Documentary Exploring History
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Middle Aged (35-54)Transcript
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It's an area steeped in history, where a railroad crossroads became a strategic transportation link for both North and South. It was an area of intense fighting, a battle that would impact the course of the Civil War. Join us as we explore the history of Corinth, Mississippi, and Shiloh National Military Park. Our exploration begins in Corinth, Mississippi, in 18 60 to this small town was the center of attention by a nation at war. Corrine served as a critical railroad junction. It was here. The mobile in Ohio and the Memphis and Charleston railroads crossed the junction, second only to Richmond, Virginia was vital to the distribution of supplies for both the North and the South. General Ulysses S. Grant described Coren thanks the great strategic position at the West, between the Tennessee and the Mississippi River and between Nashville and Vicksburg. Corn is important because of the railroad junction that's located about 700 yards from where I'm standing in downtown Core in the city was established because of this important injunction. The railroads of the Memphis and Charleston and the Mobile, Ohio railroads intersect in downtown corn. The railroad junction was important during the Civil War because if when can gain control of the rubber a junction, then they could get access throughout the South. And even after the Civil War, the railroads were very important to the town, and the town revolved around that junction. Today, visitors are invited to explore the history of this diverse town. We start at the current Civil War Interpretive Center, maintained by the National Park Service and the unit of Shiloh National Military Park, since there is no better way to learn about history than to experience it, students from the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Mississippi and Jackson, Tennessee, were invited to do just that. Working together with Shiloh National Military Park, the current visitors Bureau, Mississippi Public Broadcasting and W. L. J. T. D T. The students were given the opportunity to explore a national park right in their own backyard. The core in Civil War Interpretive Center is built near the side of a union fortification battery. Robinette, the scene of bloody fighting during the Battle of Corinth in October 18 62. On hand were rangers from Shiloh National Military Park, who gave the students insight and understanding of the important history in the area. Upon arriving, visitors discover bronze replicas of battle debris scattered in the walkways leading to the center. The center has battled debris in the sidewalk. When you leave your vehicle and come up the sidewalk to the building, their different bronze autumns in the sidewalk that help you relate to the battle Teoh know that you're on a battlefield shallow. You're surrounded by woods and monuments and cannons. We're hearing cars were located practical in the middle of town. The railroad runs right beside our building, and we have a school across the street. So these things in the sidewalk just kind of bring you back to what's going on here. In 18 62 visitors at the Interpretive center can see several interactive exhibits such as computer touch screens and hear audio of individual experiences. In wartime Corinth, visitors can see a diagram, a exhibit of a soldier constructing earthworks. A completed fortification can be viewed from a window near the diagram A. Or you can step outside to see the Napoleon canon positioned in the fortification. A multimedia presentation on the Battle of Shiloh and a video on the Battle of Corinth can also be viewed one feature of the center visitors should not miss is the stream of American history located in the courtyard. The water feature here in our courtyard at Interpretive Center depicts the 1st 100 years of our nation's history starting in 17 70 reaching toe 18 70. Our nation was founded with the Declaration of Independence, and then we established the Constitution of our nation. You'll see on this side of the monument's the preamble to the Constitution on the other side of the Declaration of Independence. And with these two founding documents, we've based everything we do as a nation now. When the nation became a country, those 13 original colonies became states and their 13 waterfalls repeating those original state. The one long stream represents our nation as a whole, and as a new state comes into the union, we have black stones with water. Adding to those long stream. Our nation had several conflicts that eventually brought war Tarnation and those conflicts are represented. Red Square stones in the fountain. There were over 10,000 battles in the American Civil War. We chose around 50 battles to represent in our fountain here. Each block represents the number of casualties at each battle, so you'll see small blocks and then large blocks after Adametz Courthouse. When General Lee surrendered to General Grant, our nation comes back together and during that time period of rebuilding our nation together, we call that time reconstruction, endearing reconstruction. There were three amendments that came to our Constitution, the 13th 14th and 15th Amendments, and we have them here quoted on our Reunification Bridge. Joining our nation back together. There's a reflecting pool for visitors to just reflect upon their visit and about all the symbolism here in the courtyard, The quote says, the Civil War was fought over issues, a liberty, the cost was high and many issues remain to be resolved. We just would like for visitors just to think about the different things that this fountain represents and what it means to our nation. Today, National Park Service personnel are available to answer questions Visitors may have and can also provide information on touring Civil war core in the core In civil war, Interpretive center is open 8 30 to 4 30 daily except on Christmas Day. In the fall of 18 60 to the town of Corinth became the home of 1000 searching for freedom seeking the security offered by the occupying forces of the US Army. African Americans fleeing Southern plantations and farms found freedom. This migration increased dramatically following the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln. The defection of thousands of African Americans had a considerable effect on the Confederate Mawr effort. Union General Grenville Dodge began