to see. The smoke that filled the field was unbelievably thick. Cannons thundered as horses reared and screamed, and with all the guns firing it all made for a blinding, deafening scene. I thought about the men who ran blindly through trees to get to the fighting while others ran the other way, wanting only to escape the unbelievable carnage their eyes were seeing. You have a wonderful voice for these stories, the best I’ve ever listened to. It’s like being able to hear Shelby Foote’s words coming audibly off pages. It’s a fine gift you possess. Thank you for using it to narrate our history. Edit: subscribed!

I have served in my own conflict, but the horrors of this war far surpass anything I think I could ever endure.

Brilliant doc, very well done. Respect from the UK.

This is an A grade narration of the events. Thank you so much for this presentation.

I have always been fascinated with this battle. I think its importance is underrated. Albert Sydney Johnson died at Shiloh and the South was very thin in top commanders, so this loss was huge. It really cemented the friendship of Grant and Sherman. Finally, the South never really repaired its defenses in the West. That combined with the huge causalities Lee suffered later in 1862 and 1863 lead to the defeat of the Confederacy.

Great storytelling. I salute this narrator.

My 2x greatgrandfather and his brother both from west central Illinois fought in the battle of Shiloh. After the war ended grandpa Matthew returned home and bred draft horses some of which were purchased by General U.S. Grant who spoke of my grandpa saying that he raised some of the finest draft horses he had ever seen.

Grant was the only General in the Union who had the wherewithal, tenacity and steadfastness to defeat RE Lee. Many blustering incompetents had tried and failed.

Thank you for your narration and the ability to express the feelings of passion for this subject. Enjoy the stories.

This is much more descriptive of the soldiers' experience than the generals....the story at 44:30 to me mostly told the whole story of the war "Oh God What made you come down here and fight us? We would never have come up there". That was the cause of the Civil War in a nutshell.

The perfect voice for a tale of horror, passion and loss that was, unfortunately, all too real.

EXCELLENT NARRATION and PRESENTATION----TYVM!

My Great great Uncle General Thomas Jordan was Beauregard’s adjutant at Shiloh. My great great grandfather Capt Francis Jordan (Thomas’s brother) was under his command at Shiloh.

There were more who died at Shilo than had died at all the wars and battles up to that date. Yet there would be more battles even more bloody.

The lesson of Shiloh was no matter what you may THINK the enemy might do, the enemy often has mind of his own to attack when you least expect it. Here are some observations to consider: 1. As a commander of an army in enemy country or near the frontier, a basic line of infantry outposts, with patrols in between the outposts, must be established. Cavalry scouts are essential some distance out along likely avenues of enemy approach. Key pieces of terrain need to fortified or garrisoned with guard details. A routine practice of "stand to" at about dawn for troops needs to be accomplished in line with full combat ammo loads, water in canteens and troops awake and alert in any coats or rain gear to deal with the elements. Pickets in front of the main encampment must be manned at all times during the night and during the day during rest periods. 2. Outpost details need to relieved in the early morning. A report of any enemy activity needs to be relayed by the Noncom in charge of the outpost back to staff officers who ensure their commander is informed of any new activity. Patrols from the outposts are sent out before dawn to ensure no enemy troop movements are occurring nearby for attacks. These patrols comeback before they are relieved in the morning. Cavalry patrols and cavalry observation posts need to report any fresh activities to the infantry outposts with new enemy activity. Staff officers are essential in establishing this chain of communications. 3. A basic defensive line needs to be established even for overnight positions. It will NOT be feasible to dig the troops in during a halt before night during a march with a march planned the next day.. However, a quick reconnaissance and terrain analysis by officers is essential. Areas of natural cover and concealment need to be identified for troops to occupy in case of enemy attack. Certain areas should have brush cut for concealment of troops and field guns. 4. Encampments with dug in fortifications are necessary for prolonged periods of occupation. Troops need to dig in everywhere possible when time allows. Troops that are dug in with entrenchments can hold off three times their numbers if attacked. The point here is a layered early warning reconnaissance system needs to be established in enemy territory. Cavalry patrols and observation posts need to be established several miles out from the infantry outpost line. The infantry outpost line with patrols in between needs to be established a half mile or mile from the main encampment. The main encampment needs "stand to" at dawn practices to prevent surprise enemy attack at dawn. A line of pickets must be maintained at night to ensure enemy forces do not sneak up for a surprise attack. A system of reporting enemy activities during the night must be established to keep tabs on enemy activity. Ulysses Grant wasn't caught by surprise again during the Civil War. These lessons of having redundant overlapping security is essential to prebvent surprise assaults, ambushes orunexpected encounter battles that can slaughter large numbers of men so quickly resulting in catastrophe. I may or may not have characterized everything perfectly here but it is essential to establish troop leading procedures that provide security/reconnaissance with guard outposts and some amount of early warning to enemy attack or stumbling into an enemy ambush during a march. At Shiloh both sides were green. It is essential to have basic infantry training for all soldiers and when possible have advanced infantry training with unit field drills so everyone understands what to do before their first battle starts.

