Meanwhile the Union army was gathering at Pittsburgh Landing, under the command of General Grant, and by April 5th numbered 40,000 men. Grant's plan was to attack the Confederates at Corinth, within a few days, and at this time was little expecting an immediate battle, and had left his army in command of his subordinate officers, and on the night of the 5th was some miles down the Tennessee from where his army was encamped. In the meantime Johnston was moving on the Federals at Pittsburgh Landing, and on the night of April 5th encamped within a mile of the Federal lines. At the break of day Sunday, April 6th, the Confederate battle-lines moved from the woods on the surrounding hills, and the greatest battle yet fought in the Western Hemisphere was at hand. General Grant was at breakfast when he heard the roar of the cannon, and made haste by boat to take charge of his army. General Hardee led the first Confederate attack against the outlying division of the Federals under General Benjamin Prentiss, of West Virginia. Very soon a Confederate attack was made all along the Federal line, led by Bragg, Polk and Breckinridge. A determined stand was made by the Federal division under General W. T. Sherman, but was finally pushed back after inflicting great slaughter to the Confederates. About two and a half miles from the Landing, in a grove of trees, stood a log church, known to the country people as Shiloh, at which they gathered on Sunday to worship, but on this particular Sunday the demon of war reigned supreme, and it goes without saying that the regular service on this fateful Sunday was dispensed with. About this church the battle raged furiously. Near the same was a dense undergrowth, which was held by General Prentiss until late in the afternoon of the 6th, when his entire division was surrounded and compelled to surrender, after repulsing the Confederate attack time after time with great slaughter. This spot has since been known as the "Hornet's Nest." It was near this place that General Albert Sidney Johnston received his death wound while leading his troops, and in his death the Confederates suffered irreparable loss. He was struck in the leg by a minie ball, and if surgical attention had been given him at once his life would have been saved. It is the belief of many that the death of Johnston changed the result at Shiloh. Beauregard succeeded to the command and continued the battle. The utter rout of Grant's army was saved only by the gunboats in the river. Beauregard gave orders to suspend operations until morning. [Illustration: GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE]