2001 Replica of Shiloh Church, Shiloh National Military Park

SHILOH BATTLEFIELD TOUR STOP #5

The Battle of Shiloh takes its name from the church that once stood at this location. Built in the early 1850s, the church survived the battle and even served as a hospital directly after it, but due to damage it fell down a few weeks later. Today a modern church (1952) stands in its place, and a replica has been erected next to it. The replica was completed in 2001 and is based on historical records.

Interior of the Shiloh Church replica at Shiloh National Military Park

1952 Shiloh Church is in use today

General William Sherman’s troops, as well as Sherman’s headquarters, occupied the Shiloh Church and the surrounding area, a position that placed his men at the right of the most forward Union troops. To the left of Sherman along the Eastern Corinth Road was the camp of General Benjamin Prentiss and his men, and other divisions were situated in camps that stretched back to Pittsburg Landing northeast of the church.

Per Grant’s orders, the forward troops were not to be entrenched, which left them vulnerable if attacked. The Confederate Army had been amassing at Corinth, but Grant believed this was in order to defend the city. In reality, they gathered to mount an attack on Grant’s army before it could be reinforced by General Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio. Confederate General Sidney Johnston learned on April 2nd that Buell was just a few days away from arriving at Pittsburg Landing. The attack was supposed to happen on the 4th, but heavy rains made the roads muddy and generally impassible. Finally, on April 5th, Johnston’s army was within striking distance of the Union soldiers at Shiloh Church.

Confederate and Union troops had run into each other and fought small skirmishes during the two prior days. Confederate generals Pierre Beauregard and Braxton Bragg were sure that the element of surprise had been lost and wanted to return to Corinth, but Johnston thought otherwise and ordered the attack to begin on the morning of April 6th. The battle began around 5 AM, and after several hours of fierce fighting the Union forces began a retreat back towards Pittsburg Landing.

Battle Map

Once the Union army had been driven out, General Beauregard, who had assumed command of the Confederate troops after General Johnston was killed in battle earlier that day, made his headquarters near the church. On April 7th, when the Union counterattacked and turned what looked to be a certain Confederate victory into a defeat, Beauregard directed the retreat to Corinth from this location.

Across the street from the church is the Shiloh Cemetery. Most of the graves are from the early 1900s, and there are some new graves as well. Much of the fighting took place in the cemetery, and today cannon mark the locations of the various artillery placement during the battle.

Entrance to Shiloh Church Cemetery, Shiloh National Military Park

Artillery and even memorial monuments are located in Shiloh Church Cemetery

I did not find any graves of soldiers who actually died at Shiloh, but there are a few graves of men who served in the Confederate Army and died long after the war. Since the Union Army was victorious, it was responsible for burying the dead, including the Confederates. Most are now buried in mass graves throughout the battlefield, five of which are marked and part of the battlefield tour.

Grave of a former Confederate soldier at Shiloh Church Cemetery

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