Wednesday, July 25

  Grand Harbor Marina - Lake Pickwick

Tennessee River

Bloody Pond - Shiloh Military Park

Shiloh Meeting House

Pittsburg Landing - Shiloh Military Park

Shiloh National Cemetery

Pickwick Lake is all about water activities - from tubing to fishing, from a 6-foot dingy to a 100-foot yacht - you see it all.  The deep water coves provide perfect places for anchoring and swimming.  It was hard to tear ourselves away from this boater's paradise (especially on a 100 degree day), but there was one "must see" historic site in this area, Shiloh National Military Park.
On 4,200 acres overlooking the Tennessee River, 156 monuments (several honoring the Iowa Infantry Division), 217 cannons and more than 650 historic tablets mark America's best preserved battlefield.  It was the site of the Civil War's first major combat on the western front, fought for the purpose of controlling freight movement in all directions through the rail junction in Corinth, MS.   The April 6- 7, 1862 battle included 40,000 Union forces and 44,000 Confederate soldiers.  It took place primarily in the forests and fields surrounding a small log church known as the Shiloh Meeting House.  The bloody battle ended with nearly 24,000 dead, wounded or missing soldiers, a casualty rate of nearly 30%.
The battlefield tour begins at the Visitor's Center, which features an excellent orientation film.  It is followed by a 10-mile self-guided automobile tour, which takes visitors throughout the park to 20 stops telling the story of the battle.

Memorial to the Iowa Infantry Division

The park is also home to the Shiloh National Cemetery, established in 1866.  The cemetery is the final resting place for 1,227 known and 2,417 unknown Union dead recovered from both the Shiloh battlefield and other Civil War- era graves along the Tennessee River Valley.  It is a solemn reminder of the ultimate sacrifices made in the belief of freedom and love of country.