April 7th 1862

On this day, April 7, 1862, the Battle Of Shiloh concludes in the western reaches of Tennessee. The Civil War up to this point, had been a long and ultimately unavoidable conflict that took place from 1861 through 1865. The war seemed to do more harm than good for the country in itself. True the slavery debate and secession threats were over and done with but the issues of racism throughout the country still remained. The economy of the south collapsed as a result of the war but that is to be expected from the losing side of any war. On top of all of this the physical damage to the land itself meant that farmlands were unsuitable for growing any food for anyone and the whole country had to suffer for it. The loss of human life in the Civil War was unprecedented up until World War II and it still remains as one of the bloodiest conflicts in American history. The Battle Of Shiloh was one of the most influential battles of the south as the Confederacy controlled the railways at Corinth, which allowed for complete control of western Tennessee so this made it an important target for the Union. The battle lasted for two days and the Union troops, under the command of Ulysses S. Grant, lost about 13,407 men, while the Confederacy lost around 10,694. This battle showed both sides just how long the war would go on and how many lives would be forever lost or changed by the bloody conflict. The battle finally ended in a Union victory.

Back at this current time in history the Civil War had just started. The South kept on beating the North over and over again in various battles leading up to this one. The Union finally winning a battle, let alone one of this much importance, was a huge boost to Northern morale. But the costs of the battle were great, and the battle would be regarded as one of the bloodiest battles of the whole war up until the second battle at Bull Run. The Union and Confederacy had already fought a few times before, so the armies soldiers were used to the fighting by now. Nevertheless as we all know, war will change people, and the tired weariness of the soldiers must have contributed to the whole victory or loss depending on what side you’re on. As we all know, the Civil War would eventually end with a Union victory and the Confederacy re-integrating into the Union. The whole country would have to work together in the end to reconstruct the battered nation and bring forth their own age of prosperity later on, and the destruction of the Civil War lad the perfect foundation to do that with.

Today, the Civil War remains one of the most influential parts of American history as it marks a turning point for the nation in terms of both politics and attitudes towards things like war, slavery, racism, and political disagreements. The Civil War is often seen as one big event but it  is actually a series of small events such as this one that all build up to and lead to a certain conclusion, meaning that every small or large scale battle would ultimately affect the whole war in some way. Most people today don’t remember much about the battles of the Civil War, rather, they choose to just focus on the big outcomes, such as the assassination of Lincoln or the victory of the Union, but in reality, these small events are just as important as the others as each one helped mold and create one of the biggest chain of events in American history. Today, in the very same spot that this battle was fought, a national cemetery and monument is there to commemorate those who fell during the battle at Shiloh on both sides. The cemetery there actually contains some bodies of Civil War soldiers themselves who fought in the battle. This has sparked some controversy about whether the Confederate soldiers deserve the same burial treatment and memorial honors as the Union soldiers. Many people view them as nothing more than rebels with racist ideals who lost the war. Lots of people demand that the graves of the Confederate soldiers should be moved or gotten rid of. These people's views were skewed but they were still people nonetheless, and they should be ragarded as such. The respect of the dead applies to all people, even the enemies. The monument seeks to ensure that they will never be forgotten.