Kind of late in the day, but here's the information on our annual Epic Trek Weekend at Shiloh next month. You don't HAVE to join us of course, but all the cool kids will be there! Just sayin'. facebook.com/share/19VtrxraR…

The Mississippi Monument in Shiloh National Military Park. Located in Rhea Field not far from Shiloh Church, this impressive monument was dedicated in 2015, making it the most recent of the park's state monuments. It sits on ground fought over by the 6th Mississippi Infantry on the battle's first day. Like most of the Confederate army at Shiloh, the men of the 6th Mississippi were green troops, having never previously seen combat. Their baptism of fire on April 6th, 1862, would nearly prove to be the regiment's undoing. Repeated attacks by the untested regiment across what one Shiloh historian aptly called "the killing ground" of Rhea Field resulted in an a casualty rate of more than 70%, a staggering number, higher than any other regiment in the battle. So completely was the regiment decimated by small arms and artillery fire across this ground, that for the survivors, the two-day battle of Shiloh lasted less than one hour. The 6th Mississippi would go on to take part in other battles during the war, but it never again suffered such a devastating experience as it did in it's short but terribly long morning in Rhea Field at Shiloh. The monument that now occupies this deceptively quiet field represents the awful carnage witnessed here so many years ago. #MonumentMonday

This is also why you want to be careful when gazing down a cannon barrel in a Civil War park. You might get buzzed by a surprised bird or some unhappy winged insect.

This is the William Manse George Cabin at Shiloh National Military Park. This is the only structure in the park that dates to the battle. It was on the former battlefield in April of 1862, but not in its current location next to the famous Peace Orchard. The cabin you see here was originally built in Perry Field in the far northeast part of the future military park, by a man named Lewis Wicker. When the battle hit, this cabin was in an area that only witnessed a long-distance artillery duel on the battle's second day, sparing the building. Over by the Peach Orchard a few miles away, severe fighting on both days destroyed the cabin in which William Manse George had lived with his family. Lewis Wicker having died prior to the war, George bought the cabin in Perry Field from one of his family members, dismantled it, and rebuilt it where his original cabin stood, and where it remains today. The cabin has undergone two major repairs in the years since the park's creation in 1894, and also still undergoes periodic work to ensure it's around for future generations to visit. Information courtesy of the Park Service at Shiloh. The picture is one I took a few years ago.

Well, congrats to Kentucky. They earned it.

I don't know what happens in tonight's game, but this is worth one more watch. Texas had the ball at midfield with less than 25 seconds to go, and it was Oklahoma that won in regulation. Just nuts.

This would be a great thing to take part in.

This looks like another very good History Camp Discussion coming up tomorrow evening (Thursday). historycamp.org/event/bob-dr…

We're finally getting some much needed rain, and lots of it. So instead of Water Wednesday, we're just going with #WetWednesday. This is Reconnoitering Road at Shiloh during one of our Epic Trek adventures. Hiking in the rain, not necessarily singing in the rain.

Someone out there should jump on this.

I've been going to physical therapy for a couple of months (back issues), and while it's certainly helped, it's also taught me something: Three minutes is a long time.

Then and now picture of the mortuary monument to Union Colonel Everett Peabody, killed on the first day of Shiloh in 1862. There are five such monuments around the park at Shiloh, each on or near the approximate spot where a senior officer was killed or mortally wounded. Among these already unique monuments, the one to Colonel Peabody is unique unto itself. With one exception (Lew Wallace), each division and brigade commander in U.S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee has a headquarters marker in the park, noting, obviously, where their headquarters were located prior to the battle. These monuments consist of a pyramid of cannonballs, large pyramids for division commanders and smaller ones for brigade commanders, and a whitewashed base. Both types of pyramids had the name of the respective commander printed in large black letters along the base. The mortuary monuments display an upright cannon in the middle of a whitewashed base, four small cannonball pyramids at each corner of the base, and the name of the respective commander again printed along the base in large black letters. There is also a bronze badge, with a brief description of the commander's death, attached to the cannon. As Peabody was killed near his headquarters tent, his monument serves the dual purpose of marking his headquarters and memoralizing his death. It is therefore the only monument in the park incorporating elements of both types of these markers. The picture on the left was probably taken around 1902, not long after the monument was placed. I do not know who the people are, but possibly relatives or simply early visitors to the park. On the right is the modern view from approximately the same spot. #MonumentMonday

BOOMER! 🏈💪

This cute little guy was hanging out at our local farmers market garden center. #FlowersOnFriday

Earlier, @arloreno1802 mentioned Ambrose Bierce and part of the written account of his experience of the battle of Shiloh. This is a video of historian Bjorn Skaptason's program on Bierce that he did for our group a few years ago at the park. Definitely worth watching, even if you need to break it up into a few viewings. Bjorn always does an excellent job, and Bierce is a very fascinating subject. youtu.be/Aa7He4Gr_08?is=rScd…