Visiting Civil War battlefields in Tennessee

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Civil War buffs will disagree but if you have seen one Civil War battlefield, you have basically seen them all. I have visited many including five recently in Tennessee and Mississippi and there is a sameness to them. Each played a strategic role in the conflict and each the scene of a horrific casualty count. The visitors center always has a video detailing the battle with reenactment scenes. Exhibits always have maps and positions and even more blow by blow descriptions and details. Displays always feature unearthed artifacts like minnie balls, canon shot, weapons, uniforms and buttons and other bits and pieces from soldiers. The parks have drives through lovely scenery whose ground was soaked for a few days with blood from 1000s of fallen men. Hard to imagine such carnage of war in these peaceful areas. The routes have markers and pullovers for points of interest like battle positions and encampments. Sometimes canons in fields for illustration. A major thing are old monuments and memorials. Shiloh National Military Park Shiloh is one of the best known Civil War battles. The park has two units at Shiloh on the Tennessee River and Corinth 22 miles south in Mississippi. General Ulysses S. Grant landed the Union army at Pittsburgh Landing with the intention of marching to capture the crucial Confederate railroad hub Corinth. Shiloh was a particularly brutal battle with the Union emerging with a costly victory. Total casualties: 23,746. Corinth suffered far less casualties in a bitter defeat for the south. Tupelo National Battlefield Yes, Elvis Presley’s birthplace. This is a lesser known battle that was a Union victory in July 1864. While a National Park Service property, there are no facilities here not even a brochure. This is just street corner lot with a memorial and pair of canon. Stones River National Battlefield The park is 28 miles from Nashville. The battle of Stones River waged three days (December 31, 1862-January 2, 1863) resulting in Union victory in terms of morale. The Hazen Brigade Monument is the oldest Civil War memorial still standing in its original location. Fort Donelson National Battlefield A very significant battle giving the Union its first significant victory in the war and propelled little known General Ulysses S. Grant into prominence. Fort Donelson was a heavily fortified Confederate position guarding the Cumberland River. Grant’s mission was to capture the fort. Confederate batteries initially pummeled Union ironclads and warships on the river into retreat as were Union troops repelled. However, Confederate confusion and poor leadership opened the way for Grant’s eventual demand of unconditional surrender. The park has a pleasant drive where you can see the gun batteries placements with nice views of the river. There is an impressive high white column Confederate monument, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park This was the first park of its kind established in 1890. Another park in two sections wth Chattanooga in Tennessee and Chickamauga just south in Georgia. The Union objective was to cripple the south by capturing Chattanooga with its strategic location on the Tennessee River and being a major railroad hub. The two sides clashed first at Chickamauga with the Confederates emerging victorious. They met two months later at Chattanooga with different results due to the arrival of Grant’s army. The park boasts some very impressive old large monuments that are on a par with those found at Vicksburg.