FIND A PARK

BY LOCATION:

BY CATEGORY:

BY THEME:

BROWSE ALPHABETICALLY:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Shiloh National Military Park

, Mississippi and Tennessee

NPCA REGION: Southeast Regional Office

Acreage: 5,059.56

Category: National Military Park

Date Established: 12/27/1894

More Info: http://www.nps.gov/shil

Shiloh National Military Site is a stark reminder of the terrible cost of war.

A total of 23,746 men were wounded, captured, or killed during the two-day battle of Shiloh—more than were lost during the Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, and the Mexican-American war combined.

At the time, it was the worst battle in U.S. history. Yet eight costlier battles were yet to come in the Civil War.

Many of the most notable military minds of the Civil War fired their guns at Shiloh. The Union army fought under Ulysses S. Grant, William Sherman, and Don Carlos Buell. The Confederate troops were led by Albert Sidney Johnson, who died at Shiloh, and by General P. G. T. Beauregard, and Leonidas Polk.

Shiloh National Military Park encompasses the 4,200-acre battlefield in Tennessee, as well as 21 acres surrounding a railroad junction in Corinth, Mississippi, site of a later siege. The original log-built Shiloh Church was destroyed not long after the battle, but you can see a replica built in 2003.

A 9.5 mile driving tour of the battlefields stops at 14 key sites. An accompanying audio narrative is available for purchase. You can also watch films about the conflicts and explore exhibits about the implements of war.

The site also includes a U.S. National Cemetery and the Shiloh Indian Mounds National Monument.

If You Go

A living history reenactment is held every year on the anniversary of the battle of Shiloh. Other living history events happen throughout the year.

Threats

According to an assessment by the Center for State of the Parks, the civil war parks of Tennessee face several common challenges. Primary among them are funding shortfalls that limit the Park Service's ability to preserve historic sites and tell the stories of our American heritage.

Also of critical concern at all four parks covered in the report is adjacent development that mars historical and scenic views that are essential to bring the story to life and providing visitors with a memorable experience. Read more about the threats faced by these parks in NPCA's report Tennessee's Civil War National Parks.

Visitor Feedback

Share your park story today. Post your park experiences, recommendations, or tips here.*

Comments

Thank you for providing all the young people with all this factual information. I think it will help them better understand our history and howw it was lived.

Submitted by Delilah at: January 28, 2010

thank u for all the excellent info! it really helped me a ton!

Submitted by lizzy at: January 28, 2010

Many area Boy Scouts were exposed to Shiloh via the system of hiking trails established by a Memphis troop around 1960. The hiking program (open to non-Scout programs) still operates and information is available online - www.shilohmilitarytrails.org

Submitted by Murray Eagle at: July 31, 2009

I was at Shiloh many years ago as on a student field trip from junior high school. That is a day solidly etched in my memory as a day of learning, and awe at this part of our (and my very close cultural) history. Keeping the forests and fields as they were is an integral part of the re-experience of this important battle for, not just the land, but the area water ways that were extremely important to the war effort of both the South and the North.

Submitted by jules0911 at: June 12, 2009

I went to the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park many year ago. It gave the basic information that I needed to discover more about the battles on my own. The park is just too big for a couple of days, and the preservation of the woods shows how difficult it was for the commanders to follow the course of the battle.

Submitted by Admiral Retired at: June 11, 2009