A Blaze of Glory

In April of 1862, Major General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union forces led his troops deep into Tennessee, setting up camp around a small log church called Shiloh. On the morning of April 6, Confederate forces led by generals Johnston and Beauregard launched a surprise attack on the Union Army encampment to prevent the Union advance into northern Mississippi. Though the Confederates held the advantage for most of the first day, Union reinforcements arrived as evening came and launched a counterattack on the morning of April 7, successfully forcing the Confederates to retreat and ending what had become one of the bloodiest battles on American soil to date.