Visitor Center

The visitor center at Shiloh is a stylish antebellum-type structure that sits adjacent to the National Cemetery a short distance from the old Pittsburg Landing site. Somehow I expected a larger center but I none-the-less found it adequately introduced the battlefield I was about to tour...

Visitor Center

The visitor center at Shiloh is a stylish antebellum-type structure that sits adjacent to the National Cemetery a short distance from the old Pittsburg Landing site. Somehow I expected a larger center but I none-the-less found it adequately introduced the battlefield I was about to tour...

U.S. Army of the Tennessee - Major General Ulysses S. Grant, Commanding

Present for Duty, April 5th: 39,830
Killed: 1,513
Wounded: 6,601
Missing: 2,830
Total Casualties: 10,944

C.S.A. Army of the Tennessee - General Albert Sidney Johnson, Commanding

Present for Duty, April 5th: 43,968
Killed: 1,728
Wounded: 8,012
Missing: 959
Total Casualties: 10,699

U.S. Army of the Ohio - Major General Don Carlos Buell, Commanding

Present for Duty, April 5th: 17,918
Killed: 241
Wounded: 1,807
Missing: 55
Total Casualties: 2,103

Visitor Center

Inside the center are many of the type of displays you'd expect to find at a battlefield. Though not as expansive as some other sites I've visited it did an good job of presenting the displays without overwhelming you with information...

Visitor Center

A collection of battlefield 'souvenirs' including belt buckles, buttons, knives, and bullets...

Visitor Center

A canteen on display, riddled with bullet holes, tells of the ferocity of the fighting here. It also gives one pause when you consider what must have happened to the soldier unlucky enough to be wearing it...

Visitor Center

This is possibly the most important tablet in the whole park. It explains the system that was used to label the sites throughout the park. With a quick glance visitors can quickly tell what army the display concerns as well as the day of battle the events at each location took place...

Shiloh National Military Park Map

Major General Ulysses S. Grant - Headquarters

Arriving a bit late to the fight, Grant set up his headquarters near Pittsburg Landing in the late morning on April 6th after the battle had been raging for a number of hours. The site now sits within the grounds of the National Cemetery. The tablet reads: General Grant in his memoirs says:-"During the night rain fell in torrents and our troops were exposed without shelter. I made my headquarters under a tree a few hundred yards back from the river bank." The large oak tree referred to, standing where this marker now stands, was destroyed by cyclone October 14, 1909.

Brigadier General Stephen A. Hurlbut - Headquarters for the 4th Division, U.S. Army of the Tennessee

Located to the left side of the Union encampment, Hurlbut and his forces arrived here in mid-March. Hurlbut's 4th Division saw action in the Peach Orchard as well as on the Union left the second day.

Of 7,825 men in the 4th Division listed as ready for duty at the start of the battle, 1,859 would be counted as casualties by the end (317 killed, 1,441 wounded, 111 captured)...

Colonel John D. McDowell - Headquarters, 1st Brigade, 5th Division, U.S. Army of the Tennessee

Posted at Sherman's far right, the 1st Brigade under Col. McDowell was engaged at Shiloh quite early on the First Day. Being the flank of Sherman's forces the soldiers under McDowell suffered severely in the fighting of April 6. The headquarters marked by this monument, along the Hamburg and Purdy Road, marks the location of the brigade the morning of battle. From here McDowell and his troops were driven back past Shiloh Church...

Colonel Julius Raith - Headquarters, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, U.S. Army of the Tennessee

The 3rd Brigade under Col. Raith found itself in the unenviable position of holding Sherman's left flank at the start of the battle, which bore the brunt of Johnson's attack that morning. Later in the 6th, they found themselves at the center of the line enduring hours of withering crossfire in which Col. Raith himself was mortally wounded. The monument denotes the location of Raith's Headquarters on the morning of battle, the 6th, along the Hamburg and Purdy Road...

