Shiloh Battlefield Virtual Tour:
1055 Pittsburg Landing Loop, Savannah, TN 38372
Update: 06APR17
The Battle of Shiloh resulted in more casualties, than all of the previous United States military conflicts to date (23,746). It was a stunning shock to the nation, and a sobering lesson to the multitude of Americans that thought this was going to be a short affair.
In this major battle, Confederate Brevet Brigadier General Albert Sidney Johnston was the highest ranking officer killed in the American Civil War. He was most likely hit by his own troops. His mortal leg wound was from the rear. Despite this calamitous setback, P.G.T. Beauregard was so confident after the first day of the battle, that he sent word back to Richmond that the Confederate forces had a complete and undisputed victory.
Cavalry Colonel Bedford Forrest knew better. At the close of the first day of battle, he pleaded with higher command to press the enemy into the night – or abandon the field altogether. His scouts had discovered a massive reinforcement flotilla landing from the Tennessee river that late afternoon.
The Shiloh Battlefield is one of the most well preserved battlefields of the American Civil War. It also contains Native American burial mounds. It’s remote location in rural Southwest Tennessee, lends itself to privacy unlike most other battlefields near populated areas.
Shiloh Battlefield: virtual tour
Fraley Field – Opening action at The Battle of Shiloh April 6, 1862
Peach Orchard
Bloody Pond
Forrest 3rd Cavalry Regiment*
Hornet’s Nest
Water Oaks Pond
Indian Mounds
Shiloh Visitor Center
Confederate Burial Trench
Pittsburg Landing
National Cemetery
Note: get the full screen experience by clicking the icon in the lower left of the video frame. A zoom option is available also for reading the historical signage. Some markers are embedded in the floating icons. Panorama’s take a moment to load. They can also be viewed in a 360º viewfinder.
Largest Civil War Battlefields:
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park: 9,036 acres
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania: 8,374 acres
Pea Ridge 4,300 acres
Shiloh: 3,997 acres**
Gettysburg: 3,965 acres
Antietam: 3,230 acres
*Colonel Forrest 3rd Cavalry Regiment fought dismounted from just west of the Peach Orchard. This obscure marker in the virtual tour, is the only one of Forrest on the battlefield. Fallen Timbers, will soon be added to the park service, thanks to The Civil War Preservation Trust. That location is the site of a most impressive counter-charge by Forrest’s regiment during the retreat of the Confederate Army. The location will be dedicated April 6-9, 2017, during the 155th anniversary reenactment.
** The National Park Service is adding more land in the near future, including Fallen Timbers, Parkers Crossroads, Davis Bridge and more. This will make Shiloh the largest National Military Park in the country.
© Bob Henderson | Athens-South
#shiloh #civilwar #tn #virtualtour
“Cavalry Colonel Bedford Forrest new better. ”
That should probably read ” … Knew better.”
Respectfully submitted
K. F. Christenson
descendant of Shiloh survivor (Union private from Michigan)
Thanks!