Timeline for the 7th Illinois Infantry at the Battle of Shiloh Part I (American Civil War)

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Shiloh, Hardin, Tennessee, United States
Year range
1862 - 1862

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Article Description

This article presents a timeline for the 7th Illinois Infantry during the Battle of Shiloh, as well as a few days' entries leading up to the battle and in the aftermath. Divided into two sections, Part I of the article includes Order of Command; Battle Preparation and Context; and, Casualties. Timeline entries in the Battle Preparation and Context section date from 2l February to 5 April 1862.

Part II of the article includes the Battle Timeline; Battle Analysis; and, Resources; with timeline entries dated 6 to 8 April, 1862. Several sources are compiled in this first version. Eventually, descriptions from other sources will also be integrated, ultimately correlating multiple perspectives and types of records.

When adding other sources in the future, I will continue searching for discrepancies, and attempt to reconcile those while also including the differing accounts in my text. Also, I hope others will contribute their knowledge. Presently, some entries do not include a time of day. As data from other sources is collected, hopefully at least approximate times can be added to these entries, and they can then be located in the correct sequence.

Order of Command

(From multiple sources, including Force, McPherson, and civilwarhome.com)

Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Major General U.S. Grant. (Total of 6 divisions.)

  • Second Division, first commanded by Brigadier General W.H.L. Wallace, until he was wounded (eventually fatal) Sunday, 6 April at about 5:00 pm. Next commanded by Colonel James M. Tuttle, from about 5:00 pm Sunday.
  • Third Brigade. commanded first by Colonel T.W. Sweeney, 52nd Illinois, until his wounding in the afternoon of 6 April. Next commanded by Colonel S.D. Baldwin.
  • 8th Iowa
  • 7th Illinois
  • 50th Illinois
  • 52nd Illinois
  • 57th Illinois
  • 58th Illinois
  • Not Brigaded
  • 2d U.S. Cavalry, Company C
  • 4th U. S. Cavalry, Company I
  • 2d Illinois Cavalry, Companies A and B
  • 1st Illinois Light Artillery, Battery A
  • 1st Missouri Light Artillery, Battery D
  • 1st Battery Light Artillery, Battery H
  • 1st Missouri Light Artillery, Battery K

Battle Preparation and Context

21 February 1862 Friday

  • [The 7th Illinois] "... left Fort Donelson for Clarksville, Tenn., Major Rowett commanding, Lieutenant Colonel Babcock absent, sick, and Colonel Cook commanding Brigade." Official Regimental History

1 March Saturday to 5 April Saturday

  • "Grant transports his Army of west Tennessee (over 58,000 men) into southwest Tennessee. Establishes it at Pittsburg Landing, and awaits Buell's army." Mc Pherson
1 March Saturday
  • "Johnston transports 55,000 Confederates to Corinith to defend the Memphis and Charleston Railroad." Mc Pherson
22 March Saturday
  • [The 7th Illinois] "Ordered to Nashville, and afterwards to Pittsburg Landing, where it arrived March 22, 1862." Official Regimental History
  • "In the later days of March Pittsburg Landing was a busy place. Regiments and brigades were daily arriving. Many of the troops were newly enlisted, undrilled, in some cases un-uniformed and unarmed and in others with old muskets of the pattern of by-gone days." p. 9 Waterloo, Report of Shiloh Battlefield Commission

Unknown date, possibly late March or early April

  • "Morale remained high—too high. 'I think the rebellion is getting nearly played out, and I expect we will be home soon' concluded one Federal. A steady trickle of Rebel deserters came into camp, all telling stories of a demoralized Southern army." The Federal Advance, National Park Civil War Series
April 3 Thursday
  • "Johnston advances toward Pittsburg Landing, Rain and bad roads delay his advance." Mc Pherson
  • "These troops, particularly the advance division under Sherman, were mostly fresh from the recruiting camps, and wholly unpracticed, even in the simplest company maneuvres. Many of the regiments were not supplied with arms until their departure up the Tennessee. This was the case with my own regiment. With such disadvantages we went into the great battle of Sunday." De Hass
4 April Friday
  • "... a [CSA] cavalry dash on Buckland's picket-line swooped off a [Union] lieutenant and seven men." p. 117 Force
  • "General Grant being advised... by L. Wallace, of the assembling of the force in his front, directed W.H.L. Wallace to hold his division in readiness to move to the support of L. Wallace immediately in case he should be threatened..." p. 119 Force
  • The positions of W.H.L. Wallace and Sherman controlled bridges across Owl Creek, and the roads between the camps at Pittsburg Landing and L. Wallace's position. p. 119 Force

5 April Saturday

  • [The 7th Illinois] "Nothing of note has occurred to relieve the monotony of camp life." p. 47 Ambrose
  • [The 7th Illinois] "There is now a large army concentrated here. Far away on the hills and in the ravines the tents and the soldiers are seen." p. 47 Ambrose
  • [The 7th Illinois] "Up to this time we have had considerable rain. The roads and by-ways into the camps are cut up terribly. It is with difficulty that the Seventh keeps above mud and water." p. 47 Ambrose
  • [The 7th Illinois] "Vague rumors are afloat this evening to the effect that Albert Sidney Johnson is moving towards the Tennessee with his entire command; however, not much credit is attached to it." p. 47 Ambrose
  • "Several sizable detachments of Confederates were spotted..." The Confederate Advance, National Park Civil War Series
  • "...Sherman wrote to Grant: 'All is quiet along my lines now...'" p. 119 Force
  • "Grant telegraphed to Halleck..., 'I have scarcely the faintest idea of an attack (general one) being made upon us, but will be prepared should such a thing take place.' Grant's preparedness proved to be overstated." Shiloh, Wikipedia
  • "No earthworks had been constructed, and only a light picket line extended forward of the camp." The Confederate Advance, National Park Civil War Series
  • "That night young George Jones of Stanford's Mississippi Battery jotted in his diary: 'I have the shakes badly. Well, I am not alone—in fact, we all look like shaking Quakers. Scared? Oh, no; only an old fashioned rigor...' Years later a Louisiana soldier recalled that he shivered that night (no fires were allowed) as he listened to a Yankee band in the distance play 'Home Sweet Home.'" The Confederate Advance, National Park Civil War Series
  • "'In the struggle tomorrow we shall be fighting men of our own blood, Western men, who understand the use of firearms. The struggle will be a desperate one.' P.G.T. Beauregard" [CSA] Shiloh, Wikipedia.

Casualties

  • [The 7th Illinois] "Total killed, 14; total wounded, 43; sum total of casualities, 57." p. 59 Ambrose
  • [The 7th Illinois] "In this battle the regiment lost, in killed, 2 commissioned officers and 15 men; wounded 79. Lieutenant Colonel Rowett was among the latter." Official Regimental History

Continue to Timeline for the 7th Illinois Infantry at the Battle of Shiloh Part II, (American Civil War) [1]

Continue to Timeline for the 7th Illinois Infantry at the Battle of Shiloh Part III (American Civil War) [2]

Related Articles

Other articles on We Relate regarding the 7th Illinois Infantry include:

  • Official Regimental History of the 7th Illinois Infantry (American Civil War) [3]
  • 7th Illinois Infantry (American Civil War) [4]
  • Timeline for the 7th Illinois Infantry in the Campaigns Against Forts Henry and Donelson (American Civil War) [5]

Each of these articles includes separate lists of resources, with some repetition from those cited here, as well as additional sources.