Shiloh National Military Park was home to of the first major battle in the Western theater of the Civil War. It was fought on April 6th and 7th in 1862, involving over 100,000 Union and Confederate troops. About one fourth of these soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing in action. Shiloh Park was established in 1894, as a 4,000 acre preservation of that sacred battlefield.

A couple of months ago, I went to work for about a week at Shiloh Park, restoring the sidewalks in the national cemetery. They had already fixed most of the sidewalks, which wind through the entire cemetery, before I started. I only worked for the last week of the job. It was a slow process, but had to be done right to preserve the park for future generations.

Every day during my lunch break, we would drive around the park looking at all the monuments and attractions they had for visitors. The cemetery itself was gigantic, and thousands of Americans who had died in the Battle of Shiloh are buried beneath that hallowed ground. Visitors are not allowed to take refreshments into the cemetery, nor are they permitted to bring their pets into the cemetery. You may have them on the park grounds, just not in the cemetery itself.

There was also the Peach Orchard, where confederate troops pushed the Union forces back to the river. If they had continued their assault, they would have wiped out the Union forces at Shiloh. Instead, they held off until morning, but by then the Union forces had gathered together at Pittsburg Landing, reinforced by soldiers ferried across the Tennessee River.

Then there is the Bloody Pond where wounded soldiers (both Union and Confederate, sometimes simultaneously) came to cleanse their wounds, or take their last drink before passing from this world and into the next. It is called the Bloody Pond, because the water had turned blood red from all the wounded and dying soldiers that littered its banks. It is truly something you have to see to appreciate.

There is a $2/person fee (or $4/family) to gain entry to the park, and it is good for seven days from the time of purchase. Commercial permits are available for a $25 - $100 one-time fee. It is really not expensive, and worth every penny. School groups are admitted free, but must submit an application for a waiver at least one month in advance. If you plan to visit more than once in a year, you can obtain an annual pass for $10.

The park is open from 8am until dusk, 364 days a year (closed only on December 25th), with it's peak between April and September. There is a picnic area for visitors to stop and eat lunch at. The visitor center is wheelchair accessible, with handicapped parking available.

When you first arrive at the park, there are many museum exhibits to look at and an orientation film to view. Then there is a ten mile tour, self-guided, with 14 exhibits to stop and admire along the way. These include the cemetery, The Hornet's Nest, The Peach Orchard, The Bloody Pond, Pittsburg Landing, and many more interesting sites. You can take this tour by foot, bike, or automobile, depending on your preference.

Periodically, they offer "Living History Events" to their visitors. I went to one on April 7th, 2001. They have actual demonstrations of crude hospitals, which are little more than tents with insufficient medical supplies to treat the vast number of wounded soldiers. Then you can see the demonstration of artillery cannons, which they fire off one at a time, in batteries, etc. The infantry do a demonstration of their tactics for advancing and retreating, and the cavalry join in with the infantry to show how an actual battle would have taken place. Each demonstration should last approximately 25 minutes.



Recommended: Yes

Best time to go: Anytime
Recommended for: Anybody