Shiloh Chapter Summaries The novel "Shiloh" by Shelby Foote is a fictional recreation of the bloody battle. The story begins with Confederate Army soldiers heading towards Pittsburg Landing. The men march in terrible conditions. It's raining cats and dogs and they drag their tired legs through the mud. The troops stop so the commanders can speak with General Johnston. General Johnston says the only way to have a chance is to plan a surprise attack. As the sergeants hand the men their weapons, they are told to check their powder in case it gets wet in the rain. A group of soldiers tests their weapons on a deer running nearby. At the same time the shots were fired, the sun came out and the soldiers began to shout and cheer. These combined noises were more than enough to alert the Union soldiers to the Confederate advance. Palmer remembers what his life was like before he went to war. He attended the Louisiana State Military Academy when the Confederacy seceded from the Union. One of his professors predicted that the South would have no chance of winning the war. That night Palmer dreams of holding Sherman at gunpoint and making him admit that he was wrong. Before battle, commanders create a battle plan. Palmer is given a part in this trial. When the plan fails, Palmer discovers that planning a battle is harder than it seems because commanders in the field face challenges that don't exist on paper. The story then shifts to the Union's side. The second chapter opens with Captain Walter Fountain writing a letter to his wife. It's about a dog named Bango who was shocked when he witnessed the death of his companion. Walter then talks about General Ulysses Grant. He tells... in the middle of the page... At first he thinks they are out of breath but then he realizes that they are injured or even dead. Luther avoids men on the ground, even if it is someone he knows because for some reason he thinks that death can somehow be contagious. A final example of the inhumanity of war is when Forrest breaks through Union lines at the Battle of Fallen Timber. Forrest grabs a Union soldier and uses his body as a shield. I would recommend this book to a friend because the reader is able to understand different aspects of the war. This novel is written in a straightforward style, which makes it easy for the reader to follow. I'm thinking of including something about how war causes mental disorders in soldiers in my thesis. I would like to write about the mental health of our troops for my research paper. I intend to focus on psychological disorders and mental illnesses.