Nicely written and narrated by a real person.Subscribed!

My daughter's and I went to the Shiloh battlefield and was amazed by the pyramids of cannon ball's with the names of states in the battle We saw the film at the museum Quite an interesting place All those dead men over the railroad yard 4 miles away at Corynth

Oh wow. I just came across this channel. Love it. Just saw that there's an Arkansas playlist. I live in NW Arkansas so I'm excited about that.

Great chanel, great stories and told in most epic way, thank you !

Well done brother! A tasteful educational, thanks for sharing!

The revolutionary war would be amazing to hear stories about... The native wars too.. although very sad, it's incredibly important history... And tells the story of both sides of my ancestry...

The words of the first hand accounts… my God… witnessing it…. PTSD? Unreal.

Halleck was not a General, he was a bureaucrat. Despite being on a different side, Grant was NOT a bureaucrat, he was a General. The South was blessed with Lee, Jackson, Stuart, and Hill as Generals, but only in the East. With only 2 of the 4, the war would have been over in 2 years. It's a mix or match which 2 to delete, and I won't argue with anyone about it.

Narrator brings an energy to this work not unlike Dan Carlin; fantastic work.

Many of Grant’s predecessors were casualties averse, it’s not simply a matter of logistics but that of attrition that wears upon the enemy army.

If you admire Grant, look up the feature the History Channel did a couple years ago. Outstanding. An English actor played Grant and really did a nice job.

Stoked to see this, your detial and narration are danged top notch. Err "first rate"

Lincoln said his trust of Grant ran marrow deep...good enough for Abe, good enough for me...I personally think Grant is the most underrated, under appreciated person in American history, right beside George Marshall & those two men are on my Mt Rushmore beside Lincoln & Washington...and yes I would put them on there before FDR

Grant lost the first day at Shiloh,if he had some cavalry scouts he could have ordered some reconnaisance on the road to Corinth,he could have prepared for the battle better. Halleck wanted him off his army.

Command lead is such a important thing, even in these games now, hell let loose is fun but with no officers or commander its tough

Excellent narration, I thought I knew the Battle of Shiloh, You taught me something.

Wonderful presentation, but I question what the graphic of the Black 54th Massachusetts' assault on Battery Wagner in South Carolina, seen during the description of A.S. Johnston's fallback to Corinth, is doing in this narrative.

Great documentary and narration. Thank you.

I was born and raised in southern Illinois. Most people do not realize that many people in Illinois were supporters of the Confederacy. Two of my relatives fought with Company G, 15th Tennessee infantry at Shiloh. One was killed, and the other wounded. In the old cemetery where I was raised, Confederate veterans were buried on the south side, and Union veterans on the north side. There were a lot of Illinois rebels!

I love your narration!

The scary thing about the Civil War was that more men didn't come out of it as alcoholics a great many generals and doctors could never face another sober day.

I had two great-great grandfathers who were part if the Union Army of the Tennessee. One on my mother's side (Wisconsin) and one on my father's (Michigan). I wrote my Master's thesis on the USCT at the Battle of Nashville in December 1864. I've toured many of the battlefields in the western theater including Shiloh. I'm extremely proud of my GAR ancestors.

Terrific research and narration. Bravo!

Thanks!

Should it be Johnson's ARMY OF MISSISSIPI, not ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPI? I believe the Union named its armies after rivers. The Confederacy named them after states.

Superb work .... Sad and disconcerting

The funny thing about war is that afterwards the opponents can be friends. It’s the leaders pushing to war, not the average soldier/citizen. In a war the leaders have to be stopped, not the common citizens.

41:37 this cracked me the fuck up. he was so mad he STUNK!!! XD

My maternal and fraternal great grandfathers both fought for the union. Both born in West Virginia. Didn’t realize that when I was in grade school listening to my teacher talk about it. I’d have been more interested had I known. I’m 66 and just finding out is so exciting.

