Battle of Shiloh

American Civil War

April 6th - 7th 1862

Fired Bullet

(Every bullet may vary in size or shape, bullets are picked at random. Our choice only.)

As Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant fight for control of West Tennessee, a confederate army under General Johnston makes a stand near the Tennessee River. The ferocity of this battle showed both sides for the 1st time, that this war will be a long and costly one. This fired bullet witnessed this battle and was rescued from development by Metal Detectorists on private property.

The battle was one of the earliest and bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War, involving the Union Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Major General Ulysses S. Grant, and the Confederate Army of Mississippi, led by General Albert Sidney Johnston, initially, and later by General P.G.T. Beauregard.

The battle began on the morning of April 6, 1862, when Confederate forces launched a surprise attack on Union encampments near Pittsburg Landing. The Union troops, caught off guard, initially struggled to organize a defense but managed to establish a defensive line anchored along a sunken road known as the "Hornet's Nest."

Throughout the day, both sides suffered heavy casualties as the fighting raged fiercely across the battlefield. The Union forces, despite being surprised, managed to hold their ground and prevent a complete rout.

On the evening of April 6, reinforcements arrived for the Union army, including Major General Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Ohio. This bolstered Union numbers and allowed them to stabilize their lines.

The following day, April 7, the Union army launched a counterattack, gradually pushing back the Confederate forces. By late afternoon, the Confederate army was in retreat, and the Union had secured victory on the battlefield.