Shiloh National Battlefield and Cemetery

MSSPI at Shiloh Battlefield and US National Cemetery


Articles and Photos by Angela L.Co founder MSSPI

MSSPI has been to Shiloh on two occasions, the first time in the summer of 2008 with Angela & Tony and The second time on a day trip with the Founders in July of 2009. We are planning a 3rd group trip in October 2010.

Angela & Tony had some great experiences on their first trip to the battlefield and captured a great EVP that is being featured in Paranormal Inc's New Haunted Battlefields Documentary Ghosts of War coming out sometime in October 2010, We will keep you informed when we have more information on the release date. But you can hear the EVP clip recorded on the Trail to Sherman's Headquarters and that is being featured in the upcoming Para Inc. documentary on our main website http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ under the case files EVP tab.

Tony & Angela were walking up a wooded rail behind the Old Shiloh Church Cemetery on their way to the Sherman's Headquarter Monument. Angela also thought she saw a shadow figure run past her in the woods at nearly the same time this EVP was recorded.

Photo by Angela L on 2009 day trip to the US National Cemetery at Shiloh Battlefield. Tn.

Shiloh National Cemetery was established in 1866 and embraces an area of 10.2 acres. There are 3,695 bodies buried in the cemetery, two thirds of which are unidentified. there are also a number of other casualties from nearby battlefields. Some from the Spanish American War, both World Wars and one from the Revolutionary War. There are only two Confederate bodies buried here, both died while being held prisioners of war by the Union Army.

The Wisconsin Color Guard Memorial is located on the east end of the cemetery overlooking the Tennessee River.

We recorded several EVP clips while in the cemetery and they can be reviewed on the main MSSPI website under Casefiles EVP tab.

Areas of Interest on the Battlefield

MSSPI Co Founder Shelly Beard trying to get this monsterous monument in a shot. Photo by Angela L .

                                                                 The Iowa State Monument

This 75 foot monument designed by E.F. Triebel was erected by the State of Iowa in 1906. An eagle tops this massive monumant with a wingspan of 15 feet. At the base if the monument is a bronze statue, symbolic of "Fame" inscribing a tribute to the Iowa soldiers who fought and died in the battle. The State of Iowa also has 11 more regimental monuments on the field.

Confederate Burial Trenches

Photo by Angela L 2009 MSSPI

All of the confederate dead, except the two in the National Cemetery are buried throughout the battlefield in 5 large mass burial trenches. In the largest there are reportedly 721 bodies, stacked 7 deep. The day after the battle, General Beauregard dispatched a message to General Grant asking for permission to send a mounted party to the battlefield to bury his dead. In answer Gen Grant said " Owing to the warmth of the weather, I deemed it advisable to have all the dead of both parties buried immediately.. now it is accomplished." The Confederate and the Union soldiers were buried together in the trenches. Four years after the battle, the Union dead were removed to the newly established national cemetery. The Confederate dead still remain in the trenches where they were buried by the Union. Apparently the US Government did not feel the Confederate dead were worthy of a cemetery plot or a proper burial.

The Bloody Pond

Angela L had her first paranormal experience here at the Bloody Pond when she was about 8 yrs. She wittnessed an apparition of a wounded Union Soldier standing behind her while she knelt next to the pond. His reflection was in the water and he spoke to her and when she turned around to look at him, there was no one there. There have also been numerous reports of sitings of wounded soldiers as well as a woman in white who is rumored to be a nurse who was present after the battle of Shiloh.
The history of the Bloody Pond is well known as the water source shared by both Union and Confederate wounded at the Battle of Shiloh and that there was so much blood spilled here that the water was the shade of blood red. At certain times of the year, the pond will take on the shade of red giving it a bloody appearance. This red shade is made today by a red algea that grows in the pond.

The Old Shiloh Church

Angela & Tony recorded whispers in the Old Church replica which stands on the exact spot where it stood during the Battle of Shiloh.

On the second trip to Shiloh,  Shelly & David joined the tour and met the church wasps.

Ray Springs Bridge
There have been many claims of people wittnessing apparitionsof soldiers on or near the bridge. On our second trip, Shelly David and Angela smelled the scent of cinnamon which we could not not find the source for. While we are not saying it was paranormal is was very odd.

Tony B at the Sunken Trail

There have also been numerous reports of phantom voices, screams, cannon fire and full bodies apparitions sighted or heard near the Sunken Trail as well as the surrounding fields where thousands of wounded and dying men lay bloody and mangled after the Battle of Shiloh.

The Park Service will tell you that they have no knowledge of ghosts and hauntings at the Battlefield, but numerous visitors and witnesses to the parks paranormal activities, dare to disagree.

Shiloh Facts

Shiloh National Battlefield is located on the west bank of the Tennessee River at the intersection of St. Hwys 45 and 142. It is 13 miles east of 45 and 5 miles south of Hwy 64.

Shiloh National Military Park is administered by the National Park Service of the United States Department of The Interior.

Shiloh National Military Park contains approximately 3,730 acres of Federal Land and was established by an act of Congress in 1894.

The battle of Shiloh occurred April 6 & 7th of 1862, nearly 24,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or reported missing.


There are numerous other areas of interest at the Shiloh Battlefield. We took hundreds of photos and hours of audio recordings on both trips we have made to Shiloh. We are looking forward to returning in October 2010. Check the main MSSPI website at http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ for EVP clip postings and news updates.




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