In Their Steps: Battle of Shiloh Anniversary Hikes

General Lew Wallace Outflanks the Confederate Line
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Parking: Meet at the Visitor Center
Distance: Approximately 2 Miles Walking and 2 Miles Driving
Terrain: Moderate

Major General Lew Wallace’s Division arrived late on the battlefield on the first day of battle but was ready to attack early the next morning. He started the Union advance on right and outflanked the piecemeal Confederate line forcing them to retreat back toward Shiloh Church. Although Wallace was blamed for not arriving as early as expected on April 6th, he redeemed himself with his actions on Monday. Join Park Ranger Charles Spearman and explore the battle action of General Lew Wallace’s Division against the left flank of the Southern resistance to begin the second day of battle at Shiloh.

The Generals Fight: How the General Staffs aided or hindered the Generals at Shiloh
Time: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Parking: Meet at the crossroads near Tour Stop 14
Distance: Some Walking
Terrain: Moderately Easy

Many know of the heroism and brutal fighting that occurred here at the Battle of Shiloh, but what is mostly overlooked is how the Generals attempted to provide direction and communicate across the front line with the Regimental Commanders. This tour will provide an inside look at the structure of the General Staffs of both Armies, and how these staffs performed in the planning and execution of the Battle of Shiloh. Join Ranger Matt McMillian at one of General PGT Beauregard’s Headquarters sites and discuss the various Staff functions and failures during the Battle of Shiloh.

Crittenden Pushes the Center
Time: 11 am – 1 pm
Distance: 2 Miles
Parking: Tour Stop #2 (Confederate Memorial)
Terrain: Moderate

General Thomas L. Crittenden’s 5th Division of General Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio was the center of the Union line as it began its counterattack on April 7th, 1862. To the troops fighting their way through the center of the battlefield that morning, the severity of the previous day’s combat became readily apparent. When the Union Division commanded by General Thomas Crittenden approached the dense thicket, which the day before was dubbed, “The Hornets’ Nest”, they ran into very heavy resistance. Over several hours of fighting the Union advance ground to a halt.

Join Park Ranger Timothy Arnold on a hike which will provide a glimpse into the division’s advance, as they attempted to negotiate the tangled wilderness of the Hornets’ Nest and drive the enemy from the Daniel Davis Wheat Field and the Hamburg-Purdy Road, where it halted as the battle drew to a close.

Car Caravan
Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Parking: Meet at the Visitor Center
Distance: Entire Battlefield (Driving)

In commemoration of Shiloh’s 160th Battle Anniversary, Park Ranger Laura Lee McKellips will lead a two-hour, accessible car caravan tour of the battlefield. This accessible tour will allow visitors the opportunity to follow the battle in the chronological order as it developed. The tour will take visitors to the high points on the battlefield in order to interpret the story of the bloody Battle of Shiloh. While visiting historic sites such as Fraley Field, the Hornets’ Nest, and the Peach Orchard, participants will be afforded the opportunity to ask questions to achieve a better understanding of the epic battle.

Beauregard’s Long, Thin Line
Time: 1:00 – 3:00
Parking: Tour Stop No. 5 (Shiloh Church)
Distance: Approximately 3.4 Miles
Terrain: Easy - Paved roads

The Confederate Army of the Mississippi was not prepared to receive Grant’s counterattack on the morning of April 7, 1862. From the first moment United States Volunteer forces advanced against their Confederate counterparts, General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard was engaged in a monumental struggle to bring his battered army into a defensive line. Through grit, determination, and a desire to capitalize on the previous day’s apparent success, Beauregard will manage to form a defensive line of battle composed of 20,000 battle-tested veterans to hold off and slow down the reinforced Federal army that was dead-set on retaking ground lost the previous day. Join Ranger Anthony Killion for a 3.4-mile hike beginning and ending at Shiloh Church. This hike will roughly follow the line Confederate soldiers fought on from approximately 10:00 in the morning until 12:00 in the afternoon.

Car Caravan
Time: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Parking: Meet at the Visitor Center
Distance: Entire Battlefield (Driving)

In commemoration of Shiloh’s 160th Battle Anniversary, Park Ranger Laura Lee McKellips will lead a two-hour car caravan tour of the battlefield. This tour will allow visitors the opportunity to follow the battle in the chronological order as it developed. The tour will take visitors to the high points on the battlefield in order to interpret the story of the bloody Battle of Shiloh. While visiting historic sites such as Fraley Field, the Hornets’ Nest, and the Peach Orchard, participants will be afforded the opportunity to ask questions to achieve a better understanding of the epic battle.

The Struggle for the Crossroads: The Confederates Lose Their Chance at Victory
Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Parking: Meet at Tour Stop 13, Water Oaks Pond
Distance: Approximately 1 Mile
Terrain: Moderately Easy

Starting at noon, Confederate forces began falling back to the intersection of the Hamburg-Purdy and Corinth Roads. The Southern forces struggled to launch counter attacks to save what had appeared to be a certain victory. The fierce struggle at Woolf Field and Water Oaks Pond turned the tide of the battle. On the afternoon of April 7th, General Sherman declared, “Here was to be the struggle” for the decision of the battle. Join Park Ranger Charles Spearman and explore the battleground between Woolf Field and Shiloh Church, as he discusses the Confederate counter attacks, and the Union advance on the afternoon of the second day of combat.

The Rest of the Story: Aftermath of Shiloh
Time: 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Parking: Tour Stop #5

Join Park Ranger Timothy Arnold as we wrap up the second day of fighting. Both armies begin to realize just how much loss they endured and the psychological changes the soldiers experienced. In the days following the Battle of Shiloh, the Union Army regroups to continue their mission and the Confederates begin licking their wounds preparing for what comes next. Ranger Arnold will also cover the weeks following the battle leading up to the Siege of Corinth.

Fee Information

FREE