My Mississippi Manifest Destiny: Shiloh Part Two

How did the Battle of Shiloh get its name? From the Shiloh Methodist Church, which is near Pittsburg Landing--the site where Union forces were concentrated on the April, 1862 morning when the Confederates attacked.

The original church didn't survive the battle, the log structure on the left is a recreation, the one on the right is the current Shiloh Methodist Church. Like many rural churches, there is a cemetery nearby, and Shiloh house of worship is no exception.

History is found amongst history here. In the upper-right is the gravestone of Ray Blanton, Governor of Tennessee from 1975-1979. His one term was plagued by scandals, including the selling of pardons and liquor licenses. The Tennessee Pardongate inspired a book by Serpico author Peter Maas, which was made into the Sissy Spacek film Marie. The title character, Marie Ragghianti, hired Fred Thompson as her attorney, who played himself in the movie. Yep, that Fred Thompson.

The better known graveyard in the national historic site is Shiloh National Cemetery. As for the battle dead, all but three are Union soldiers, the Confederate dead were buried anonymously in trenches. The monument on the right marks one of an estimated dozen such mass burial spots scattered throughout the battlefield.

Shiloh is a military cemetery for all United States veterans, and when I was there two weeks ago, a World War II veteran was being interred.

My next post will cover some of the famous locations of this battle, including the Hornet's Nest and the Peach Orchard.

Previous My Mississippi Manifest Destiny posts:

Shiloh Part One
Carl Perkins
The Varsity Theatre in Martin, Tennessee
Lincoln and Kentucky
Metropolis
The Trail of Tears

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