Colonel David Stuart - Headquarters, 2nd Brigade, 5th Division, U.S. Army of the Tennessee

Col. Stuart's brigade, centered here at the junction of the Hamburg and Purdy/Hamburg and Savannah Roads, marked the extreme left flank of the entire Union Army. Though the brigade didn't see action until around midday on the 6th it became the focus of Confederate attempt to turn the lines of the Union Army and cut them off from their supply lines on the Tennessee River. The mid-westerners under Col. Stuart fought back fiercely, however, and though they were eventually driven back they did not allow the Confederate attack to reach the vital Pittsburg Landing. Their fierce resistance had a price though, for example, the 55th Illinois under Stuart suffered over 50% casualties the First Day...

Brigadier General William H.L. Wallace - Headquarters for the 2nd Division, U.S. Army of the Tennessee

Assigned to the 2nd Division only four days prior to the battle, General Wallace's men would find themselves fighting in the most brutal battles of the First Day of the contest including the Hornets Nest and the Peach Orchard. General Wallace himself would be included amongst the fallen, killed around 6pm on April 6th...

Of 8,408 men in the 4th Division listed as ready for duty at the start of the battle, 2,748 would be counted as casualties by the end (270 killed, 1,173 wounded, 1,306 captured)...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - Pre-Dawn - Seay Field

Tucked beyond the woodline of Seay, Wood's and Fraley Fields, the men of Sherman's 5th Division slept unaware of the massive Confederate force, 40,000 strong, approaching them from the southwest. Although there had been plenty of warning signs the Union generals, Grant included, did not expect a major attack...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - Pre-Dawn - Wood's Field

Tucked beyond the woodline of Seay, Wood's and Fraley Fields, the men of Sherman's 5th Division slept unaware of the massive Confederate force, 40,000 strong, approaching them from the southwest. Although there had been plenty of warning signs the Union generals, Grant included, did not expect a major attack...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 4:00am - Powell's Reconnaissance Patrol

Unhappy with the Union Command's lack of concern in what he considered an imminent Confederate threat, Colonel Everett Peabody (commanding the 1st Brigade of Prentiss' Division) ordered a reconnaissance patrol to be sent out by the 25th Missouri Regiment under Major James Powell. The 200-man set out through this woods before dawn in the direction of a neighboring field owned by a farmer by the name of Fraley...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 4:35am - Fraley Field

As the three company's of the 25th Missouri Infantry Regiment selected for the patrol stepped out onto Fraley Field the sun had not yet appeared over the horizon. Unaware of what lay in wait ahead of them, they proceeded forward...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 4:35am - Confederate Picket's

The first Confederates to spot the Union patrol as they entered Fraley Field were the soldiers of the 3rd Mississippi Infantry Battalion who had drawn picket duty that evening. They occupied this high ground on the far side of the field when they spotted the Missourians advancing towards them....

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 4:55am - The Battle Begins

When the Missouri troops closed to within 200 yards the Mississippians opened fire, the opening shots of the Battle of Shiloh. Each side quickly called for nearby reinforcements with neither line refusing to give way. For the next hour the fight see-sawed across Fraley Field until around 6am when the might of the oncoming Confederate forces began to overwhelm the thin Union lines...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 7:30am - The 6th Division Rallies

An hour and a half into the attack the surprised Union troops had been pushed back under the ever-increasing numbers of attacking Confederates. The 6th Division, who had borne the brunt of the assault to this point, managed to organize a defensive line along this ridge. At first the heavy shower of lead fired from this line staggered the Confederate advance but superiority in numbers soon prevailed and the Federals found themselves retreating through their camps...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 8:30am - Retreat through the Camps

At this point things looked grim indeed for the Union Army. Though a fearful toll had been taken in the previous three hours the Rebel advance continued. Despite putting up a fierce fight, the 5,400 men under Union General Prentiss simply could not stand up for long against the 9,000 determined Rebels coming against them. Within an hour the Union defense fell apart and the men began a somewhat panicked withdrawal back through their camps...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 8:00am - Rea Field

By 8am Confederate troops began to come up against General Sherman's 5th Division here at Rea (or Rhea) Field. As the Rebels entered the open space they suddenly found themselves caught in a deadly enfilading fire. The fight here was desperate, quick, and extremely bloody. For example, the 6th Mississippi lost 300 of 425 men...a casualty rate of over 70%!! Unfortunately the commander of the Union forces at Rea quickly lost his nerve despite the horrendous losses he was inflicting on the enemy and called for a retreat...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 8:00am - Rea Field

