Editing Battle of Shiloh (section)

==Battle, April 7==
Between midnight and 4:00{{nbsp}}am, Brigadier General Alexander M. McCook's division from Buell's Army of the Ohio arrived in Savannah. The first unit from this division to arrive at Pittsburg Landing came ashore around 4:00{{nbsp}}am.<ref name="Cunningham340-341">{{harvnb|Cunningham|2009|pp=340–341}}</ref> Elsewhere, the Confederate 47th Tennessee Infantry Regiment was marching to the battlefield. This poorly-armed regiment of 600 raw recruits was the only reinforcement Beauregard received, and it did not arrive until 8:00{{nbsp}}am.<ref name="Daniel264">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|p=264}}</ref> After deducting casualties and those who had abandoned their posts, Beauregard's Confederate army now numbered fewer than 20,000 fighters.<ref name="Daniel278">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|p=278}}</ref>

===Union counterattacks begin===
[[File:Shiloh Battle April 7.png|thumb|upright=1.25|General overview of April 7|alt=map showing Union armies driving Confederate army south and off the battlefield]]
On the east side of the Union line, Buell's attack began at 5:00{{nbsp}}am with Nelson's three brigades. A few hours later, Nelson was joined on his right by Crittenden.<ref name="Gudmens121">{{harvnb|Gudmens|Combat Studies Institute (U.S.), Staff Ride Team|2005|p=121}}</ref> The two divisions advanced, dispersed enemy skirmishers, and were gradually joined on Crittenden's right by brigades from McCook's division.<ref name="Daniel267-268">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|pp=267–268}}</ref> McCook did not have all three of his brigades available until close to noon.<ref name="Cunningham357">{{harvnb|Cunningham|2009|p=357}}</ref> On the Confederate side, Hardee commanded the right that faced Nelson, with the division commanded by Brigadier General [[Jones M. Withers]] as his most organized force. The skirmishers that Nelson had chased off earlier were Colonel [[Nathan Bedford Forrest]]'s cavalry regiment and small portions of Chalmers's Brigade from Withers' division. Behind the skirmishers were Chalmers's Brigade and a makeshift brigade of three regiments. A mix of regiments formed the line further west, and several batteries gave artillery support.<ref name="Daniel269">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|p=269}}</ref>

At the Davis Wheat Field, a small field between Barnes Field and the Peach Orchard, the brigade commanded by Colonel [[William Babcock Hazen|William B. Hazen]], took more than half of the losses Nelson's division received for the whole day.<ref name="Daniel272">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|p=272}}</ref> More fighting took place near Sara Bell Field, and after three hours of fighting it became stalemated.<ref name="Daniel274-275">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|pp=274–275}}</ref> Both sides withdrew around noon, putting Nelson back at Wicker Field.<ref name="Gudmens122">{{harvnb|Gudmens|Combat Studies Institute (U.S.), Staff Ride Team|2005|p=122}}</ref> During this fighting, Hardee was slightly wounded, although he led a counterattack.<ref name="Daniel272"/> West of Nelson, Crittenden and McCook advanced before being forced back to Duncan field.<ref name="Gudmens122"/> At noon, Buell's army had control of the Hornet's Nest.<ref name="Shaara17">{{harvnb|Shaara|2006|p=17}}</ref>

Grant's attack began with Lew Wallace's fresh division driving Pond's exhausted brigade away from Jones Field. After a Confederate counterattack by Gibson and Wood, Sherman brought his division to the line and the Confederates were pushed back. McClernand and Hurlbut joined the fight, and all four Union divisions advanced at 10:30{{nbsp}}am.<ref name="Gudmens126">{{harvnb|Gudmens|Combat Studies Institute (U.S.), Staff Ride Team|2005|p=126}}</ref> At that time, Cleburne's brigade of 800 men took significant casualties when they unsuccessfully assaulted the Union force.<ref name="Daniel281-283">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|pp=281–283}}</ref>

===Afternoon fighting===
[[File:BattleOfShilohEndOfSecondDay.png|thumb|upright=1.25|Positions at the end of the second day|alt=map showing Union armies driving Confederate army south and off the battlefield]]
Buell attacked again shortly after noon. In about two hours, Nelson and Crittenden reached the Hamburg-Purdy Road. Further west, McCook advanced westward on the Corinth-Pittsburg Landing Road, which caused a gap with Crittenden. The gap was filled by brigades from Grant's army that had been held in reserve. The Confederate army had held off Buell's fresh troops for a total of six hours, but their resistance was close to ending.<ref name="Gudmens122"/>

On Grant's side of the battlefield, Sherman and McClernand were stopped at noon when Cheatham's Confederate division attacked east of the crossroads and north of Water Oaks Pond. The two Union divisions were driven north about {{convert|300|yd}}.<ref name="Daniel283">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|p=283}}</ref> Despite light opposition at his front, Lew Wallace put his division in a defensive position, and did not resume the offensive until Sherman and McClernand had pushed back Cheatham's attackers.<ref name="Daniel285">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|p=285}}</ref> Bragg formed another line by Water Oaks Pond, and a two–hour fight ensued with Beauregard personally leading various Confederate units.<ref name="Gudmens126"/>

McCook's westward advance (instead of south), which began at 1:30{{nbsp}}pm, meant that Bragg had Lew Wallace, Sherman, and McClernand on his front—and McCook on his right flank. After Bragg fell back south of the Hamburg-Purdy Road, Beauregard counterattacked using a force that was mostly Wood's brigade. Near Water Oaks Pond, this force pushed McCook back until McCook regrouped and repelled the attackers. Soon Beauregard and Bragg were forced back, and Union troops crossed the Hamburg-Purdy Road at 2:30{{nbsp}}pm.<ref name="Gudmens126-127">{{harvnb|Gudmens|Combat Studies Institute (U.S.), Staff Ride Team|2005|pp=126–127}}</ref>

===Beauregard withdraws===
All morning, Beauregard hoped that the arrival of 20,000 men under the command of Brigadier General [[Earl Van Dorn]] would change the battle momentum back to favoring the Confederates. He was eventually notified that Van Dorn was still far away, so preparations for a withdrawal to Corinth began about 1:00{{nbsp}}pm.<ref name="Cunningham365">{{harvnb|Cunningham|2009|p=365}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|One historian argues that Beauregard already knew Van Dorn was too far away, since he had been communicating with Memphis by telegraph.<ref name="Daniel301">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|p=301}}</ref>|group=Note}} At about 2:00{{nbsp}}pm, Breckinridge began forming his corps into a rear guard position near Shiloh Church. Confederate batteries around Shiloh Church began a bombardment campaign to deceive the Union soldiers into thinking the Confederate army was still present. Around 3:30{{nbsp}}pm, the last of the Confederate artillery was hauled away toward Corinth.<ref name="Cunningham367-368">{{harvnb|Cunningham|2009|pp=367–368}}</ref>

Grant and Buell did not pursue the Confederate army, and have been criticized for their decisions. One historian called this the "final Federal Blunder", and believed that Lew Wallace's fresh division should have been sent in pursuit.<ref name="Daniel294">{{harvnb|Daniel|1997|p=294}}</ref> It started to rain at 6:30{{nbsp}}pm, and the rain turned to hail as the temperature dropped.<ref name="Cunningham370">{{harvnb|Cunningham|2009|p=370}}</ref> The battle was over with a huge number of casualties on both sides.<ref name="Daniel294"/>