Day 117 Grand Harbor Marina 2nd day Thursday September 13, 2018

Day 117  Grand Harbor Marina 2nd day Thursday September 13, 2018

Broken clouds today with some nice periods of sun. Comfortable temperatures in the low 60s to high 70s. A cool night was great for sleeping.

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To begin with our thoughts and prayers go out to those in the Carolinas with the impact of hurricane Florence now battering the coast and inland areas with expected massive flooding from rain and huge storm surges.

Ironically, our day was focused on carnage of a different sort - man-made. We visited the Shiloh Battlefield National Memorial. In a word it was sombering. The interesting thing for me was Grant had used the river to transport many of his troops to Pittsburgh Landing where they encamped. We passed up the Tennessee River just as the troops had done.

The focus of Grant's movement and the Confederate push was to stop the Union army from capturing control of the rail system that had a major junction in nearby Corinth. The battle that took place over two days with the Union forces turning a first day defeat on April 6, 1862 into a Confederate withdrawal after the next day.

Here is link to summary of battle

Some photos will help capture the scale and viciousness of the fighting.

The visitor center has a fine building that houses some excellent displays and a movie that provides an excellent re-enactment of the battle and presentation of maps to assist with  understanding the battle.  There is then a self guided tour via your car through the battlefield - so well done and amazing to see.

There are monuments everywhere - including one to those from Iowa that fought.

This commemorates the capture of a good segment of Union forces in the hollow know as the Hornet's Nest.

A field lined with cannon - imagine marching toward this!!!

This is a replica of  the Shiloh Meeting House - a Methodist church - hence the reference of the Battle of Shiloh.

The adjacent Shiloh Cemetery.

A monument to many Confederates that were lost in the nearby ravine

The cost of battle was immense. These shots are of a mass grave for confederate soldiers. I had an overwhelming sense of lost and tragedy standing here and viewing the plaque and then the simple marker for so many lost and unknown soldiers. The one thing that the movie did is call all the killed and injured confederate and union soldiers collectively "Americans." How true.

 The tour takes you to the river

We passed by here yesterday in our own boat. It was a really amazing thing to be able to do.

And finally a stop to the national cemetery.

A sight that made me simply stand there and gaze with a heavy heart at the carnage of war - and from one that we fought among ourselves - and really so few years ago.

 The unknown grave simply has a number

 And some we can associate a name with.

I trust this post has not been a downer to read - it was meant to help me remember the amazing visit that this was and hopefully give others a glimpse of the history found here that is significant for, and needs to be remembered and honored by, each American today and tomorrow, myself included.

So truly tonight I say .......

Good Night and May God Bless