Timeline of the Battle of Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing)
The Beginning
March 1 - April 5: Grant transports his Army of west Tennessee (over 58,000 men) into southwest Tennessee Establishes it at Pittsburg Landing, and awaits Buell's army.
March 1: Johnston transports 55,000 Confederates to Corinith to defend the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.
April 3: Johnston advances toward Pittsburg Landing, Rain and bad roads delay his advance.
April 6: Johnston launches surprise attack on Federals.
April 6, 1862
4:55-6:30 am: Federal patrol discovers Confederates in Fraley Field. Federal Skirmish, then fall back.
6:30-9:00 am: Johnston maneuvers eight brigades to overrun Prentiss's camps, routing the Union division.
7:00-10:00 am: Sherman's division repulses Confederates, inflicting heavy casualties. Johnston sends five brigades to attack Sherman's left flank. Sherman falls back on McClernand's division.
10:00-11:30 am: Confederates assault Sherman and McClernand on the Hamburg - Purdey Road, driving back Union right flank.
8:00-9:30 am: Wallace's and Hurlbut's divisions march to the front.
9:00-10:30 am: Johnston, hearing that his right flank is threatened, orders Chalmers' and Jackson's brigades to assault Federal left, with Breckinridge in support.
11:00-Noon: Confederates make contact with Federals across Eastern Corinth Road. Federals repulse attacks.
11:00am-1:00pm: Chalmers and Jackson assault Stuart, but Confederate stalls. Federal left holds against all attacks.
Noon-2:30pm: Sherman and McClernand Counterattack Driving Confederates south, but weakened by losses, Federals with draw across Tilghman Branch.
Noon-3:30pm: Gibson's Confederates assault Federal center three times and are repulsed. Confederates come under murderous fire in impenetrable oak thicket.
1:00-4:00 pm: Johnston orders attack against Federal left, forcing them back. Johnston killed; succeeded by Beauregard. Hurlbut's division again stalls Confederates, but then retires toward Pittsburg landing.
- 3:00-5:30 pm: Sherman and McClernand prevent Confederates from crossing Tilghman Branch, but retire to defend Hamburg-Savannah road so that Wallace's division can come up.
- 7:00 pm: Wallace, with 5,800 men , moves to support Sherman at Shiloh Church.
- Night: Buell's troop file in on Union left. Crittenden deploys in center, with McCook in support.
- Night: Nelson ferried across river. Federal gunboats fire into captured Federal camps.
April 7, 1862
7:00-9:00 am: Wallace drives Confederates from Jones' field.
7:00-900 am: Grant and Buell advance. Skirmishing light as majority of Confederates retired south of Hamburg/Purdy road during night.
9:00-11:00 am: Nelson advances through Wicker's and Sarah Bell's fields, Crittenden advances in center, but stalled in "hornet's nest."
9:00-11:00 am: Breckinridge and Hardee counterattack Nelson's right flank and force Federal left back into Wicker's field.
9:00-11:00 am: McCook crosses Tilghman Branch and engages Breckinridge's left.
10:30-Noon: Sherman, McClernand and Hurlbut cross Tilghman Branch and join Wallace in fighting against Polk and Bragg on Confederate left.
10:30-Noon: Confederates flanked by Wallace and forced to retire to Hamburg/Purdy road.
Noon-2:00 pm: Reinforced, Nelson and Crittenden advance, forcing Beauregard's right flank to retreat south to Hamburg/Purdy road.
Noon-2:00 pm: McCook slams into Bragg at Water Oak Pond. Beauregard counterattack, halting McCook. With his left under pressure Beauregard is forced to retire.
2:00-4:00 pm: Breckinridge, supported by massed artillery south of Shiloh Branch ravine, checks Union advance and Confederates retire from field. Federals reclaim possession of the field and bivouac.
Source: "The Atlas of the Civil War" by James M. McPherson