Shiloh 150th - 7 April 2012

Up at 0500 and on the road from Huntsville to Shiloh.  About a 2 1/2 hour drive, but no traffic, and a easy drive got me to the Shiloh Visitor's center around 0740, with plenty of time to catch my first tour at 0800.

Minnesota Artillery position just behind the sunken road

Tour #1 of the day 0800-1000 - The Union Counterattacks!! General Bull Nelson and the Union Left; Approx 140 people

Tour Guide Jim

Tour Group emerges from the woods near the Peach 

Looking towards the W. Manse George cabin from the Hamburg-Purdy Road.  The Peach Orchard is just right of the cabin.

Tour #2 1000-1200 - Crittenden's Division and the Union Center on April 7; Approx 240 people

The Dust and Pollen was terrible, It must have really sucked with 80,000 Soldiers walking through the woods.

The tour group moving through the un-penatrable thicket... I think I heard 3 people ask what kind of snakes live in these woods.  

A member of the 14th Wisconsin Died here, and his name was carved into the tree.  Years later the guys from his Unit came back and found the spot to put up this monument. 

Confederate Monument

Area between the Hornets nest heading towards Pittsburg Landing

Michigan Monument 

Cannons along Grant's final defensive line

Iowa Monument - Large Siege Cannons brought into the final defensive line the evening of 6 April

Tour #3 1400-1600 Struggle for the Crossroads; Appox 150 people

Water Oaks Pond - near the crossroads where much of the heaviest fighting of the battle took place

Afternoon Tour guide Charlie standing next to the 32nd Illinois monument

Tennessee Monument near the crossroads.  Defeat was very hard for the Tennessee troops because it was on their home soil

This lady tagged along to give her first hand account of what life was like during the battle

77th Pennsylvania monument.  This unit spent a good portion of 7 April alone and unafraid along the Hamburg-Purdy Road guarding the left of their Brigade. 

Heading into the woods behind Shiloh Church to find Sherman's HQ

Sherman's HQ; Also where PGT Beauregard set up his HQ the night of the 6th and morning of the 7th

Illinois Monument

Illinois Monument 

After my last tour of the day I spent some time driving, and walking around before the luminaries were lit during the evening.

Bloody Pond

Peach Orchard

Union Artillery positions near the Peach Orchard

These cannon represent the USS Tyler, and USS Lexington that anchored in the river directly behind where I took this picture, and shelled Confederate Positions all night. 

Looking South down the Tennessee River from where Dill Branch runs into the river

Dill Branch Ravine

I saw this while I was eating dinner in Savannah, TN... something about it made me laugh.  Good luck getting those down.

Shiloh National Cemetery

Location of Grants HQ during the battle.  Stands inside the gates of the current Cemetery

Pittsburg Landing

 In the evening over 23,000 Luminaries were set out around the battlefield.  I walked around near the visitor center until about 7:30pm until it got dark enough to drive through and

Looking down on the River from the cemetery

As it got dark you can start to see the luminaries that were set out around the battlefield

Flag Poll in the cemetery surrounded by luminaries 

Future Re-enactor

Luminaries in front of the visitors center

Around this point my Camera started messing up, and most of the pictures came out blurry at best

Looking back into the Cemetery

Luminaries along Browns Landing Road

Luminaries around Bloody Pond

Illuminated Cannons

It took a little over an hour to drive through the battlefield, but it was more than worth it.