to enlist the escaped slaves, and as the attitudes in Washington changed, adult male refugees were soon recruited for service in the Army in Corinth, visitors air able to tour the side of the contraband camp. This area was the home of hundreds of families of African American men that had gone off to war. Beginning as a tent city in 18 62 it quickly grew into a small town. By mid 18 63 the core inthe camp resembled a small town, complete with houses, a church, hospital, commissary and streets. At the site, visitors can see six life size bronze statues depicting life at the camp. It was here African Americans experience selling crops they raised for themselves and not for their master. In 18 62 this was a unique concept, and the Corinth contraband camp allows visitors to understand this important turning point in our nation's history. For these students, it was a vivid reminder of our nation's past. Uh, while Corinth is known by most is just a stop on the Civil War trail, visitors confined plenty of local history to explore here. Ah, visit to the Crossroads Museum, located inside the historic Corinth Railroad Depot is a great place to start at the depot. You'll find historical information about the area. The Crossroads Museum features exhibits on the Civil War, the railroad, aviation and local business and industry. The Crossroads Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 4 and Sunday afternoons from 1 to 4. Theo railroads were key to bringing prosperity to Corinth, and as a result, the city became a manufacturing center. Korans growing population came to enjoy the many art and cultural influences brought about by economic growth. Visitors can see these examples in the numerous architectural styles found in the many homes and historic buildings. Visitors can pick up a copy of the historic Architectural Tour guide from the Core Inthe Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, or the Crossroads Museum. You can also check their website, www dot Horan dot net for the latest news on attractions and special events. Just a short drive from Corrine is the Shiloh Battlefield, established December 27th 18 94. The area is preserved is a lasting memory of the important events that occurred early in the Civil War. These areas are preserved for future generations to come and appreciate what occurred in our in our nation's history to memorialize on. Remember the sacrifices made by previous generations of Americans, no matter which side you fall on in the conflict. The park itself was established by the veterans of the fight, and that's how important it is. It's It's the veterans that created this park that started the national military park movement in the United States, and and it's the veterans that wanted to make sure what they had done, what their friends had done, what friends that they lost had done, You know that that wasn't ever for gotten. I think that's the most important thing, and obviously it's It's a huge learning experience for anybody that comes to these national battlefields to really realize what Americans went through to set us on the direction in the country that we live in today. It was here on a Sunday morning on April 6 that Confederate troops from General Albert Sidney Johnston's Army of the Mississippi began their attack. Their goal. To destroy General Ulysses S. Grant's Army at Pittsburgh landing. Both armies wanted one thing. Control of the strategic railroad junction and communication lines at Corinth. Visitors to the Shiloh battlefield should begin their tour at the Visitor's Center, where exhibits and a short film explained the Battle of Shiloh Park. Rangers will gladly answer any questions about the battle or the tour. The Shiloh Battlefield Tour consists of 14 stops that highlight important areas of the two day battle. At each stop, visitors can walk around and get a feel of how the battle unfolded Well. In the battlefield of Shiloh, there are a lot of really famous, if you will in popular history areas of the battlefield. Anybody that knows a little bit about Shiloh always talk about the bloody pond. Visit the bloody part. You got to go see the blood, which, of course, it's a huge attraction on the park. But the park itself ah, continuous about 4200 acres has many not just really important. Memorable historic spots which beautiful areas. It's just It's just a beautiful, preserved section of this part of the country. But people always want Teoh know about the Hornets nest and the sunken road to sites that are incredibly important in the history of the Battle of Shiloh. Um, and there's many other places, including even the church. Let's go visit to you know where the the Shiloh Church. Well, you know, the But what the battlefield was was named after in the area. Look, you want to go see that site also very popular on the battlefield. Students from the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Mississippi and Jackson, Tennessee Marone hand to experience. What? Serving in a really artillery gun crew was like Ready? Are you ready? Great. Before good away We're the students Also found out that for a soldier in the infantry during the Civil War, firing your rifle was it a simple is just pulling the trigger. The first command you as a soldier would be the same is with guns. No musk in between your legs. Hold it away from you with your left hand. The next command will be the handle cartridge. You're going to your cartridge box and you pull out of this. This is a role piece of paper. And inside this paper is your bullets and your gunpowder or your black power all in one nifty little the next remained will be tear cartridge. The next command will be in charge car for you before you're powder into the barrel and push your bullet in the next man will be to draw your room. And that command will be then, too ran partridge seating the cartridge into the gun. Then, of course, return your ramen. The next command will be to prime full the musket up above your head. Pull this hand back. One click that is the same. You go into your tap out from the front of your belt and you pull out this a small branch kept inside this camp is a filament that is an explosive, just like in cap guns. Today you place this camp under the cone of your musket right below the hammer. You are now loaded and prime. You are ready to fire. I go to the ready. I break down. Okay. What? Oh, when the day is done. Everyone has their favorite part of the tour. I learned that the war was more violent than I thought. I