SHILOH National Military Park

TENNESSEE

.,. t,.• _;!~ . '!".... " SHILOH NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

Shiloh-" ... a case of Southern dash against Northern pluck and endurance ... The troops on both sides were Americans ... united they need not fear any foreign foe." -GEN. u. s. GRANT

CE N E OF THE FIRST MAJOR ENGAGEMENT defense along the railroad which ran from S in the western campaigns of the War Be­ Memphis, em the Mississippi River, to Chat­ tween the States, Shiloh was a struggle between tanooga. Johnston concentrated about 44,000 Northern and Southern Armies composed men at the important rail center of Corinth, largely of unseasoned troops. The dogged de­ Miss. In the meantime, a Federal army of 40,000 termination and tenacity shown by Union and men, commanded by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, had Confederate soldiers alike upon this battlefield moved up the Tennessee River to Pittsburg make it an inspiring memorial to American Landing, 22 miles from Corinth. It was Grant's courage. Fought in heavily wooded terrain, plan to wait at Pittsburg Landing until General upon rain-soaked ground, the battle was marked Buell's army from Nashville should join him. by great confusion that prevailed generally on Then the two combined armies would attack both sides. At the end of the first day a great the Confederates in Corinth. victory seemed to be within the grasp of the When Johnston learned that Buell's army Sourh. Overnight, heavy reinforcements joined would reinforce Grant in a few days, he deter­ the Northern Army and, on the second day, the mined to attack before Buell arrived. His plan Union troops forced the Confederates to retire was to drive a wedge between the Union Army from the battlefield and to retreat southward. and the river and to force Grant away from the This battle opened the way for the Union forces Northern Army's base of supplies at Pittsburg to gain possession of the Mississippi River dur­ Landing. Johnston then planned to turn upon ing the following year and to split the Confed­ Buell. eracy with the capture of Vicksburg. After marching from Corinth over rain­ drenched roads, the Confederates reached the The Battle of Shiloh vicinity of Shiloh on the late afternoon of April 5, 1862. The following morning, Sunday, April After the capture of Fort Henry and Fort 6, they struck the Federal camps along the south Donelson by the North in February 1862, the and west fronts shortly after daybreak. Some of Confederates, commanded by Gen. Albert Sid­ the most stubborn fighting during the morning ney Johnston, withdrew southward, abandon­ occurred near Shiloh Church, a small log struc­ ing all of Kentucky and most of Tennessee west ture after which the battlefield is named, and of the mountains. They formed a new line of which the Union right held tenaciously as it division, in the Hornets' Nest, and forced him Vicksburg itself fell to the North on July 4, United States Highway No. 64. It is 17 miles to surrender, together wi th 2,200 men. 1863 , cutting the Confederacy in two. northeast of Corinth, Miss. The Union Army continued to retreat. By the end of the day it had been driven from 1 to 3 The Park and Cemetery Public Services and Facilities for miles . At sunset, the army stood on the bluffs Visitors above Pittsburg Landing with its back to the Shiloh National Military Park was established river. Here it rallied, however, and drove back by an act of Congress , in 1894, and contains An ex hibit room and library are situated in the last Confederate attacks of the day. ap proximately 3,71 7 acres, which include the the park headquarters building, located near During the night about 25 ,000 fresh Union areas of the heaviest fighting in the battle. A Pittsburg Landing and the Tennessee River. They may be visited by the public every day stood at the intersection of strategically impor­ troops, largely from General Euell's army, ar­ rotal of 147 monuments have been erected ro from 8 a. m. tO 4:30 p. m. Here are to be found tant roads. Finally, about 10 o'clock in the rived to reinforce Grant. On the morning of co mmemorate the deeds of those who fought interesting relics, books, and maps relating to morning, the Federal forces in the vicinity of April 7, the Confederates with 34,000 men on this battlefield. Other areas dealing with the the battle and the war. Daily lectures are given the church fell back before the Confederate faced Union forces numbering 54,000. Greatly western campaign in the War Between the States are Fort D onelson Nati onal Military Park, by members of the park staff. Free guide service assaults. outnumbered, the Confederates were forced ro Tenn.; Chickamauga and Chattanooga Na­ is usually available. Free and sales literature of In the meantime, the Northern center and give ground as the battle progressed. At 2 tional Military Park, Ga.-Tenn.; and Vicksburg this and related areas may be secured at the ad­ left center had fallen back to positions known o'clock in the afternoon, the new Confederate National Military Park, Miss. ministration building. Special service is pro­ as the H ornets' Nest and the Peach Orchard. commander, Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard, ordered The national cemetery, established in 1866 vided groups and organizations if arrangements Here the heaviest fighting of the day continued his army to withdraw from the battlefield. It and embracing an area of 10.2 acres, is situated are made in advance wit.h the superintendent. for hours. In the Hornets' Nest, a natural for­ fell back to Corinth. near the park headquarters on a high bluff over­ tress of dense woods and thickets, the Union The losses for the North in the two days' looking the Tennessee River. Over 3,600 Fed­ line held firmly, driving back one Confederate battle in killed, wounded, and missing were Administration eral soldiers are buried here, two-thirds of whom assault after another. While directing an at­ 13,017; fo r the South, 10,699. are unidentified. Shiloh National Military Park is a part of the After the Battle of Shiloh, the Confederates tack against the Federal left near the Peach National Park System owned by the people of Orchard, General Johnston was struck in the were compelled tO withdraw southward. Cor­ How to Reach the Park the United States and administered for them by leg by a rifle ball. He died from the loss of inth was abandoned to the North on May 30, the National Park Service of the United States blood about 2 :30 o'clock in the afternoon. A cutting the railroad from Memphis to Chatta­ Shiloh National Military Park is situated Department of the Interior. Communications monument has been erected where this South­ nooga. By the end ofJune 1862, only those forts along the west bank of the Tennessee River, on should be addressed to the Superintendent, ern leader fell. Late in the afternoon the Con­ on the Mississippi River near Vicksburg re­ State H ighway No. 22, 13 miles east of U nited Shiloh National Military Park, Pittsburg Land­ federates finally closed in upon Prentiss' Union mained in Southern hands. After a long siege, States Highway No. 45 , and 5 miles south of ing, Tenn.

