Event
157th Battle Anniversary Hikes
Fee:
Free.Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Type of Event
Description
Fraley Field: The Bloody Battle Begins
Time: 5:15 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Parking: Meet at Visitor Center at 5:00 a.m.
Distance: Southern Hike – 1 Mile Roundtrip
Union Hike ------ 2 Miles Roundtrip
Terrain: Moderately Easy, on park roads and trails, but in the dark
Join Park Volunteer Bjorn Skaptason, and Park Ranger Timothy Arnold on a two hour battlefield hike which will introduce visitors to the events surrounding the opening shots of the battle. These hikes will travel the approach routes of the Union and Confederate soldiers toward Fraley Field, whose landscape witnessed the first exchange of hostilities and the beginning of the epic Battle of Shiloh. These individual tours will both arrive in Fraley Field at sunrise. Visitors will decide which hike they will follow upon arriving at the Visitor Center. The choices are to follow the Union reconnoitering party ordered out by Colonel Everett Peabody, while the Confederates will approach Fraley Field through the position of the 3rd Mississippi Infantry Battalion.
As if it was His Custom: Colonel Joe Cockerill and the 70th Ohio Learn to Fight
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Parking: Park on the west side of the road south of Shiloh Church
Distance: 2 ½ Miles
Terrain: Moderately Easy, but with some off-trail hiking
Shiloh: Fiery Trial, the park’s orientation film, tells many compelling stories of individual soldiers and their experiences in the battle. Among these is the tale of sixteen year old Jon Cockerill of the 70th Ohio Regiment, and his father, Colonel Joseph Cockerill. The 70th Ohio participated in some of the most intense fighting of April 6th, all across the western side of the battlefield. The performance of the 70th Ohio stands in stark contrast to other green Union regiments in the battle, as well as the admirable service of Colonel Cockerill. Join Park Volunteer, Bjorn Skaptason, and follow the course of the engaging combat of these Buckeye State Volunteers from Shiloh Church to their final retreat across Tilghman Branch.
The Parallel of Battle: The Hamburg-Purdy Road
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Parking: Meet at Rhea Springs (Tour Stop #6)
Distance: Approximately 6 Miles
Terrain: Easy to Very Difficult
Join Dr. Jeff Gentsch in examining how this integral landmark and communications artery influenced the development of the Battle of Shiloh after the Confederate army captured the encampment of the 5th and 6th Divisions of the Army of the Tennessee on the morning of Sunday, April 6th. Hiking from Rhea Field to the far left of the Confederate line, participants will move west to east along Hamburg-Purdy Road, discussing various fire-fights including the development of the battle around the crossroads, (Water Oaks Pond area), the abortive Confederate movements during the development of the Union defense of the Hornets’ Nest, and the action along the southern perimeter of Sarah Bell’s Cotton Field.
General Prentiss’ Green Division Overwhelmed by Confederate Attacks
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Parking: Meet at Tour Stop #9 (Invasion of the Union Camps)
Distance: 1 Mile
Terrain: Easy to Moderate
General Benjamin Prentiss’ Division on the outer fringe of Union camps at Shiloh, was hit by an overwhelming force of Confederates on the morning of April 6, 1862. Although these green troops, some of whom had arrived the previous evening, inflicted severe casualties on some Confederate units, they were soon outflanked and swept from the field of battle. Join Park Ranger Tom Parson and follow the battle lines of Colonel Everett Peabody’s and Colonel Madison Miller’s Brigades and examine the incidents in their brief but courageous stand.
Car Caravan Tour of the Battlefield
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Parking: Meet at the Visitor Center
Call 731-689-5696 to register in advance
In commemoration of Shiloh’s 157th Battle Anniversary, Park Volunteer Jimmy Whittington will lead a four hour car caravan tour of the battlefield. This tour will allow visitors the opportunity to follow the battle in the chronological order as it developed. The tour will take visitors to the high points on the battlefield in order to interpret the story of the bloody Battle of Shiloh. While visiting historic sites such as Fraley Field, the Hornets’ Nest, and the Peach Orchard, participants will be afforded the opportunity to ask questions of Mr. Whittington and achieve a better understanding of the epic battle.
