The first day of the 2-day Battle of Shiloh (April 1862), when his army was nearly pushed into the Tennessee River.
Grant himself was absent from the battlefield, accused by his enemies of being drunk, but in fact recuperating from a riding accident, and walking on crutches.
However, it is true that he and Sherman had both declared that there were no enemy troops nearer than Corinth, and so the Union army was taken by surprise.
Still, the second day of the battle brought an important Union victory, with the Southern commander (Sidney Johnston) killed in action, and it was the beginning of the end for Confederate hopes in the Western theatre.
the deaths of nearly 25,000 Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
the deaths of nearly 25,000 Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
the deaths of nearly 25,000 Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
the deaths of nearly 25,000 Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
the deaths of nearly 25,000 Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
the deaths of nearly 25,000 Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
the deaths of nearly 25,000 Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
the deaths of nearly 25,000 Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
The Battle of Shiloh in April 1862 damaged Ulysses S. Grant's rising military reputation. Grant's forces were surprised by a Confederate attack, resulting in heavy Union casualties on the first day of the battle. Though Grant's forces ultimately won the battle, the high casualties led to criticism of his leadership and raised doubts about his ability to command.
the deaths of nearly 25,000 Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
Coldharbour was certainly all his fault. The Battle of the Crater partly. Here blame is divided between Grant and the army commander Meade, who made the fatal decision to stand-down the black brigade that had been so well-rehearsed by Burnside, in favour of another brigade whose commander was drunk in a trench behind the lines.
The Battle of Shiloh, fought in April 1862, initially damaged Ulysses S. Grant's image due to the high casualties and his surprise by Confederate forces. Critics labeled him as reckless for the heavy losses suffered by Union troops. However, Grant's ability to regroup and ultimately secure a Union victory in the aftermath helped restore his reputation and solidified his status as a capable military leader. In the long term, Shiloh contributed to his emergence as a key figure in the Civil War.