US Regular Artillery monument

The US Regulars were among the very first to get monuments on the battlefield. That is because their monuments were erected by the national government. Since the battlefields were originally intended to be training and teaching tools for the army it made sense for them to be among the first to have monuments.

Even though Mendenhall's unit is listed as two batteries he actually had a smaller force than Terrill's battery. Both men go on to some fame following Shiloh. Terrill was promoted to brigadier general the month before the battle of Perryville and would be killed during that battle. Mendenhall would become chief of artillery for Crittenden and be instrumental in the repulse of the final attack at Stones River. I know he survives the army and stays in the artillery but I've never read much more on him that what appears in battle histories. I'd love to know more about him.

On front of monument:
4th U. S. Artillery.
U. S. Batteries "H" and "M."
Capt. John Mendenhall.
5th Division (Crittenden).
5th U. S. Artillery.
Battery "H."
Capt. Wm. R. Terrill.
2d Division (McCook).
Army of the Ohio.

On back of monument:
These batteries were engaged near here from about 9:00 A.M., to 1:30 P.M., April 7, 1862. Casualties: 3 killed, 19 wounded, total, 22.

Missouri state monument

This one of the more modern monuments. Like the Kentucky monument it is for men who served on both sides. Its pretty simple, basically a listing of units at Shiloh. I like the engraving on the back of the "hornets' nest"

On front of monument:
Union Army of the Tennessee.
2nd Division, 2nd Brigade,
13th Mo., Col. Crafts Wright;
14th Mo., Birge Sharp Shooters,
Col. B. Compton;
1st Mo. Light Artillery,
Batty. D., Capt. Henry Richardson;
Batty. H., Capt. Frederick Welker;
Batty. K., Capt. George Stone.
3rd Division,
1st Brigade, Col. Morgan Smith, 8th Mo.;
8th Mo., Lt. Col. James Peckman;
1st Mo. Light Artillery, Batty. I., Lt. Charles Thurber;
4th Division, 1st Mo. Light Artillery,
Mann's Batty. C., Lt. Edward Brotzmann.
6th Division, 1st Brigade,
Col. E. Peabody, Lt. Col. H. Woodyard;
21st Mo., Col. David Moore;
25th Mo., Lt. Col. Robert Vanhorn;
2nd Brigade, Col. Madison Miller, 18th Mo.;
18th Mo., Lt. Col. Issac Pratt.
Unattached Infantry 23rd Mo.,
Col. Jacob Tindall, Lt. Col. Quin Morton.
Confederate Army of the Mississippi.
Reserve Corps, 2nd Brigade,
1st Mo. Col. Lucius Rich. Missouri

On back of monument:
In memory of her sons who fought and died to preserve those freedoms in which they believed. Battle of Shiloh April 6th and 7th, 1862.

Lincoln museum on wheels review

This weekend I did get out to the Lincoln museum on wheels. It was okay. If this was your introduction to Lincoln it was probably more interesting but all in all I had a good time. My fiance, our son and my parents went along. The longest part was waiting in the line, the museum itself didn't take long. In line I met a few guys and might have recruited one or two to the roundtable so that was good. If I had planned ahead I would have brought a ton of newsletters and hit the entire line. Maybe I'll do this when the semi returns in August.

Here's a shot of the line, when we left it was even longer. I'd bet there were over 100 people in line at this time. Inside they had a few exhibits I thought were especially interesting, of course it was hard to get shots of them all because there were way too many people inside. This was meant to be the platform of the train station in Springfield when Lincoln left for the presidency. They played a little loop of a few quotes from the speech he gave (although I think that speech was actually made at the house, but I'm not a Lincoln scholar so I'm not sure).
I thought this was interesting just because this is a replica of the clock he had in his law office.

And a replica of his name plate outside his office. The only other exhibit I wanted a shot of was a great chart showing the differences between north and south according to the 1860 census, great info plus the visual impact was pretty neat, but there was no way to shoot that with all the people inside the truck.
They also had the video, "The Civil War in Four Minutes." I've seen this before on youtube but I'm pretty sure its since been pulled from the site. Its a pretty impressive little video.
I did think it odd that they did not have any gifts. I would have bought something for my four year old, maybe it would have sparked a little interest in the war. Later in life he'd remember that day his father took him to see a bearded guy in a tall hat, and maybe he'd have some sort of odd plastic Lincoln figure to remember the day by. Clearly there was no room in the semi but a little tent outside with a few books, hats, etc would have likely done a good amount of sales for the museum. Maybe that's just my retail background talking, but I'd imagine a few thousand people went through the museum this weekend and even if less than 1% bought something it would have been profitable. If they had sold bottled water they would have made a killing, it was a hot day to be standing in the sun, plus I forgot my hat so they might have sold a hat to me too.

