History of Military Park Told Through Photographs

Feb. 8, 2012 - PRLog -- The newest additions to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America and Postcards of America series is Shiloh National Military Park from local authors Brian K. McCutchen and Timothy B. Smith, with a foreword from the park’s superintendent, Woody Harrell. The books boast more than 200 vintage photographs and 15 postcard memories of days gone by.

Shiloh National Military Park, established on December 27, 1894, commemorates and preserves the site of the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh, one of the first major engagements of the Civil War. With 23,746 casualties, Shiloh served not only as a wake-up call for the North and South but also provided important strategic gains for the North.

Prior to the park’s establishment, a small national cemetery had been the only preservation and commemoration at the site for decades, but the arrival of the commission to build the park changed the isolated area to a memorial visited by hundreds of thousands annually. Originally governed by the War Department, Shiloh is now under the auspices of the National Park Service, which continues to preserve, commemorate, interpret, and educate the public about the Battle of Shiloh and the Civil War.

Both authors are former rangers at Shiloh National Military Park. Brian K. McCutchen has served in the positions of ranger, historian, and superintendent at other national parks. He conducted his graduate research on Civil War monuments, their history, and preservation and has led workshops on monument and cemetery conservation. Dr. Timothy B. Smith is a history professor at the University of Tennessee at Martin. They have gathered a wonderful collection of photographs of the battlefield, mainly from the archives at Shiloh National Military Park itself.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or
www.arcadiapublishing.com.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

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With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.