Shelby Foote said it best "Bull Run showed the country that the war would be longer then anyone expected, but Shiloh sobered the nation up something awful to the realization that they had a very bloody affair on their hands"
I enjoyed Mr. Groom's presentation here. He made the battle come alive again, relating the events with a quiet dramatic flair that made his comments most compelling. I found myself rivetted to every upcoming statement.
Much of the blindness came from the top. Grant wrote in his memoirs about how surprised he was. He said that he was so focused on the offensive it never occurred to him that the enemy would come out of a strong defensive position to attack. He admitted to making that mistake here and at Donelson. Both times he regrouped his forces, got back on the offensive and won the battle.
@@doliver859 Well, sure but linking up with Buell was the plan from the start. He didn't let his army get overrun. He ran his commanders around the field and turned what could have been a blowout, with men piling into the river to get away from rampaging Confederates, into a grinding affair instead. The Confederates bled heavily for hours before reaching the hard defensive line he built at the river. They were blown. The reinforcements allowed him to push the Confederate army backwards the next day. But the chance to destroy Grant's army was lost to them before that. Just choosing something that happened and saying, "If not for this," doesnt change history. If not for Burnside marching his army into a slaughter like a psychopath at Fredericksburg, Lee wouldn't have had that "glorious victory." If you win, you win.
Except this was not the same. Grant was caught completely by surprise he had no idea when Buell would arrive. The victory here belongs to Buell not grant...he was out generaled by Johnston. Grant was competent but was clearly outmatched and bailed out here by Buell.
Grant was not a failure in civilian life. If you study closer this time in his life you will see other factors contributed to the failure of his farm and business. The word “Failure” to describe is to strong of a word. “Unsuccessful” may be a better. He put as much effort into his farm and business as he did on the battlefield.
A deep and I think correct analysis of the aftermath of the battle. Gen. Halleck was trying to undercut Grant and spread rumors to gain status - but he was not in the field of this battle. Lincoln saw through it all.
I had a 1st cousin 4 times removed killed at Shiloh 57th Ohio under Grant, his brother died of illness at Pittsburg landing about 5days later he was 20th Ohio.
A couple of other minor disagreements I'd have. First, the overemphasis on the importance of the Hornet's Nest relative to other areas of the battle on the first day. And second, the idea that one final Confederate attack would have broken Grant's last defensive line. Given the overall situation at that time, the odds are that such an attack would have failed, and failed badly. It was just as well they never tried it.
Oh yes, Winston Groom is so wonderfully qualified to teach us about the Civil War. Heaven forbid Geographic would give time instead to one of the many professors who have dedicated their lives to intensive study of the subject. Pop novelists are just far better informed. How else could we hear such insightful stories about Nathan Bedford Forrest Gump and all his zany adventures?
A good presentation by Winston Groom. Maybe the biggest of the small nitpicky points I might have would be the statement that how the Union army came to be surprised has never been satisfactorily explained. Maybe it depends on what one means by "satisfactorily," but I think the reason for the surprise is pretty clear. It can largely be attributed to overconfidence based on the deceptively easy success in Kentucky. It blinded many in Grant's army, but not all, to signs of the approaching danger.
the battle's highlight was The Hornet's nest, a Federal defense line made up of Gen Prentiss's division and units from Gen W.H.L.and Gen Hurlburt. The Hornets nest withstood a dozen confederate assaults,artillery fire giving Gen grant time to build a new defense line at Pittsburg landing before being surrounded and forced to surrender.
@movieklump The American people were exceptional up to about the early 1900s when they sold out. They might have been violent back then as well as now, but both sides in the civil war believed that they were fighting for freedom and fought hard for what they believed in. That's more than we can say for a lot of the rest of the world.
Why was the root cause the few cavalry for Grant before the battle? I think the Civil War lested 1 year shorter and with less dead people if Grant would have been 1 plus brigad cavalry troops!
I looked at more videos about Shiloh and I did not find any bigger cavalry at the Grant's first day taroops. It may be Buell brought cavalry with themselves, but the day before the battle only the Confederat troops had bigger cavalry!
Cavalry were only really useful as scouts or raiders. So i guess union calvary might have discovered the rebels before the attack began, but other than that wouldnt have made much difference
In all honesty, I think the man is jumping to conclusions. How exceptional can it really be if a people endorse ideas that lead to fathers, sons, brothers and families shooting each other to pieces on both sides of the line. A truly exceptional people would have thought twice about going to war, and tried to have made it work for both sides without what by the days standards was a demographic catastrophe
Why oh why did he have to ruin it at the end. Americans are no different to any one else. No more special for fighting for a cause. or a belief, I almost enjoyed it until then. The sacrifices that the humble trooper makes is something that the officers on "horseback" never truly understood. To criticise anyone for being a few miles away from the conflict is all relative. Now they can be hundreds, nay thousands of miles away from the front and order the troops to sacrifice their lives.
