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Rafael Eledge to Appear at Civil War Fair

The Civil War “Fair” is coming to Shiloh on Labor Day weekend, Saturday, September 2nd, and Sunday, September 3rd. Exhibits will feature unique artifact collections from the Civil War. In addition, appraiser and Civil War collector Rafael Eledge will be on hand to take a look at visitors’ artifacts.
As a part of this event, visitors are invited to bring their personal Civil War items to display. “This will be a great event where visitors can not only see unique artifacts associated with the Battle of Shiloh and the Civil War, but can also bring their own items to show,” said Superintendent Dale Wilkerson. “The variety of items that will be displayed will be amazing!”
Two major exhibits will be on display in the visitor center auditorium. The Army/Navy Expedition collection contains many rare items from the Union Army and Navy and the boats they used to successfully control the Mississippi River and tributaries during the war. Another exhibit will feature uniforms, weapons, and personal items from the 14th Missouri, “Birge’s Western Sharpshooters,” which participated in the Battle of Shiloh. Exhibits can be viewed from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.
From 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday only, Rafael Eledge will be on-hand to talk to visitors and offer his opinion on items they would like examined. Mr. Eledge is one of the most active and knowledgeable experts of the Civil War and 19-century militaria, and has frequently been featured on the popular PBS program Antiques Roadshow®. He established The Shiloh Civil War Relics shop in 1995, which is now an online operation, and consults for many museums and national parks, as well as for books and magazines.

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