Civil War Adventures at Shiloh

I mentioned in an earlier post that my father had planned trips for the grandchildren to visit civil war sites. He has planned these trips in the order in which these battles took place in Tennessee. Our first trip was to Fort Henry which we discovered is now underwater. On the same trip we visited Fort Donelson which I wrote about a while back. That led us to our recent trip to Shiloh.




We woke up bright and early, and began a beautiful drive down the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway. Along the way we spotted deer, wild turkey, rabbits, and a lone skunk rambling along the roadside.

Our first stop was the Frontier Inn where Meriwether Lewis died and his grave site. It was an opportune time to recall some of what we had learned last year about this explorer. We enjoyed this stop, and the kids welcomed a little time to run and stretch their legs.

We continued along the Trace taking in the beautiful scenery along the way. We stopped for a quick bite to eat, and then finally reached our destination, Shiloh National Military Park.

The kids were excited to arrive, and especially eager to see the reenactors that were there for the weekend.

What a great day we had! We were able to see what a Union camp would have looked like and talk to several reenactors who were eager to answer questions. We saw several demonstrations. The boys especially enjoyed the firing demonstration. The driving tour was very interesting. The kid's especially enjoyed the walk down the "Sunken Road," and have mentioned the "Bloody Pond" several times since our visit. The museum was VERY KID FRIENDLY ,and the gift shop was very nice.

There is nothing like seeing something with your own eyes to make it come alive. I would encourage anyone, but especially those of you who are interested in history or who are teaching youngsters American History to visit Shiloh National Military Park. It is a GREAT park.

If you would like to learn more about the Battle of Shiloh or Shiloh National Military Park click on the following links; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shiloh

http://www.nps.gov/shil

We topped off our day with a visit to the Casey Jones Old Country Store & Restaurant in Jackson, Tennessee. We enjoyed a bountiful buffet full of southern favorites, and were entertained table side by some of Jackson's local singing talents. It was a treat!

http://www.caseyjones.com/

Hope you enjoy some of our favorite photos from the day.

The Frontier Inn where Meriwether Lewis Died

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/lewisandclark/site38.htm

My children pose with their cousins inside the Frontier Inn.

Memorial to Lewis

Papaw and Mamaw pose with the grandkids at Pittsburg Landing.
http://www.civilwaralbum.com/shiloh/tour1.htm

My Nephew and daddy stop for a picture.

My Baby

My son and nephew tried on some uniforms.

I convinced my oldest to try one on too.

He chose the gray.

Cousins

My son and nephew pose with a Union Reenactor.

I thought this reenactor really looked the part.

Union Camp and Civil War Reproduction Items on Display

Closeup

Sword Demonstration

Firing Demonstration

My favorite Billy Yank posed with my daughter and niece.

A Reproduction of the Shiloh Church

I will always remember the special moment we had here when we all took a moment to sing Jesus Loves Me together.

Hmmmm! He looks pretty good behind the podium.

Our family stopped for a picture in front of Shiloh Church.

The " Bloody Pond"

My daughter still talks about this stop on the tour.
http://www.civilwaralbum.com/shiloh/tour14.htm

My nephew and son at Casey Jones Old Country Store & Restaurant

Enjoying the Tasty Food

Let's see, what kind of positive spin can I put on this photo...... Oh, I Know,

Ear, NOSE, and Throat doctors of tomorrow!