Like the other major Granite Forests – Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Vicksburg -of the American Civil War, the story on the battlefield told through the monuments consists mostly of one told from the side of the Union. Here, the stories unfold about the main Federal force at Shiloh, the men of the Army of the Tennessee commanded by Ulysses S. Grant.
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Grand Randonnée 5 represents France’s premier alpine adventure running from Thonon-les-Bains on the south shore of Lake Geneva to Nice on the Mediterranean. Many choose another alternative for the final third of the route, switching GR 52 for 5 just south of the Col de Larche. This route – known as the Balcon du Mercantour – stays much higher than GR 5 and offers much more drama as it marches southeast and then south to finish on the Mediterranean at the boat harbor of Menton-Garavan.
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Shiloh remains one of the best preserved of American Civil War battlefields. It is also one of the most important, too, for it was here that America – North and South – got a true look at what the human cost of war would actually entail. The two-day battle here – 6-7 April 1862 – proved the costliest in terms of casualties in American history to that date – almost 27,000 casualties for both sides including the life of the Confederate commander General Albert Sidney Johnston – the highest-ranking soldier killed during the entire war.
The carnage from this battle shocked both sides and demonstrated that the war would probably not be decided by one thunder stroke on the battlefield but would persist with much more bloodshed. In fact, eight battles – and innumerable smaller ones – that were larger and bloodier in scope during the three long years lay ahead.
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Shiloh National Military Park sits just north of the border of southwestern Tennessee and northeastern Mississippi. Of the major battlefields of the American Civil War, Shiloh lies farther out of reach to the average tourist than the others. By car, the fields lie two hours by car from Memphis and three from Nashville. As a result, you will not find as many visitors on the spread-out grounds as some of the other Battle parks. It is important to understand the buildup to Shiloh to better figure out why there was even a battle here.
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The Royal Army in 1845 sent out Lieutenants Henry James Ware and Mervin Vavasour to evaluate American presence in the Pacific Northwest and British ability to militarily respond. The political crisis brewing since the late 1830s responsible for Warre’s mission across the North American continent, however, dissipated by the time Warre returned to Britain.
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For neophytes to the study of the American Civil War, the function played by the pre-war Federal Regular Army before, during and after continues to reside a bit in obscurity. Officers from the antebellum army played large roles on both sides during the war, though they rarely achieved greatness remaining a part of the Federal Regular Army, even if staying true to their oath as army officers. Those officers usually took up new commissions in the many militia units raised by the different States – again on both sides. Rapid promotion and the chance to play much larger roles than they played before the war represented key factors in the exodus. Which comes back to the question, what role did the Regular Army play during the war?
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The number of monuments and marker you can find in some of the National Battlefield Parks preserving American Civil War battlefields can simply numb you. Granite monuments form literal forests inside some National Battlefield Parks from the American Civil War. Each monument does have a story, even those not as fancy, expensive and artistic as others. If you want to see all of them, say in a day or so – a true monumental dash, you will need to put on your running shoes – boots, in some cases, depending on the weather.
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I knew before that a certain Captain George Pickett, a thirty-four-year-old veteran of the Mexican War and graduate of West Point – albeit, last in his class – served on San Juan Island in the Puget Sound just before the American Civil War. What I did not know, was one of his opposites in the whole Pig War ordeal in 1859 was an Anglo-Irish peer by the name of John De Courcy. Like Pickett, De Courcy would figure in the next war, as well. Pickett’s role would be bigger and better known, but De Courcy’s role was big enough for someone involved in command. And not even as a citizen of either side.
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Walking out onto a Civil War battlefield, one can become bogged down by maps and monuments – regimental, State, and others. Most of the major battlefields lie preserved within the National Park Service today, though there are a few important exceptions – Perryville, Resaca, Atlanta, Bentonville, are some of those not within the federal system. And how and why did the actions occur on those battlefields. Here, we dive a bit into the actual tactics used during the Civil War.
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Kennesaw Mountain saw the third time during the American Civil War in which William T. Sherman employed a direct assault upon entrenched Confederate positions. The attack failed as much as his previous two attempts. All through the Atlanta campaign, Sherman had gotten around the Confederate positions set out by Joseph E. Johnston through flanking maneuvers. Sherman wrote to Washington, “The whole country is one vast fort, and Johnston must have at least 50 miles (80 km) of connected trenches with abatis and finished batteries. We gain ground daily, fighting all the time. … Our lines are now in close contact and the fighting incessant, with a good deal of artillery. As fast as we gain one position the enemy has another all ready. … Kennesaw … is the key to the whole country.” For the key, Sherman decided to open it with a direct frontal assault.
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