like saying the graveyard and stuff. I saw a bunch of stuff that I thought I would never see when we saw the cannons and how we knew how to work I knew was Ability is war, but I didn't think he was that bad, is it? Showed in the museum. They they shot a gun, and we learned about how the work can. I like going taking pictures of the bloody pond. I like this. I like the scavenger hunt. It was really fun, and I like learning how to shoot a gun. I think I learned more here than learning at school because they don't give us all the details as a museum does. The Battle of Shiloh was a significant turning point early in the Civil War. Coupled with the Confederate defeated core in the Southern Army, defending the Mississippi Valley was now seriously weakened. The union victory ensured that supplies would be available for their push into southern territory. It also meant the South would be deprived of the desperately needed materials to maintain their defense. The battles fought here also served to alter the way men fought on the battlefield. The staggering number of casualties on both sides prompted new techniques in field medicine, the American citizens and this is North and South. The men and women and kids back home learned about the Battle of Shiloh rather quickly. First war with embedded reporters or journalists with instantaneous communication via a telegram. So it's in the Cincinnati papers. Within a couple of days. It's in the papers in New York. In a couple of days, it's it's instantaneous communication. And when the word gets out about the losses, the Battle of Shiloh, 24,000 casualties killed, wounded and missing whether they be captured or skinhead old or whatever the case are never seen again. Of the 109,000 men that fought here, we're almost 110,000. You, you have one. And four men in this fight are a casualty. It is something the American public had never, ever experienced before in history. It was it was a huge shock, and it really showed not just the War department's north and south, or the politicians north and south, that this was gonna be a long, terrible conflict. It started to really wake up public. There was a surgeon on the staff of Don Carlos Bill, General Bills staff who arrived on the second day and he saw the mayhem and he realized that what is going on right now isn't working. So what he did was he grabbed as many medical staff as he could get a smudge as many supplies as he could find medical supplies, everything from bandages to whatever medicines. They had, two surgical tools and every wagon he could commandeer and headed towards the front where the men were, where the wounded lay instead of waiting for these men to arrive 2 2.5 miles in the rear after dusty, dusty trips in these rickety you know, bouncy, jaunty two wheeled ambulances, which you know isn't good for anything, especially at severely wounded soldier. He went to the front close to David Stewart's camps, commandeered a bunch of Stewart's tents and equip it and built himself a what we would now call a surgical field hospital with over 300 beds, a couple of surgical areas where multiple operations could take place, its own kitchen, its own sinks or restroom facilities. It was It was a complete entity in itself in the field where even when the soldiers were after they had been worked on, they start recuperating there instead of having to be transported miles over dirt roads or through paths or hills and fields and all that kind of stuff. So it was I mean, this was the first. If you will mash, uh, hospital that you would see and it would start to be emulated, it would start to be emulated before leaving Shiloh Battlefield. Take a moment to walk through the National Cemetery. Situated on a bluff overlooking the Tennessee River, this hallowed ground is a stark reminder of human cost of the battle. We have close to 34 100 dead in our cemetery. Some of them don't come. They don't all come from this single battle. But as far as union soldiers go there, all that to our knowledge in the cemetery. Today we have five rather large burial trenches on the battlefield where the Confederate dead remain. And a lot of people also have some confusion about that. When the battle was over, you're dealing with close to 3500 dead. That isn't overwhelming number. And right after the battle it started to get warm and people were scared about the spread of disease. These these dead bodies because they're also dealing with thousands of dead livestock, horses and mules and which are being burned. But they didn't do that to the dead. Confederate are the union soldiers. They buried all the soldiers union, Confederate, blue or grey whatever in burial trenches on the battlefield separate burial trenches. But the union soldiers would form burial details from a regiment and they would go out and bury, for the most part, men from their unit. So you do have a little bit better record keeping as far as names and numbers for the for the Confederates. These these union soldiers that hold the battlefield have to bury the Confederates to They don't know that these men are what There's no unit designations on their uniforms. Yeah, they didn't have stuff like that back then. They don't know if this is a boy from Louisiana or a boy from Arkansas or even, you know, Tennessee. They just don't know. So confederates are buried together in Confederate burial trenches eso it's It's hard for us to know the numbers were not kept or if they were, those documents no longer exist. It's one of the most memorable places you'll visit from Fraley Field, the site where the first shots were fired to the trample resting places of the fallen. Shiloh now is truly a place of peace. If you would like more information about Shiloh National Military Park, visit the National Park Service website at www dot n P s dot gov ford slash s h i l. While there, you can get information on Shiloh Battlefield and the core in Civil War Interpretive Center. The park offers daily interpretive programs during the peak season Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend throughout the year, the National Park Service host living history demonstrations. You can check the Shiloh National Military Park website for a schedule of upcoming events. The core in Civil War Interpretive Center and Shiloh Battlefield are open every day except Christmas Day. The city of Corinth, Mississippi and Shiloh National Military Park. To place is steeped in history and forever connected places. We hope you will visit and explore