Boom Goes the History

In the three days ending 1862 and beginning 1863, Union and Confederate forces clashed in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, resulting in the highest percentage of casualties for both sides of any major battle of the American Civil War.

We are joined by special guest, former Deputy Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representative Steve McDaniel to detail this lesser known 370-acre battlefield park. Garry Adelman, Kristopher White and Dr. Chris Mackowski also appear.

At the 2024 American Battlefield Trust Virtual Teachers Institute, Chris Mackowski sat down with Susan Eisenhower to discuss her grandfather's, President Dwight D. Eisenhower's, immense and lasting legacy.

After pushing the Confederate Army off the field at Shiloh, Ulysses S. Grant ordered Brig. Gen. William T. Sherman to move southwest towards Corinth to learn more about the condition of the Rebel Army. He quickly runs into Nathan Bedford Forrest, whose men are protecting a Confederate field hospital. The "official" end of the Battle of Shiloh ensued. In 2012, the members of the American Battlefield Trust preserved 250 acres of the Fallen Timbers battlefield.

Located on the banks of the Tennessee River, Dill Branch served as crucial terrain for Ulysses S. Grant at the end of the first day's fighting at Shiloh. The Union's position on the high ground allowed them to hold off Confederate attacks and regroup for the morning. General Parker Hills of Battle Focus Tours details the landscape.

Over the course of the almost 160 years since the Battle of Shiloh, specific locations on the battlefield have become more popular than others. Dr. Timothy B. Smith (Tim Smith of the West) and General Parker Hills dissect what made these spots famous and whether or not they are worthy of the attention that they receive from visitors. Smith is a professor at UT Martin and Hills comes to us from Battle Focus Tours.

While leading his troops on April 6, 1862, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston was shot in the leg, and due to nerve damage from the wound he did not know the severity of his injury until it was too late. Johnston remains the highest ranking American officer to be killed in combat.

Learn about Albert Sidney Johnston's style of leadership on the field from General Parker Hills of Battle Focus and Dr. Chris Mackowski of Emerging Civil War.

Very early on in the battle, both sides realized that the terrain at Shiloh was going to make for a difficult conflict. General Parker Hills details the intriguing action between Confederate forces under Brigadier General Adley H. Gladden and Union forces under Col. David Stuart.

Garry Adelman and General Parker Hills detail one of the most iconic locations of not only the Shiloh battlefield but of the entire Civil War.