Or that being willing to die (and kill) for ideals is necessarily a good thing. The South was fighting for the idea that human beings could be property.
I have old photos on tin of my great uncles that rode with General Nathan Bedford Forest Confederate calvry an also have there calvry swords an also have an old tin photo of my great uncles standing on each side of General Forest . General Nathan Bedford Forest . A deadly Confederate calvry general. GIVE NO QUARTER . 💀💀👻👻👻 . AKIA 👻👻 BOO.
In New Orleans in about 1900 my great grandfather drove a movie out of New Orleans...he fought at Shiloh...swore it a Confederate victory...unfair movie dissed Confederates
The Confederates won the first day of the battle. The next day Grant was reinforced and drove the Confederates from the field and into a retreat, hence overall it was a Union victory.
@@markzimmerman7279 No, but the actions of Grant and others on the second day (April 7) turned it into a Union victory. God, all of these Confederate apologists. Own it, traitors: You lost.
Shelby Foote said it best "Bull Run showed the country that the war would be longer then anyone expected, but Shiloh sobered the nation up something awful to the realization that they had a very bloody affair on their hands"
I had a horse that told me about his great uncles that were badly injured during the Battle of Shilo, Thank you for sharing.
Groom was a great writer. His book on Shiloh is an outstanding read. I was sorry to hear of his death in 2020.
I enjoyed Mr. Groom's presentation here. He made the battle come alive again, relating the events with a quiet dramatic flair that made his comments most compelling. I found myself rivetted to every upcoming statement.
Wasn't Johnston's first name Albert? At 7:21, Groom calls him Andrew.
That was going to be my comment. Listened twice, he said Andrew. You are correct.
@James Richardson Johnston
Much of the blindness came from the top. Grant wrote in his memoirs about how surprised he was. He said that he was so focused on the offensive it never occurred to him that the enemy would come out of a strong defensive position to attack. He admitted to making that mistake here and at Donelson. Both times he regrouped his forces, got back on the offensive and won the battle.
More like got reinforced at the perfect time. Without Buell timley arrival we might not even know who Grant was.
@@doliver859 Well, sure but linking up with Buell was the plan from the start. He didn't let his army get overrun. He ran his commanders around the field and turned what could have been a blowout, with men piling into the river to get away from rampaging Confederates, into a grinding affair instead. The Confederates bled heavily for hours before reaching the hard defensive line he built at the river. They were blown. The reinforcements allowed him to push the Confederate army backwards the next day. But the chance to destroy Grant's army was lost to them before that.
Just choosing something that happened and saying, "If not for this," doesnt change history. If not for Burnside marching his army into a slaughter like a psychopath at Fredericksburg, Lee wouldn't have had that "glorious victory." If you win, you win.
Except this was not the same. Grant was caught completely by surprise he had no idea when Buell would arrive. The victory here belongs to Buell not grant...he was out generaled by Johnston. Grant was competent but was clearly outmatched and bailed out here by Buell.
Grant was not a failure in civilian life. If you study closer this time in his life you will see other factors contributed to the failure of his farm and business. The word “Failure” to describe is to strong of a word. “Unsuccessful” may be a better. He put as much effort into his farm and business as he did on the battlefield.
@James Richardson in his corrupt administration.
Me he kind of was a failure. Rushing to complete a memoir so your family isn't flat broke when you die is a tell tale sign.
A deep and I think correct analysis of the aftermath of the battle. Gen. Halleck was trying to undercut Grant and spread rumors to gain status - but he was not in the field of this battle. Lincoln saw through it all.
I had a Great Uncle who was severely wounded during the Battle of Shilo, Thank you for sharing.
I had a 1st cousin 4 times removed killed at Shiloh 57th Ohio under Grant, his brother died of illness at Pittsburg landing about 5days later he was 20th Ohio.
A couple of other minor disagreements I'd have. First, the overemphasis on the importance of the Hornet's Nest relative to other areas of the battle on the first day. And second, the idea that one final Confederate attack would have broken Grant's last defensive line. Given the overall situation at that time, the odds are that such an attack would have failed, and failed badly. It was just as well they never tried it.
This is actually so useful. This helped me out on my history so nicely. Thanks Nat Geo.
I end up going there almost every year. the battlefield is still rural which is pretty cool.
Winston Groom,
Be nice to hear more from him. NG, please consider.
Oh yes, Winston Groom is so wonderfully qualified to teach us about the Civil War. Heaven forbid Geographic would give time instead to one of the many professors who have dedicated their lives to intensive study of the subject. Pop novelists are just far better informed. How else could we hear such insightful stories about Nathan Bedford Forrest Gump and all his zany adventures?