Here's my dad and I in front of the semi. No one else was willing to get their picture taken.

Tennessee state monument

The newest of the Shiloh monuments is the Tennessee state monument. It was just erected a few years ago. I made the pilgrimage there that year to see the monument dedicated. I figured that a monument on this scale was not likely to be erected at Shiloh in the near future, this might be my only chance to be part of a Shiloh monument dedication in my life time so I had to go.

The first batch of pictures was taken the day before when we toured the park in the rain. The monument was getting some last minute touch ups for its big day. The ranger didn't shoo us away so we took a ton of pictures. The next day when the monument was covered we kept hearing people wondering aloud what the monument looked like and it was hard to contain our glee at having already seen it and knowing they would not be disappointed. Overall I think this is one of the better monuments at Shiloh.









The monument is titled, "Passing of Honor" and was sculpted by G.L. Sanders. I'm not sure if the newest versions of the Trailhead Graphics map has this monument on it yet or not. It is located in Woolf Field near the Water Oaks Pond.

On left side of monument:
Erected by the sovereign State of Tennessee. With assistance from the Tennessee United Daughters of the Confederacy, and Sons of Confederate Veterans, this monument is dedicated, with everlasting gratitude and respect, to the Tennesseans who fought here.

On back of monument:
Units engaged
Tennessee Organizations engaged at the Battle of Shiloh, April 6th and 7th, 1862
Artillery: Bankhead’s Battery, McClung’s (Caswell Artillery) Battery, Miller’s (Pillow Flying Artillery) Battery, Polk’s Battery, Rutledge’s Battery.
Cavalry: 3rd (Forrest’s) Regiment.
Infantry: 1st (Maney’s Battalion) Regiment, 2nd (Bate’s) Regiment, 2nd (Walker’s) Regiment, 4th Regiment, 5th (Venable’s) Regiment, 5th [35th] (Hill’s) Regiment, 6th Regiment, 9th Regiment, 12th Regiment, 13th Regiment, 15th Regiment, 19th Regiment, 20th Regiment, 22nd Regiment, 23rd Regiment, 24th Regiment, 27th Regiment, 28th Regiment, 33rd Regiment, 38th Regiment, 44th Regiment, 45th Regiment, 47th Regiment, 51st Regiment, 52nd Regiment, 55th Regiment, 154th Senior Regiment, Crew’s Battalion.

On right side of monument:
“The Tennesseans had more to fight for. The fight was for their homes and firesides.” Brigadier General Patrick R. Cleburne, as recounted by a solider in the 23rd Tennessee Infantry.

It was just a sea of cars.
They put out a ton of chairs and still only about half could sit.


The 51st Tennessee provided a guard for the monument before the unveiling.
Some group of reenactors brought a gun to give a salute, and it was nicely polished. I'm not sure I've ever seen a cannon sparkle like this, or maybe I'm just used to the green look.
I took this picture because I figured it was a rare day that one would see cannon among the tents. This view may not have existed since 1862.

Kentucky state monument

Kentucky's monument is pretty plain. Basically its an interpretive marker with text and maps on both sides. Its better than nothing but after seeing some of the other very impressive monuments is a bit of a let down. What it lacks in style though it makes up for in information. I doubt I've ever seen a monument that has this much writing (outside of the few at Vicksburg and Gettysburg that list every soldier from that state who was there).

