Ulysses S. Grant fought the Civil War.
The Battle of Shiloh , also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing , was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War , fought April 6 -- 7 , 1862 , in southwestern Tennessee . Ulysses S. Grant . In 1862 , Grant took control of Kentucky and most of Tennessee , and led Union forces to victory in the Battle of Shiloh , earning a reputation as an aggressive commander .