BAT TLE OF SHILOH
Up to 20,000 soldiers were wounded in this key early engagement of the conflict. The battle was fought in a muddy field in Tennessee after a period of heavy rain had soaked the battlefield. The Confederate infantry launched a surprise attack on a camp, emerging undetected from dense forest. The aim of the Confederacy was to defeat the small Union forces before reinforcements arrived. Fierce fighting continued as night fell and field hospitals began to fill rapidly. The Confederate assault stalled and the conflict only lasted over a day as the Union forces, boosted by reinforcements, successfully reoccupied their camp and drove the Confederates back.