Kentucky regiments at battle of Shiloh
First Day April 6, 1862.
As a border slave state that remained in the Union, Kentucky was sharply divided in its loyalty during the Civil War. The state provided many troops to both sides at Shiloh: Approximately 6,500 to the Federal forces; approximately 2,000 to the Confederate forces. Confederate Commanding General Albert Sidney Johnston, who was killed in action on April 6 at Shiloh, though a Texan by adoption, was a Kentuckian by birth, and he retained innumerable ties of blood and sentiment with his native state. Confederate Brigadier General John C. Breckinridge, who was a former Vice President of the United States, and who commanded the Confederate reserve corps at Shiloh, was from Kentucky. Two sons of a distinguished United States Senator from Kentucky, Senator John J. Crittenden, were in opposing armies at Shiloh; Brigadier General Thomas L. Crittenden for the Union; Brigadier General George B. Crittenden for the Confederacy. Kentucky's "Confederate Governor," George W. Johnson, fought and died in the Southern ranks at Shiloh. Five Kentucky Infantry regiments, plus the Kentucky cavalry squadron of Colonel John Hunt Morgan, the Kentucky cavalry company of Captain Philip Thompson, and the Kentucky artillery battery of Captain Robert Cobb, were in the Confederate forces at Shiloh. The 7th Kentucky Infantry served in the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Division of Major General Leonidas Polk's 1st Corps; it was deployed initially at about 8:30 A.M. of April 6 as a supporting unit on the Confederate left; by 10:00 A.M. it was engaged at the Hornets' Nest. The 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 9th Kentucky Infantry regiments and Cobb's artillery battery served in Colonel Robert P. Trabue's 1st Brigade of Breckinridge's reserve corps. Detached from its parent corps early in the morning of April 6, the 1st brigade entered the battle at 9:30 A.M. at the Crescent Field. Here the 3rd Kentucky Regiment was separated from the brigade by General Beauregard and ordered to another part of the battlefield. No further record remains of its location or action the first day. During the course of the fighting, the brigade was moved by stages across the front until late in the afternoon it rejoined Breckinridge's corps on the extreme Confederate right. At the close of the first day's combat the brigade was at the Indian mounds overlooking the Tennessee River. All of the Kentucky Confederate units experienced hard fighting and suffered heavy casualties during the day. Only two Kentucky regiments, the 17th and 25th Kentucky Infantry regiments, were present with the Federal Army (Army of the Tennessee) during the first day of the battle. Attached to the 3rd Brigade of Brigadier General Stephen A. Hurlbut's 4th Division, they were encamped in the northeast edge of Cloud Field (near the present marker) when the battle opened. Shifted from one hotly contested position to another during the first day of fighting, they had their severest action early in the afternoon at the Peach Orchard. Late in the day they were placed near the Pittsburg Landing road as a part of General Grant's final defensive perimeter. The Army of the Ohio, which reinforced the Army of the Tennessee during the late afternoon and night of April 6 and the morning of April 7, contained ten regiments of Kentucky troops: the 5th Regiment of the 4th Brigade, 2nd Division; the 6th Regiment of the 19th Brigade, and the 1st, 2nd, and 20th Regiments of the 22nd Brigade, 4th Division; the 9th and 13th Regiments of the 11th Brigade, and the 11th and 26th Regiments of the 14th Brigade, 5th Division; and the 24th Regiment of the 21st Brigade, 6th Division. The initial unit of the Army of the Ohio to arrive at the scene of battle, the 4th Division, was commanded by Brigadier General William Nelson, a Kentuckian. The Kentucky troops in both armies shared fully in the bitter fighting of April 7 as the strengthened and reanimated Federals pressed forward and as the outnumbered, exhausted, and demoralized Confederates gradually yielded the field. Morgan's Kentucky cavalry joined with Forrest's Tennessee cavalry and other detachments on April 8 to repel General Sherman's pursuit near Mickey's -- the closing action of the battle of Shiloh. Casualties among Kentucky troops at Shiloh: Union, 115 killed, 636 wounded, 29 missing; Confederate, 137 killed, 627 wounded, 45 missing.
Kentucky Historical Society 1974

The back of the monument is the same text but has a day two map.

The monument lists the two Crittenden brothers as serving at Shiloh, however the Confederate brother, Major General George B. Crittenden, was not at Shiloh. He had been in command of the Reserve Corps but was replaced with General Breckinridge on March 31. It also lists the 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 9th Kentucky Infantry regiments as being in Trabue's Brigade. It actually was the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Kentucky Infantry regiments.

Lincoln exhibit

In yesterday's Denver Post there was a brief article about a new traveling exhibit on Lincoln. And its first stop is Denver. Its only here through Sunday but I think I will be able to make it down there. I'm sure Denver is the first stop because they knew they'd get coverage on this blog (or maybe its because it started at the American Associate of Museums Conference which happened to be in Denver this year, either way).

The exhibit, "Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America,." is on an expandable 53-foot semi-tractor trailer. Right now its parked at the Colorado History Museum at Broadway and 13th Street in Denver. For future dates you'll have to check out www.abelincolnmuseum.org Its on a two year tour of the country, but it starts right here in my town. It'll be back in town for the Democratic National Convention in August but I'm hoping to catch it this weekend.

I'll post a review and as many pics as they allow me to take next week, assuming I end up making it there. For now here's a picture from the Denver Post and another from www.abelincolnmuseum.org

Confederate monument (UDC)

This is one of my favorite monuments at Shiloh. It was designed by Frederick C. Hibbard and was erected in 1917 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in memory of all Southern troops who fought in the battle. More than any other monument there it has an impressive story to it. Hibbard titled the monument "Victory Defeated by Death and Night."

