On April 6, 1862, Confederate forces launched a surprise attack on Union troops near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, in what became the Battle of Shiloh. The fighting continued for two days and was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Civil War up to that point. Union troops under Ulysses S. Grant were initially pushed back but held on and received reinforcements. On the second day, they counterattacked and forced the Confederates to retreat. The battle resulted in tens of thousands of casualties on both sides. It shocked Americans and signaled that the war would be long and costly.