By 8am Confederate troops began to come up against General Sherman's 5th Division here at Rea (or Rhea) Field. As the Rebels entered the open space they suddenly found themselves caught in a deadly enfilading fire. The fight here was desperate, quick, and extremely bloody. For example, the 6th Mississippi lost 300 of 425 men...a casualty rate of over 70%!! Unfortunately the commander of the Union forces at Rea quickly lost his nerve despite the horrendous losses he was inflicting on the enemy and called for a retreat...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 8:00am - Rea Spring

As the assault was taking place across neighboring Rea Field, an attack was being made by Confederates under Brigadier General Patrick Cleburne. Unlike the Rebels crossing the open field, the men making this attack would be battling terrain as well as bullets. To reach Sherman's lines the Rebels had to cross Rea and Shiloh Creeks. Here you can see the difficulty they faced at Rea Springs under the sights of the Federal cannon on the ridge beyond...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 8:00am - Rea Spring

As the assault was taking place across neighboring Rea Field, an attack was being made by Confederates under Brigadier General Patrick Cleburne. Unlike the Rebels crossing the open field, the men making this attack would be battling terrain as well as bullets. To reach Sherman's lines the Rebels had to cross Rea and Shiloh Creeks. Enduring a murderous hail of lead the Rebels made repeated attacks across the soft, muddy stream bottoms...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am - Shiloh Church

Originally known as the 'Shiloh Meeting House', this simple log structure who's name means PEACE eventually also bestowed its name, somewhat perversely, to the battle which raged around it. Sherman's division was centered upon this structure, his headquarters being only a short distance away, and defiantly stood against repeated onslaughts here for three hours. His desperate words to General Grant...

"Tell Grant if he has any men to spare I can use them; if not I will do the best I can. We are holding them pretty well just now-pretty well-but its hot as hell."

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am - Shiloh Church

Built in 1853 by a group of Southern Methodists who had split over slavery, this simple log church was the focal point of the battle for nearly three hours on the morning of the first day. Amazingly, the structure survived the battle and was used as a hospital for a short time. Within a few days of the Confederate retreat, however, the church was destroyed...purportedly by Union soldiers who needed logs to construct bridges in pursuit...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - Contested Headquarters

Adjacent to the Shiloh Church, General Sherman had set up his headquarters near the center of his lines alongside the Shiloh Cemetery. After a bitter and bloody 3 hour struggle, the Confederates succeeded in driving Sherman's forces off the ridge. Soon thereafter Confederate General P.G.T Beauregard claimed the location as his own and used the site as his headquarters until the Confederate withdrawal the following day...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am - Invasion of the Union Camps

A part of Prentiss' 6th Division, the Union camp of the 25th Missouri Infantry, sat dead in the sites of the oncoming Confederate tide. So unprepared where the Union forces that many officers were caught still in bed and soldiers were caught without loaded rifles while cooking breakfast. After a brief and disorganized fight the Confederates found themselves in control of the camps where plundering stalled the assault more effectively than the Union guns had...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am - Death of Colonel Peabody

It was near this spot that Colonel Peabody, the commander who in his growing concern that morning had sent out the patrol uncovering the Confederate advance, fell mortally wounded. For the following four hours his brigade was pushed back during which time Peabody himself was wounded three times before the shot came that finally killed him. It's widely considered that if it hadn't been for Peabody ordering that patrol, Prentiss and Sherman may not have had time to put together an effective defense with grave results for the Union that day...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am - Two Cabins

As the Confederates pushed through the Union camps General Johnson moved up to this position at a place called "Two Cabins", from here he directed the ongoing assault of the main Federal line...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 10:00am - The Attack Stalls

The success of the surprise Confederate attack had pushed the Federal lines nearly halfway back to the river. As they pulled back, however, the Union lines began to condense and strengthen. The ferocity of the battle to this point was taking its toll on both sides and though the fighting continued to be intense the Confederates were losing their momentum...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - Duncan Field

