Field Hospital site on the Shiloh National Military Park Battlefield Tour

SHILOH BATTLEFIELD TOUR STOP #16

The Field Hospital stop on the Shiloh National Military Park battlefield tour marks the site where one of the first Civil War field hospitals was erected. A field hospital is a central hospital where men from all units in the area are treated. Prior to this, each unit took care of its own men. This hospital, which was essentially a collection of tents on an apple orchard owned by Larkin Bell, was set up by surgeon Bernard Irwin after the battle to take care of nearly 2,500 sick and wounded men, both Union and Confederate. Being the victors, the Union was tasked with treating the Confederate wounded, as well as burying the Confederate dead. Over 16,000 men were wounded at Shiloh. Those not treated here were either shipped back north by steamboat or treated at local homes. There is nothing left of the hospital, so the stop only memorializes the site. A 71st Ohio Infantry monument is also located here.

Before there was a hospital on Bell’s field, it was the headquarters of Union General David Stuart. His brigade anchored the Union left flank. By noon on the first day of fighting (April 6, 1862), Confederate forces had pushed the Union back to this location on the Hamburg Road. Stuart’s position was overrun, and he was forced to the east. His men put up a fight for three hours, but eventually they had to retreat back to Pittsburg Landing. A memorial marks the site of Stuart’s headquarters.