The U.S. Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Major General U.S. Grant and organized in six divisions under John A. McClernand, W.H.L. Wallace, Lewis Wallace, Stephen A. Hurlbut, William T. Sherman, and Benjamin M. Prentiss, was encamped on this field on April 6, 1862, except for the 3rd Division. Its outer line of camps, just beyond Hamburg and Purdy Road, extended from Owl Creek on the right to Lick Creek on the left. The five divisions on the field had a total present for duty of 39,830 officers and men when the Confederate Army under General Albert Sidney Johnston, with 43,968 present for duty, attacked in front of the outer camps at 4:55 A.M. on Sunday, April 6, 1862. The Union Army was gradually driven back until by 6 P.M. it held a line from Pittsburg Landing to Snake Creek bridge on Savannah Road. During the night the 3rd Division arrived from Crump’s, and three divisions of the Army of the Ohio under General Buell arrived from Savannah. With these reinforcements, General Grant attacked on Monday morning and pressed the Confederates back until 4 P.M., when they abandoned the field and retired toward Corinth. During the battle, the Army of the Tennessee suffered 1,513 killed, 6,601 wounded, and 2,830 missing, for a total of 10,944 casualties.

Photo: David Austin

Childers Hill, Tennessee · USA