Good details on an important battle. A Teenager’s Guide to the Civil War: A History Book for Teens covers this battle and more.

The consolidation of the states into one vast empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it.

My great grandfather, Benjamin Mills fought at Shiloh. He fought for the North but lived in Tennessee

My great great great grandpa fought with the 11th Kentucky, and arrived the second day under General Buell. I don't know what action he saw that day, but he survived and was offered a commission in the 37th Kentucky Mounted Infantry, which were essentially cavalry with rifles instead pistols or carbjnes.

Shelby Foote, the late great historian of the American Civil War, said the Confederacy never stood a chance of ever winning.

You have high pitched fast accentuated openings to new paragraphs and you trail off quietly and slowly towards the ends of them. Then you repeat process.......

Thanks for posting

Of all the battles of the Civil War, and their was many, I think Shiloh is one I would not want to be in.

Great narration.

This his magnificent content o love this channel 😊

My 4th great grandfather was the first officer killed in the battle of Shiloh.

At about minute 39, I love the Napoleonic pose of Gen Garfield, future President of the US. That also wraps in the concepts of Baron de Jomini (war strategist), the Napoleonic Wars and reverence/fascination by the generals of the US Civil War Era.

Great video thanks

With all the excellent material presented, the presentation falls flat for not providing map locations as the battle raged. One is left bewildered as to what occurred where. It's an easy error to resolve and I hope you make the appropriate changes. Otherwise, well presented.

Most documentaries sugar coat this stupid war. Thank you for the visceral story about this horror. I am glad I was not born during this time.

Its amazing the hardships these people had to endure.

Johnston was a huge loss. A great Texan he was. His portrait hung in the Texas Capitol house chambers until last year. Austin is the liberal blue dot in the midst of a scarlet red Texas. Rip

Those who have the eyebrows of Bragg often prefer the label warlock.

Grant was a better general than Lee. He had to win the war. Lee just had to not lose it. Lee fought an offensive strategy when the tech gave defenders a tremendous advantage. He fought to protect Virginia and was a great general and man but grant was THE MAN.

I didn't know that Atlanta was a town during the Civil War. I thought it was already a city by then and where is the town of Georgia located

Man, the narrator is really trying to summon the spirit of Ed Bearss, aren't they? Lol

Well read 📚

You probably meant cavalry instead of calvary😮

To the producers: at around minute 33, map clips would have been a helpful addition. You’re giving verbal cardinal directions of units on both sides of the war, and while in my mind’s eye, I can picture it perfectly because of my knowledge in tactics, strategy, military history, geography, and advances in weapons technology driving changes in tactics, your average person would not. That should be your target audience, to make history accessible to more people.

That was cool 😎 Very entertaining

The soldiers and generals were timid until Grant and Lee introduced the strategy of psychopaths.

I have been deep diving the Western Campaigns…they don’t get the attention the Eastern battles had but the West seems to be almost more important as it was about the control of the Mississippi River, mountains passed and key rail lines.

Good story telling..

Who financed the north in the battle of Shiloh ? And why ? Why did the south not get funded ? Why.?

Come all you valiant soldiers, a story I will tell, About the bloody battle that was fought on Shiloh hill. It was an awful struggle and will cause your blood to chill. It was the famous battle that was fought on Shiloh hill. 'twas on the sixth of April, just at the break of day. The Drums and Fifes were playing for us to march away. About the hour of sunrise, a battle it began. And before the day had vanished, we fought them hand to hand. The wounded men were crying for help from everywhere. While others who were dying were offering God their prayer: "Protect my wife and children, if it is thy holy will." Oh such were the prayers I heard that night on Shiloh hill. And early the next morning, we were called to arms again, Unmindful of the wounded, un-useful to the slain. The struggle was renewed, and ten thousand men were killed. This was the second conflict of the famous Shiloh hill. Before the day was ended, the battle ceased to roar, and thousands of brave soldiers had fell to rise no more. they left their vacant ranks for some other ones to fill, and now their moldering bodies all lie on Shiloh hill.

Bragg was an adequate Corps commander but he lost the rest of the West as an army commander.

I have visited the area twice.

My state served well in this terrible conflict Massachusetts

Did Johnson’s personal doctor get punished or killed for aiding the union men instead of being there when his general was hit ?

Please make more videos at a greater rate.

25:19 Sherman was no where near the Hornets Nest that was the Union center, Sherman was on the Union extreme right.

This narrator sounds just like Ed Bearss used to. Watch the Kern Burns Civil War series to hear Ed Bearss.