AMTG Virtual Civil War Geocoin #4 Shiloh GC

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Mid size coin with heft. The Civil War series consists of 10 designs. The most common metal color is dull silver. There are some high gloss gold coins available but they are few and far between. The fronts of the coins all have super 3-D work depicting the coin theme. The reverse is standard for the whole series. It shows the two flags, a cannon and an eagle. The enamel work is delicate and just the right amount. The unbelievable 3-D metal work continues the theme. The spokes in the wheels of the cannon and the swag from the flag poles show attention to detail. The background metal on the reverse is brushed and the rim says “Civil War Series 1861-1865”. Excellent coin and excellent series. ------ Info about the coin: The Battle of Shiloh was a major battle in the American Civil War, fought April 6–7,1862, in Tennessee. Confederate forces under Johnston and Beauregard launched an attack against the Union Army of Grant. The Confederates achieved good success on the first day but were ultimately defeated on the second day. Reinforcements arrived in the evening and turned the tide the next morning, when a counterattack was launched. The Confederates were forced to retreat from the bloodiest battle in United States history up to that time. A central point was a small log church named Shiloh which means “place of peace" in Hebrew.
On the eve of battle, the armies were of comparable size, but the Confederates were poorly armed with antique weapons, including shotguns, older smoothbore muskets, and even pikes. They approached the battle with little combat experience. Grant's army included 32 out of 62 infantry regiments who had combat experience. Beauregard, urged Johnston not to attack Grant. He was concerned about the sounds of marching,the Confederate soldier’s test-firing their rifles after the rain had cost them the element of surprise. Johnston refused. Despite Beauregard's well founded concern, the Union forces did not hear the sounds of the marching army's approach and remained unaware of the enemy camped 3 miles away. At 6:00 a.m. on April 6, Johnston's army was deployed for battle. The army had spent the entire night bivouacking to just two miles away from the Union camps. Their approach and dawn assault achieved strategic and tactical surprise. The assault was ferocious, and some of the inexperienced Union soldiers fled for safety. Others fought well but were forced to withdraw. Many regiments fragmented entirely. Sherman, who had been so negligent in preparation for the battle appeared everywhere along his lines, inspiring his raw recruits to resist the initial assaults despite staggering losses on both sides. He received two minor wounds and had three horses shot out from under him.
General Grant was about ten miles downriver. On April 4, he had been injured when his horse fell and pinned him underneath. He was convalescing and unable to move without crutches. He heard the sound of artillery fire and raced to the battlefield, arriving about 8:30 a.m. He worked frantically to bring up reinforcements that were nearby.
The evening of April 6 was a dispiriting end to the first day of one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. history. The desperate screams of soldiers dying on the fields between the armies could be heard in the Union and Confederate camps throughout the night. A thunderstorm passed through the area and rhythmic shelling from the Union gunboats made the night a miserable experience for both sides.
Beauregard sent a telegram to President Davis announcing "A COMPLETE VICTORY" and later admitted, "I thought I had General Grant just where I wanted him and could finish him up in the morning." Many of his men were jubilant, having overrun the Union camps and taken thousands of prisoners and tons of supplies. But Grant was optimistic; re-enforcements of over 15,000 men began to arrive. On April 7, the combined Union armies numbered 45,000 men. The Confederates had suffered as many as 8,500 casualties the first day and reported no more than 20,000 effectives. Beauregard, unaware that he was now outnumbered, planned to continue the attack. To his surprise, Union forces started moving forward in a massive counterattack at dawn. Realizing that he had lost the initiative and that he was low on ammunition and food and with over 10,000 of his men killed, wounded, or missing, Beauregard knew he could go no further. He withdrew. The battle was over.
The two-day battle of Shiloh, the costliest in U.S. history up to that time, resulted in the defeat of the Confederate army and frustration of Johnston's plans to prevent the joining of the two Union armies in Tennessee. Union casualties were 13,047. Confederate casualties were 10,699. This total of 23,746 men exceeded the American battle-related casualties of the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War combined. -- If you do not approve of virtuals, please leave it in the cache for a cacher who understands. Thanks. IL