The Union Center and the Hornets’ Nest
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Parking: Meet at Tour Stop #10 (Hornets’ Nest)
Distance: 2 Miles
Terrain: Moderate, passing through thick woods and crossing small streams
Join Park Ranger Timothy Arnold to learn about the severe fighting in the famed “Hornets’ Nest” of Shiloh. This hike will discuss the establishment of the area as a Union defensive position, units involved, small arms weapons and artillery used, as well as the truth versus the myth of the life and death struggle in this area. Learn about the Confederate attacks led by Colonel Randall Gibson’s Brigade, the leadership of Generals W.H.L. Wallace and Benjamin Prentiss, and the fate of each officer.
The Desperate Drive for Confederate Victory
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Parking: Meet at Tour Stop #17 (Bloody Pond)
Distance: Approximately 2 Miles
Terrain: Moderate with some ravines
The Confederate objective at Shiloh was to drive in the Union left flank and cut their army off from Pittsburg Landing so they could not get supplies or reinforcements. By doing this, General Albert Sidney Johnston hoped to achieve a decisive victory over Grant’s army. General Stephen Hurlbut would fight a series of delaying actions on the Union left, which frustrated Confederate hopes of accomplishing their goal. Join Park Ranger Charles Spearman on this hike starting at the Bloody Pond, and explore the various positions held by Hurlbut as he faced off against General Johnston and his determined Confederate forces. This program will end with the death of General Johnston, the highest ranking American general killed in combat.
The American Civil War, the German Wars of Unification, and the Emergence of Modern and Total War
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Parking: Meet at Tour Stop #6 (Rhea Field)
Distance: 5 Miles
Terrain: Easy to Very Difficult
During the decade from 1861 through 1871, war and warfare began to evolve away from the restraints imposed upon nations by previous philosophies of applying armed force. Beginning and focusing on the lessons offered by the Battle of Shiloh, which some historians have labeled the first “modern” battle, Dr. Jeff Gentsch will lead a hike that will compare various aspects of Shiloh to other Civil War battles and engagements critical during the Wars of German Unification involving Denmark (1864), Austria (1866), and France (1870-1871). Topics will include the similarities and contrasts between these conflicts in strategic planning, operations and logistics, tactics, geography, developments in weaponry, and the problems experienced with the number of war prisoners increasing as a result of advancing technologies. Participants will examine how warfare evolved during this period, which created conditions for the onset of total war.
The Battle After Johnston: The Confederate Attempt to Fulfill the Battle Plan
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Parking: Meet at Tour Stop #17 (Bloody Pond)
Distance: 2 Miles
Terrain: Very Difficult, through deep ravines, across streams, and through underbrush off-trail. Appropriate hiking gear and footwear highly recommended.
After the death of General Albert Sidney Johnston the Confederates were faced with the challenge of completing their mission – to drive the Federals away from the river, force them into the swamps to the north and northwest, and destroy them – without the leadership of their inspirational commander. In the hours following Johnston’s death a number of high ranking Confederates attempted to seize the initiative and drive the attack home. Join Park Volunteer Bjorn Skaptason and explore the rugged terrain on the eastern edge of the battlefield and examine the fighting of the common soldier and the Confederate leadership guiding the continuing struggle to maintain the proposed battle plan.
Grant’s Last Line of Defense
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Parking: Meet in Front of the Visitor Center
Distance: 2 Miles
Terrain: Difficult, passing through thick woods, steep ravines, and crossing small streams
Follow Park Ranger Timothy Arnold on a hike which will lead participants on an examination of the Federal last line of defense on April 6th, 1862. Desperately needing to hold his position, General Grant tasked Colonel Joseph D. Webster with constructing a final line of defense on the high ground between Pittsburg Landing and the Snake Creek Bridge, both of which Grant needed to hold open for reinforcements. This hike will take participants along Grant’s line situated on the high ground north of Tilghman Creek, will travel down into Dill Branch Ravine to the Confederate side, and then examine the only major attempts to break the Union line.
Reservation or Registration: Yes
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