The central group represents a "Defeated Victory." The front figure, representing the Confederacy, is surrendering the laurel wreath of victory to Death, on the left, and Night, on the right. The main Death being referenced here is the death of army commander Albert Sidney Johnston. Night brought reinforcements to the enemy in the form of Lew Wallace and Don Carlos Buell. Those two events sealed the fate of the battle, at least to Hibbard and the UDC.

There are two other groups of figures. On the extreme right is the infantry and the artillery. The infantry soldier has snatched up his flag and is defiant. The artillerist is calm and appears to be looking through the smoke of battle. The group on the left has the cavalryman and an officer. The cavalry solider is anxious to do something but cannot due to the thick woods. The officer has his head bowed in submission to the order to cease firing when it seemed the Confederates were on the verge of winning the battle.

In the center of the massive pedestal is a marble relief of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. To his right is a panel of heads representing the spirit of the first day; hopeful, fearless, courageous. On the left another panel of heads represents the second day of the battle and the sorrow of the men, now reduced to 10, over the victory so nearly won and so unexpectedly lost. You'll also notice on their shoulders is a wave, which looks slightly different in each panel. One could say the wave has crested and is now receding.

On the back of the monument Shiloh Superintendent DeLong Rice provided these remarks, "The states of the South sent to the battle of Shiloh, seventy-nine organizations of infantry, ten organizations of cavalry and twenty-three batteries of artillery. How bravely and how well they fought, let the tablets of history on this field tell. As a greeting to the living remnant of the host of gray, and in honor of its dead - whether sleeping in distant places or graveless here in traceless dust - this monument has been lifted up by the hands of a loving and a grateful people."

Alabama

Like most state monuments at battlefields the Alabama monument at Shiloh lists the various units engaged at the battle. This one goes the extra step of listing the various commanding officers as well as the two general officers from the state. I changed the order of how the information was inscribed on the monument just so that the order flowed better to my eye. It is located near the Wheeler monument from last week's posts.

Alabama
To the Lasting Memory of the Heroes from Alabama Who Fought at Shiloh April 6-7, 1862 Erected by the Alabama Division United Daughters of the Confederacy 1907



Alabama Infantry
4th Battalion, Maj. James M. Clifton
16th Regiment, Lieut. Col. John W. Harris
17th Regiment, Lieut. Col. Robert C. Fariss
18th Regiment, Col. Eli S. Shorter
19th Regiment, Col. Joseph Wheeler
21st Regiment, Lieut. Col. Stewart W. Cayce, Maj. Frederick Stewart
22nd Regiment, Col. Zach C. Deas (wounded), Lieut. Col. John C. Marrast
25th Regiment, Col. John Q. Loomis (wounded), Col. George D. Johnston
26th Regiment, Col. John I. Coltart (wounded), Lieut. Col. William D. Chadick
31st Regiment, Lieut. Col. Montgomery Gilbeath

Alabama Cavalry
Gen. Bragg's Escort, Company, Capt. Robert W. Smith
First Battalion, Capt. Thomas F. Jenkins
Miss. and Ala. Battalion, Lieut. Col. Richard H. Brewer
First Regiment, Col. James H. Clanton


Alabama Artillery
Gage's Battery, Capt. Charles P. Gage
Ketchum's Battery, Capt. Wm. H. Ketchum
Robertson’s Battery, Capt. Felix H. Robertson.

Alabama General Officers at Shiloh
Brig. Gen. Jones M. Withers, 2nd Div., 2nd Army Corps
Brig. Gen. Sterling A. M. Wood, 3rd Brig., 3rd Army Corps

Brig. Gen. Jones M. Withers:

Brig. Gen. Sterling A. M. Wood:

2nd Tennessee (Bate's)

Until recently this was the only Tennessee monument on the battle field. It is for Bate's 2nd Tennessee Infantry, there actually were two 2nd Tennessee Infantry regiments at Shiloh (Bate's and Walker's). It is near Shiloh Church.

There are two oddities to this monument that I've always had a hard time understanding. The first is that it quotes General Cleburne's report concerning what the regiment did, "Tennessee can never mourn for a nobler band than fell this day in her second regiment." But it misspells Cleburne as Cleburn. Surely by the time this monument was erected they had to know how to spell his name, he was not a hero or household name at the time of Shiloh but after the war he was much more of a household name, but apparently not enough to get his name spelled right.

