"One of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War, the two-day engagement near Shiloh, Tennessee, in April 1862 left more than 23,000 casualties. Alongside seasoned veterans fought more than 160 newly recruited regiments and other soldiers who had yet to encounter serious action. In the phrase of the time, these men came to Shiloh to "see the elephant."" "Drawing on the letters, diaries, and other reminiscences of these raw recruits on both sides of the conflict, "Seeing the Elephant" gives a vivid and valuable primary account of both the moment-to-moment progress of the battle itself and the psychological effects of the terrible struggle of April 6 and 7, 1862, in which more men were killed than in any previous engagement of the war. In these pages the Shiloh combatants share their first experiences of war and their reactions to its grim realities, while also describing the ebb and flow of battle, as first one side then the other took the upper hand."--BOOK JACKET.

Originally published: New York : Greenwood Press, 1989, in series: Contributions in military studies ; no. 88.

Historical Prologue: The Shiloh Campaign -- 1. Mobilization -- 2. "The Tented Field" -- 3. Campaigning -- 4. "Seeing the Elephant" -- 5. Tactical Reappraisals -- 6. Strategic and Political Assessment.