Army of the Mississippi

The Confederate Army of the Mississippi, commanded by General Albert Sidney Johnston and, after Johnston was mortally wounded, by General G.T. Beauregard, marched from Corinth and deployed for battle on Saturday, April 5, 1862, with 43,968 officers and men present for duty. Its organization included the First Corps under Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk, the Second Corps under Maj. Gen. Braxton Bragg, the Third Corps under Maj. Gen. Wm. J. Hardee, who was wounded, and the Reserve Corps under Brig. Gen. John C. Breckinridge. Hardee's Corps formed the first line near Wood's Field, Bragg's Corps formed the second line 800 yards behind it, Polk's Corps stood in column of brigades near Johnston's headquarters at the junction of Bark and Corinth Roads, and Breckinridge's Corps was to the rear along the road toward Mickey's. The battle began at 4.55 a.m. on Sunday, April 6, 1862, with an attack on Hardee's picket post in front of his center. Advancing Confederates slowly drove the Union Army back through the day, captured four division camps, and by dark held a position from the Tennessee River south of Dill's Branch to the mouth of Tilghman Creek. Johnston was mortally wounded at 2.30 p.m., and Beauregard assumed command. During the night the Union Army was reinforced, and on Monday the Confederates were driven back in turn until they retired from the field at 4 p.m. on April 7, 1862. Casualties in the Army of the Mississippi during the battle were 1,728 killed, 8,012 wounded, and 959 missing, for a total of 10,699.

Shiloh, Tennessee · United States