News Release

Park Ranger's Offer a Walk and Talk about the Union Occupation of Corinth

Park ranger leads a tour

NPS Photo

News Release Date: August 14, 2023 Shiloh National Military Park is pleased to announce a special, one-hour program in Corinth, Mississippi, on Saturday, August 26, 2023. At 10:00 am, park visitors are invited to join Ranger Anthony Killion at the Corinth Contraband Camp for a one-hour exploration of the United States Army’s occupation of the small Mississippi town and its strategic railroad crossover.

From June 1862 until January 1864, the US Army maintained control of Corinth, Mississippi, and its two rail lines. Soldiers who were stationed in the town spent time constructing extensive fortifications, patrolling the area for guerillas, enrolling newly arrived freed people at the Contraband Camp, and many other duties to maintain good order during the occupation.

Although duty in occupied Corinth could be tedious, the enlisted men found ways to keep themselves engaged and entertained. The soldiers of the 81st Ohio Infantry Regiment were stationed in Corinth for the totality of the army’s occupation, and the August 26th program will examine what life was like on occupation duty through the eyes of the 81st by reading the accounts left behind by the men in the regiment.

Reservations are required and may be made by calling the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center at [phone] between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm any day of the week. Participants will meet at the Contraband Camp, located at 800 North Parkway, at 10:00 am and should come dressed for the weather and prepared to walk roughly one-quarter of a mile on a sidewalk.