The Counterattack Buys Time

At noon on the first day, General Ulysses S. Grant's reinforced Union right struck disorganized Confederate troops in a timely counterattack. Union troops under Generals William T. Sherman and John A. McClernand captured cannons and recovered some of McClernand's camps. Fierce fighting continued through the afternoon as Confederate troops led by Generals William J. Hardee and Leonidas Polk fought with equal determination. By mid-afternoon, the depleted Union ranks again gave ground and retired northward. Ordered to hold, Sherman and McClernand withdrew fighting to a new, stronger position east of Tilghman Branch, where the Union right defended its final line and repulsed Confederate attempts to seize and hold ground east of the valley, buying Grant precious time.

Shiloh, Tennessee · United States