Number of casualties at the Battle of Shiloh 1862

The Battle of Shiloh took place on April 6 and 7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee, during the American Civil War. The Union forces were led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant, while General A. S. Johnston and (later) General P. G. T. Beauregard commanded the Confederate armies. The battle began when Johnston launched a surprise attack against a Union encampment, driving them from the camp towards a sunken road that they used as their defensive line. The rebels continued to attack the Union line, but could not break down their defenses, and General Johnston was fatally wounded during the days' attacks. Command was taken over by General Beauregard late on the 6th, who decided to halt the attack overnight after seeing how drained the Confederate forces had become. This proved to be a grave mistake, however, as it allowed Union reinforcements from Ohio to arrive, and early on the 7th Grant launched his own surprise attack on the enemy, eventually overpowering and defeating them. Approximately 2,500 men died in the battle, and a further 21,000 were wounded, missing or captured, making it the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War at that time.