Bill introduced to expand Shiloh to include Davis Bridge

This past week, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) introduced the Senate version of a House bill which would enable the boundaries of Shiloh National Military Park to be expanded and include Hardeman County’s Davis Bridge Battlefield.
The “Shiloh National Military Park Boundary Adjustment and Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Designation Act” allows for Civil War battlefield lands of Davis Bridge, Fallen Timbers and Russell House to be included as part of the Shiloh National Military Park (NMP).
The bill would allow for the addition of more than 2,000 acres to Shiloh NMP’s boundaries. Currently providing 4,000 acres of preserved historical land and battlefields, Shiloh is estimated to bring in 70,000 visitors annually. Although the bill does not automatically or immediately add the acreage to Shiloh, it provides authority to the Secretary of the Interior to expand the boundary and acquire the land through donations or purchases from willing sellers or nonprofit organizations.
“As Americans, we have a special obligation to preserve and protect our heritage,” Alexander said. “Including these Civil War battlefields in the National Park System will honor that commitment, while providing an opportunity to attract more visitors to Tennessee and strengthen the local economies.”
The Battle of Davis Bridge brought an estimated 500 Union and 400 Confederate casualties during the war. Held on October 5, 1862 as part of the Iuka and Corinth Campaigns, Davis Bridge became a substantial battle in the war.
After the Battle of Corinth on October 5, 1862, the retreating Confederate Army met 8,000 Union troops at Davis Bridge.

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