For my short source this week, I chose to read part of an essay on the battle of Shiloh (to keep with the 1862 theme in my recent multimedia post). This excerpt, "Part Four: The Most Decisive Battle in the War Between the States" by W. Keith Beason, gives many reasons why Shiloh should be considered as one of the most significant battles of the Civil War.
Beason gives reasons for the decisiveness of the battle at the very beginning of this essay. He claims that it was not only a strategic play for the Union army (gave them control of the Tennessee River and a key part of the state of Tennessee, soon including Memphis), but also a good learning experience for the troops, and Ulysses Grant. Beason shows how the understanding and confidence gained by Grant during Shiloh was carried on throughout other battles in the future, and in his decision making. Beason says, "Grant learned much in the school of hard knocks". It was experience he needed in order to get prepared for the position that he was soon awarded, head of command for the Union army. Beason goes on to describe the relationship between Grant and William Sherman forged during the east TN conquest, and also the relationship between Grant and the country. Many people began to question the plans of the Union after Shiloh because Grant had been "reckless" and had let so many people die. Beason continues to expound on the repercussions of the battle at Shiloh and describes the effect it had on several Confederate generals and their future endeavors. He ends this essay looking at the ways that the battle of Shiloh put certain paths out of the question, instead of just focusing on what happened after this battle. He lists a few things that became inconceivable because of the outcome of Shiloh. Beason ends his essay claiming that the repercussions of the battle led to changed attitudes, and in turn, "all the principle victories of the North in 1863 and 1864 were made possible".
I found this essay to be very insightful. Beason made a lot of good points that really made me think. His opening statements about what makes a victory decisive were very interesting, and a good new perspective. I really liked the way that Beason gave many reasons, both tangible (like the strategic gains and such) and conceptual (like experience gains), of why Shiloh meant so much. There was a plethora of facts in this essay, but also many assertions of why the facts came to be, which I found to be easy reading. The way that he reffered to events before Shiloh and after to be relevant to the outcome of the battle was also great. Beason gave many reasons for Shiloh to be seen as a big turning point in the Civil War, and they all made sense and seemed germane. This really made me see this battle as a very significant part of the changes that occurred in 1862. Shiloh might not have been the most magnificent battle, but it certainly had far-reaching outcomes.
Article: Beason, W. Keith. "Part Four: The Most Decisive Battle in the War Between the States". Understanding Shiloh. Angel Fire, 1999. Web. 7 Apr. 2010.
Lowery McNeal
excellent! 50/50
ReplyDelete