After being driven from their camps the Union troops eventually fell back to the open ground of Duncan Field. With the Confederates hot on their heels the Federal troops quickly crossed the field and took up positions just inside the treeline on the far side...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - Duncan Field

View of battlefield (Duncan's Field)

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - The Sunken Road

The troops manning the Sunken Road formed the right half of the Union center at this point in the battle. Everything was in place for a slaughter. 5,700 men in blue, supported by over two dozen cannon stood ready in their ready made three foot trench, waiting for the Confederates who would dare to cross the 400 yards of perfect open ground in front of them. For the next seven hours the battle would rage across this field...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - The Sunken Road

The troops manning the Sunken Road formed the right half of the Union center at this point in the battle. Everything was in place for a slaughter. 5,700 men in blue, supported by over two dozen cannon stood ready in their ready made three foot trench, waiting for the Confederates who would dare to cross the 400 yards of perfect open ground in front of them. For the next seven hours the battle would rage across this field...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - The Hornets Nest

The left half of the Union center extended into a dense thicket of trees and shrubs. Defenders here would not have the advantage of long sight distances, nor would attackers have a clear view of the strength of their enemy. It was imperative that the Union soldiers hold this line while reinforcements could be brought up. It was equally important for the Confederate cause to break the Union center. All the pieces were in place for one of the most epic struggles of the Civil War...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - The Hornets Nest

The left half of the Union center extended into a dense thicket of trees and shrubs. Defenders here would not have the advantage of long sight distances, nor would attackers have a clear view of the strength of their enemy. It was imperative that the Union soldiers hold this line while reinforcements could be brought up. It was equally important for the Confederate cause to break the Union center. All the pieces were in place for one of the most epic struggles of the entire Civil War...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - The Hornets Nest

It didn't take long for the thick groundcover to be blasted away as the two armies crashed together. The first attempt by the Confederates to break the Union line at the Hornet's Nest came a bit after 9am but was quickly repulsed. The Rebels would throw themselves no less than 11 times against the blue line over the following 7 hours...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - The Hornets Nest

Looking into a tangle of woods in the heart of what was the Hornet's Nest you can get a feel for how difficult a field of battle this was...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - The Hornets Nest

Battle lines were impossible to maintain for the attacking Confederates as they entered thickets enveloping the Union lines. The area got its name from the Rebel soldiers who stated that the constant zipping of the bullets through the air sounded just like a swarm of hornets...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - Lt. Colonel Ross' Headquarters

Adjacent to the Hornets Nest Line was the brigade headquarters of Lt. Col. Ross who was actually absent at the time of the battle. The brigade was instead led by Colonel Julius Raith, who fell mortally wounded later in the battle in the vicinity of Water Oaks Pond...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - The Hornets Nest

The tenacity of the Union line cannot be overstated. By the time the Hornets nest and Sunken Road lines began to falter after 7 hours of fighting. By the end of the battle here the Confederates were so desperate to break the stalemate that they positioned over 60-cannon to pummel the stubborn blue line. Nevertheless, the Union line held until around 4 when, with its flanks in danger, it began to collapse...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 9:00am to 4:00pm - The Hornets Nest

The tenacity of the Union line cannot be overstated. By the time the Hornets nest and Sunken Road lines began to falter after 7 hours of fighting. By the end of the battle here the Confederates were so desperate to break the stalemate that they positioned over 60-cannon to pummel the stubborn blue line. Nevertheless, the Union line held until around 4 when, with its flanks in danger, it began to collapse...

First Day - April 6, 1862 - 2:00pm - Jone's Field

With the battle raging to the south at Duncan's Field and the Hornets Nest, the culmination of a desperate struggle for the Union right flank was playing out across Jones Field. At around noon, Union forces under Sherman and McClernand charged across these fields in an attempt to stall the Confederate advance and regain ground lost earlier in the day. For nearly 2-hours the battle raged here as one line and then the other pushed forward. The fighting here was as fierce as any during the battle with thousands of dead and wounded littering the ground when the guns stopped. Despite their determination, by 2:30pm the Union troops once again found themselves in a slow retreat towards the river...