Shiloh

One hundred and forty-nine years ago the bloodiest battle in American history took place in a little area in south Tennessee called Shiloh. This battle saw high casualties on both sides and greatly affected the war.

Today, however, it is a very nice National Park with several hiking trails wandering about. The trails usually lead to significant battle sites or other noteworthy events. There are many different types of trail to choose from. This time we chose the compass course. It's about 10 miles and you do the majority of it using a compass at each site marker in order to find the next one. A pitfall I encountered was that there are trails leading away from many sites, but that does not mean that is the correct way to go. More than once my party got lost because we did not follow the compass, but went the way of the trail. Other instances saw a start of a path which would disappear forcing you to take multiple readings on your compass. As trying as this sounds it's actually very fun and a good skill to practice.

One thing you need to be aware of is the presence of ticks. These little creatures are all over Shiloh. One member of my group found 15 on him. So check throughout the day and once home or at camp, check again. Remember, ticks like warmer areas so check arm pits, waist bands, behind the knees and nether regions.

One unique aspect of this trip was the ongoing re-enactments being held that weekend. Actually it was the filming of a new visitor center film (the current one was filmed in the 50s). We got to witness some of the cannons firing and a few maneuvers of troops. It was interesting and very fun.

For those who are not interested in hiking long distances, Shiloh is full of shorter, less strenuous hikes. These wind around the park and visit many of the battle's sites. It's definitely worth the time to see this part of American history.