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General Henry W. Halleck, commander of all western Union forces, ordered General Ulysses S. Grant to move down the Tennessee River, and ordered Don Carlos Buell to conjoin Grant. Grant and about 42,000 troops moved to Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, 30 miles north of Corinth. Johnston and Beauregard decided that they had to strike Grant before Buell got into position. They planned to destroy Grant's command with and army of 40,000. The Battle of Shiloh took place on April 6 and 7, 1862. On the first day Confederate troops almost demolished Grant, but he held his lines. Johnston was killed in the battle so Beauregard fought alone. The next day Buell came and supplied about 20,000 more troops. Grant forced the Southerners to retreat to Corinth. Many people told Lincoln to remove Grant after Shiloh, because of the heavy Union losses. But Lincoln said, "I can't spare this man -- he fights!"
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