Shiloh to Celebrate the 108th Birthday of the National Park Service

News Release Date:
August 14, 2024

Contact:Chris Mekow, 731.689.5696

Shiloh is pleased to announce a full day of activities in celebration of the National Park Service's birthday, on August 24, 2024. The day will include a special ranger hike, a kids Junior Ranger camp, cannon firing demonstrations, tours of Shiloh National Cemetery, a Civil War era musicale and birthday cake!

"The National Park Service turns 108 years old on Sunday, August 25, so we will be celebrating its birthday at Shiloh on Saturday, August 24, with many activities for the public to enjoy," said Superintendent Catherine Bragaw. "We want to invite all of our visitors, park partners, friends, and neighbors, to join with us in the celebration," Bragaw continued.

The activities will start at 10:00 a.m. as Ranger Timothy Arnold leads a two-hour hike entitled, "Fraley Field: the Bloody Battle Begins." Follow in the steps of Colonel Everett Peabody's early morning patrol as they run into the Confederate skirmishers of the 3rd Mississippi Battalion in Fraley Field.

Hikers will learn about the approach routes of both the Union patrol and the Confederate skirmishers as they met in Fraley Field for the opening shots of the battle. Then follow the path of Prentiss' Division as they engage in a fighting withdrawal back to Peabody's camps.

The hike will take place from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and hikers will meet at the park visitor center before driving out to the starting point of the hike. The distance of the hike is about 3.5 miles over moderate terrain. Participants should wear clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather. Insect repellent, sunscreen, and water is recommended.

Please call the park's visitor center at 731-689-5696 to register for the hike.

Calling all Junior Rangers! Volunteers are needed for the 1st Shiloh Volunteer Infantry Regiment and Mekows' Battery (Battery A 1st Shiloh Light Artillery)!

In celebration of the National Park Service's Birthday, Shiloh National Military Park is offering a Junior Ranger Artillery Kids Camp on Saturday, August 24. We have three programs that will immerse children into American History. The first program will take kids through the "School of the Solider" which will teach them how to train like a Civil War solider. The second program will introduce kids to what the artillery did during the Battle of Shiloh and participate in some cannon drills as part of a crew (no live firing). The third and final program will cover the importance of the color bearers in the Civil War, and you will learn about flags and have a chance to design your own flag!

The program starts at the Shiloh Visitors Center at 10:00 a.m. and will end at 12:00 p.m. Participation in this camp is free to registered Junior Rangers and their guardians, so please register today by calling 731-689-5696.

The roar of cannon will echo across Shiloh Battlefield once again. Join the Shiloh Cannon Crew as they present Civil War cannon firing demonstrations in honor of the NPS birthday. Learn about the duties of the cannoneers and the tools and ordnance they used during the war.

Each demonstration will feature the firing of a 6-pounder field piece across the street from the park's visitor center. Demonstrations will take place on Saturday at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

As part of the NPS birthday, Shiloh rangers will provide guided tours of the Shiloh National Cemetery. These 30-minute-long tours will introduce visitors to some of the intriguing people and their stories contained within the cemetery walls. Learn about the first surgeon killed in combat during the war, the color bearers of the 16^th Wisconsin Infantry, and the two Confederates interred here.

The cemetery tours will take place at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Meet the park ranger at the gates of the national cemetery, no registration is required.

At 5:00 p.m., Shiloh is proud to present the acclaimed Civil War music of Steve and Lisa Ball. They will perform some of the most popular songs of the mid-19^th century and the stories behind these songs.

Playing period instruments and clad in Civil War clothing, the Ball's are modern troubadours of Civil War era music. Their historical research, story-telling, and musical abilities have entertained thousands of people all over the United States. The Ball's will perform two 45-minute sets, so everyone is invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic baskets and enjoy music on the lawn of the park's visitor center.

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