Pittsburg Landing, long a stopping place for Tennessee River steam­ Shiloh National Cemetery-Graves of six Wisconsin color boats, was the Federal base of supply and landing point for troops Bloody Pond bearers, overlooking Tennessee River Self-Guided Tour

SHILOH NATIONAL MILITARY PARK For the benefit of visitors who are unable to TENNESSEE take a guided tour, numbered markers have been placed at points of interest in the park to corre­ spond with those tabulated below and shown on the park map included in this fo lder. For the regular tour Nos. 1 to 16 should be followed in consecutive order.

1. Iowa State Monument. 2. Michigan State Monument. 3. Confederate Monument-Erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to the memory of the Confederate soldiers who took part in the battle. This is considered the most LEGEND --+- beautiful memorial in the park. --1 Tour Route Paved c:::::m::::::::::c:::::.::::::::J Tour Route Gravel 4. Ruggles' Batteries~Marking positions of - PavedRoad ~ Gravel Road 62 Confederate guns concentrated on the Union --- Park Boundary 0 Points of Interest positions in the Hornets' Nest. Note: All distances given are from 5. Confederate Burial Trench-After the park headquarters battle, the Confederate dead were buried in 5 VICINITY MAP trenches on the field by order of General Grant. This is the largest trench and contains the remai ns of 600 soldiers. 6. Illinois State Monument. 7. Shiloh Church Site-On this hill stood the original Shiloh Church, a one-room log struc­ ture from which the battle took its name. 8. Frayley Field-The Battle of Shiloh opened in this field at daybreak, Sunday morning, April 6, 1862. 9. Putnam Stump. 10. Hornets' Nest and Sunken Road-The Drawn by E. F. Berry February 1948 NMP·SHl-7000 Union forces, protected by an old sunken road, defended this area against 12 Confederate as­ saults, but were forced to surrender over 2,200 13 . War Cabin-This cabin was on the field 16. Overlook-Point affording an excellent 17 . Pittsburg Landing-Federal base during men near the end of the first day's fighting. at the time of the battle. view of the picturesque and historic Tennessee the battle, this river landing had for many years 11. J ohnston's Monument-Adjacent to this 14. Bloody Pond-During the battle the River and the surrounding country . been used by the steamboats on the Tennessee. monument stands the remains of a large white wounded of both sides came to this pond for oak tree near which Gen. Albert Sidney water. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 15. Indian Mounds-These mounds were Johnston was mortally wounded. J. A. Krug, Secretary 12. Peach Orchard - The Peach Orchard, in constructed by an ancient tribe of Indians, who bloom at the time of the battle, was a scene of once lived in this area. They were used as plat­ NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Newton B. Drury, Director fier ce and dead! y conflict. forms for dwellings or ceremonial lodges. Revised 1948 U. S. Government Printing Office: 1948 0-F-78)626