The other oddity is the flag on the monument. I've researched it a bit and as far as I can tell this style was not in circulation at the time. Perhaps it is a model of the 2nd Tennessee's flag, I've never seen a copy of the flag they carried at Shiloh. What it looks like is the modern Mississippi state flag but why that would appear on a Tennessee monument is even more confusing. My best guess is that is what Bate's 2nd Tennessee carried but maybe a flag expert out there can better enlighten us all.

Arkansas state monument

This monument sits near one of my favorite monuments on the battlefield, the Wisconsin state monument. You can usually see it poking through the trees from the Wisconsin monument, its a neat sight to see that soldier through the trees, like he's peering through the trees back at me.
Confederate Troops from Arkansas present at engaged in the Battle of Shiloh.

The following named Field Officers of Arkansas troops were killed, or died of wounds received on the Battlefield of Shiloh
Lt. Col. A. D. Grayson, 12th Arkansas
Lt. Col. John M. Dean, 7th Arkansas
Lt. Col. A. K. Patton, 15th Arkansas
Maj. J. T. Harris, 15th Arkansas
Lt. Col. Charles E. Patterson, 2nd Arkansas, wounded April 6th, died April 7th.

To the brave Confederate dead of Arkansas who fell upon this battlefield, this monument is erected by the Arkansas Div. United Daughters of the Confederacy in the year 1910.

1st Arkansas (Fagan) Gibson's Brigade, Bragg's Corps
15th Arkansas (Patton) Cleburne's Brigade, Hardee's Corps
2nd Arkansas (Govan)
6th Arkansas (Hawthorn)
7th Arkansas (Dean) Shaver's Brigade, Hardee's Corps
8th Arkansas (Patterson)
9th (14th) Arkansas Battalion (Kelly) Woods' Brigade, Hardee's Corps
9th Arkansas (Dunlop)
10th Arkansas (Merrick) Bowen's Brigade, Breckinridge's Corps
13th Arkansas (Tappan) Stewart's Brigade, Polk's Corps
Calvert's Battery (Shoup's Battalion)
Hubbard's Battery (Cleburne's Brigade),
Trigg's Battery (Hardee's Corps)
Roberts' Battery (Unassigned)

One Year

I have been doing this blog now for one year, and I'm quitting, no I'm joking. I love this blog. I've met some interesting people I don't think I'd have ever gotten a chance to talk with if it hadn't been for this blog. I seem to have found a nice little niche here, showing pictures of battlefields and monuments. Somehow I've developed an audience, I can tell from the tracking numbers that there is a loyal audience who checks in at least once a week, some of them have emailed me to tell me how much they like the blog.

I'm continually amazed at just how many people read this little blog and that I get visitors from around the world. I've had visitors from 73 countries, representing every continent (although there is not much interest in Africa). This blog has been seen in all 50 states. I've had 4916 unique visitors, and they have looked at 21483 pages. These might be small numbers in the grand scheme of things but to me they are pretty impressive, I never would have imagined nearly 5000 different people would see this, that they'd look at it over 21,000 times, or that they'd represent 73 different countries.

Thank you to everyone. To the first time visitor finding this today, to the frequent visitor looking at what's new, to the publishers who have graced me with review books (I'll get to them all eventually, hopefully sooner than later), to the people who have shared a bit of their own lives with me on this site. Thank you all. Hopefully we'll bump into each other on the road somewhere and can share some more stories.

Texas state monument

Every Texas monument I've ever seen on any battlefield in any theater always looks the same. I understand why, they were all placed for the centennial. They probably came up with the design first with this intent in mind. Its a good idea, I kinda like that I can tell at a distance it is a Texas monument.
TEXAS

Remembers the valor and devotion of her sons who served at Shiloh
April 6-7, 1862.

Here the Rangers upheld the fame of the name they bore, the 2nd Texas fought with gallantry and the 9th Texas responded to any demand upon its courage and endurance.

General Albert Sidney Johnston of Texas gave his life in this battle.

Texas troops at Shiloh were;
9th Texas Infantry, Colonel Wright A. Stanley, (Brig. Gen. Patton Anderson's Brigade, Ruggles' Division, Bragg's Corps)
2nd Texas Infantry, Col. John C. Moore, Lieutenant Colonel William A. Rogers, Major Hal G. Runnels, (Brig. Gen. John K. Jackson's Brigade, Withers' Division, Bragg's Corps)
8th Texas Cavalry (Rangers), Colonel John A. Wharton, (unattached)

A memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy
Erected by the State of Texas 1964