Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Road Trip, Part 2

Tennessee! Today we headed to Shiloh National Battlefield. It’s a beautiful spot in the beautiful state of Tennessee, along the Tennessee River. If you need to brush up on your Civil War history, it is one of the most important battles of the war. General U.S. Grant brought his troops down from Kentucky while General Albert Sidney Johnston brought his Confederates up from Mississippi to keep the Yankees from coming further south. They met near a little church called Shiloh.


Numbers and sheer determination wrought the Rebels the initial victory the first day of battle. But the day also brought the loss of General Johnston. As the Rebels went to bed that night, they had a great victory and determination on their side. However, Grant had reinforcements from Gen. Buell and Gen. Lew Wallace (who would later write Ben-Hur). The next day? The Rebels held as long as they could…then retreated into Mississippi.


Today, Shiloh is a lovely spot of land full of monuments and detailed mapping of the days of the battle so long ago. But, sorry, Mom – we didn’t see a single snake today.


The Shiloh National Cemetery – only Yankees are buried there.


The monument to the Tennessee troops.


A replica of the church for which the battlefield is named.

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