A good presentation by Winston Groom. Maybe the biggest of the small nitpicky points I might have would be the statement that how the Union army came to be surprised has never been satisfactorily explained. Maybe it depends on what one means by "satisfactorily," but I think the reason for the surprise is pretty clear. It can largely be attributed to overconfidence based on the deceptively easy success in Kentucky. It blinded many in Grant's army, but not all, to signs of the approaching danger.
His book is marvelous!!!
20:19 "once again its demonstrates.."
160 years ago..
My great grandfather's eldest brother, Cpl. Horus Bailey of the 19th Ohio VI, was killed in action the second day.
the battle's highlight was The Hornet's nest, a Federal defense line made up of Gen Prentiss's division and units from Gen
W.H.L.and Gen Hurlburt. The Hornets nest withstood a dozen confederate assaults,artillery fire giving Gen grant time to
build a new defense line at Pittsburg landing before being surrounded and forced to surrender.
Thank you Mr. Lincoln.
For what getting more Americans killed than almost all others combined.
Grant grew up in Point Pleasant Ohio, until he went to West Point.
Isn't Grant from Ohio?
Who cares?
@movieklump The American people were exceptional up to about the early 1900s when they sold out. They might have been violent back then as well as now, but both sides in the civil war believed that they were fighting for freedom and fought hard for what they believed in. That's more than we can say for a lot of the rest of the world.
Why was the root cause the few cavalry for Grant before the battle? I think the Civil War lested 1 year shorter and with less dead people if Grant would have been 1 plus brigad cavalry troops!
I looked at more videos about Shiloh and I did not find any bigger cavalry at the Grant's first day taroops. It may be Buell brought cavalry with themselves, but the day before the battle only the Confederat troops had bigger cavalry!
Cavalry were only really useful as scouts or raiders. So i guess union calvary might have discovered the rebels before the attack began, but other than that wouldnt have made much difference
Battle of Shilo is what happens if you bring a grenade to a water fight
In all honesty, I think the man is jumping to conclusions. How exceptional can it really be if a people endorse ideas that lead to fathers, sons, brothers and families shooting each other to pieces on both sides of the line. A truly exceptional people would have thought twice about going to war, and tried to have made it work for both sides without what by the days standards was a demographic catastrophe
Why oh why did he have to ruin it at the end. Americans are no different to any one else. No more special for fighting for a cause. or a belief, I almost enjoyed it until then. The sacrifices that the humble trooper makes is something that the officers on "horseback" never truly understood. To criticise anyone for being a few miles away from the conflict is all relative. Now they can be hundreds, nay thousands of miles away from the front and order the troops to sacrifice their lives.
This is probably the most annoying thing about Americans like Mr Green. The idea they propound that somehow Americans are innately exceptional.
Or that being willing to die (and kill) for ideals is necessarily a good thing. The South was fighting for the idea that human beings could be property.
GCH Photography American exceptionalism is not just rife within American communities, keep that undeniable fact in mind.
Can't we hear from some legitimate Civil War historians? Come on, NG.
well, just more like this.. but not less lockup and animals because there are those who like them also.
I have old photos on tin of my great uncles that rode with General Nathan Bedford Forest Confederate calvry an also have there calvry swords an also have an old tin photo of my great uncles standing on each side of General Forest . General Nathan Bedford Forest . A deadly Confederate calvry general. GIVE NO QUARTER . 💀💀👻👻👻 . AKIA 👻👻 BOO.
In New Orleans in about 1900 my great grandfather drove a movie out of New Orleans...he fought at Shiloh...swore it a Confederate victory...unfair movie dissed Confederates
The Confederates won the first day of the battle. The next day Grant was reinforced and drove the Confederates from the field and into a retreat, hence overall it was a Union victory.
I missed the part where there fighting and killing each other over the slave trade these guys really don't like talking about that do thet
Jaile Alonso the war was about states rights not simply slavery...
The slave trade was stoped before the civil war
Congrats on most ignorant comment on this video.
My great grandpa drove a movie theatre to cancel a Shiloh movie which wrongly portrayed Shiloh as a Union battle victory
It was a Union victory.
@@davidbowman4259 were you there ?
@@markzimmerman7279 No, but the actions of Grant and others on the second day (April 7) turned it into a Union victory. God, all of these Confederate apologists. Own it, traitors: You lost.
@@davidbowman4259 the northern papers were claiming everything was a union victory.
alien
Bet Grant the butcher was drunk as usual at Shiloh
No he wasn't.
Dope
I can't believe Winston groom mispronounced Albert Sidney Johnstone name but got p.g.t.beauregards correct!