Shiloh National Military Park will commemorate the 161st anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh by offering a variety of real-time hikes from Thursday, April 6, through Saturday, April 8, a book signing, and then a Vintage Baseball double-header baseball game on Saturday, April 15.
“2023 marks the 161st anniversary of Civil War battles the park preserves the history and lands for, beginning with the Battle of Shiloh in April, followed by the Siege of Corinth from late April through May, and concluding with the October Battles of Corinth and Davis Bridge. We invite everyone to come to the park to reflect upon the epic battle that transpired at Shiloh and remember the service of the American soldiers engaged here in 1862," said Acting Park Superintendent Stacy Allen.
Park rangers will lead hikes and all access car caravan tours from April 6 through April 8, on a variety of subjects, from general battle overviews to actions at specific locations. The hiking tours are limited to 45 participants each, and the auto tours limited to 10 vehicles each, so the park asks that interested individuals pre-register for hikes and tours by calling the Shiloh visitor center at 731-689-5696. A complete schedule is posted on the park website at www.nps.gov/shil.
Registered participants should meet the guides at the appointed sites and times and are encouraged to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather and terrain. Visitors attending more than one hike are encouraged to have food and water available. Insect repellent and sunscreen is also recommended.
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On Friday, April 7, and Saturday, April 8, the Shiloh Park Bookstore will host a book signing by author Kevin Getchell. Getchell’s seminal work, Scapegoat of Shiloh: The Distortion of Lew Wallace’s Record by U.S. Grant, delves deep into the controversy surrounding General Wallace’s actions at Shiloh on April 6, 1862. The book questions past conclusions and re-examines Wallace using contemporary documents to expose a much larger problem U.S. Grant’s army was experiencing that spring. Scapegoat of Shiloh was a 2014 winner at the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards.Historian Getchell will be on hand to sign copies of his book from 1:00 pm until 2:30 pm both Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday, April 15, Shiloh will host vintage 19th century baseball on the battlefield to conclude the park’s two weeks of Shiloh anniversary events.
The Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball will play a double-header in Duncan Field. This will be only the second time organized baseball has been played on these hallowed grounds since Union soldiers camped here in 1862. “Interestingly," Acting Superintendent Allen states, “an Illinois soldier’s Memoir cites that several of his comrades were ‘enjoying a game of ball’ at their Shiloh campsite on Saturday evening, mere hours before battle erupted, at dawn, Sunday, April 6." The first game between the Cumberland Club of Nashville and the Franklin Farriers will begin at 11:00 am. The second game will start at 1:30 pm. The games will be played according to the 1864 rule book. Everyone is invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic baskets to see “America’s Pastime" played as the soldiers played it in the 1860s.
As always, entrance to the park and participation in all anniversary events is free to the public. For more information on this and other events taking place at Shiloh in 2023, call the park’s Visitor Center at 731-689-5696, go to our website at www.nps.gov/shil, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShilohNMP or follow us on Twitter at /ShilohNPS.
Tags: civil war vintage baseball living history military ranger hikes family friendly national park service shiloh anniversary commemoration books
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service