Shiloh National Military Park, established on December 27, 1894,
commemorates and preserves the site of the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh,
one of the first major engagements of the Civil War. With 23,746
casualties, Shiloh served not only as a wake-up call for the North and
South but also provided important strategic gains for the North. Prior
to the park's establishment, a small national cemetery had been the only
preservation and commemoration at the site for decades, but the arrival
of the commission to build the park changed the isolated area to a
memorial visited by hundreds of thousands annually. Originally governed
by the War Department, Shiloh is now under the auspices of the National
Park Service, which continues to preserve, commemorate, interpret, and
educate the public about the Battle of Shiloh and the Civil War.