The Battle of Shiloh: a Confederate Attack & Union Defense The Battle of Shiloh, fought on April 6–7, 1862, in Tennessee, was a significant early engagement of the American Civil War. The Confederate forces, under Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard, launched a surprise attack on Union troops commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant. The Confederates aimed to break the Union's control of western Tennessee and achieve a decisive victory. On the first day, the Confederates initially