Map of Shiloh Battlefield Positions on Second Day April 7, 1862

Mapping the Battle of Shiloh just a few years after the National Military Park was established.

This detailed battle plan shows the dispersal of Union and Confederate troops on the banks of the Tennessee River during the second day of the Battle of Shiloh. The sheet is oriented with west at the top and Pittsburg Landing, the site of the Union encampment and alternative name of the engagement, can be seen in the foreground. It was here that reinforcements were disembarked on the evening of April 6, 1862, allowing the Union forces under U.S. Grant to counterattack and capture the field the following day.

Concentric circles radiate from the camp in half-mile increments. The positions of individual units, encampments, and headquarters are noted according to the legend below the title block. Topography is depicted with simple hachure and transportation routes and geographic features are also shown.

The battle lines were located by historian Major D.W. Reed while the map was surveyed by Atwell Thompson. Published in 1900 by the Shiloh National Military Park Commission, established six years prior.