Civil War Ghosts of Shiloh National Military Park

Posted: 12.27.2024 | Updated: 01.04.2025

In southwestern Tennessee rests a varied expanse of fields and densely wooded areas. Yet, the Shiloh location is a placid landscape that belies a bloody past. Without the monuments and placards to denote what once befell this historic site, one might never know this was once a place of immense pain and death. 

Within the boundaries of the Shiloh National Military Park lies the battlefield of Shiloh and the battlefield of Corinth, as well as the Shiloh National Cemetery, holding within its soil thousands of men. Many of these souls are thought to haunt the park, some perpetually caught in battle while others wander as if lost and caught between realms. The Battle of Shiloh was a bloody one, and its abundance of violence likely tied many spirits to the location in a bond that is difficult to sever. 

Read on to unearth the darker side of this National Park and discover its spectral secrets. Ready to see some of the most haunted places in Gatlinburg on foot? Book a ghost tour with Gatlinburg Haunts to immerse yourself in more of this city’s spooky history. 

Is Shiloh National Military Park Haunted? 

Within the expansive 5,000 acres of the Shiloh National Military Park, many tales of unearthly occurrences lurk. Considered one of the most chilling locations in Tennessee, the park is largely believed to be haunted due to the massive number of casualties it saw during the Civil War. Over 3,000 men lay buried within the park’s cemetery, many of whom were unable to be identified. 

Such circumstances are opportune for hauntings. As such, visitors to the site report strange sensations, distant voices, and the sounds of battle far off, as if the violence that occurred here so long ago continues to reverberate throughout our earthly plane. 

Bloody Civil War Battles Amidst Farm Fields and Woods

The Battle of Shiloh lasted a grueling two days. From April 6th to April 7th, 1862, 65,000 Union and 44,000 Confederate soldiers were involved in battle. In the end, nearly 24,000 men would be wounded, killed, missing, or captured — a statistic thought staggering at the time. 

The Battle of Shiloh was waged along small farm fields and gnarled woods in southwestern Tennessee, matching Confederate Generals Johnston and Beauregard up against Union General Ulysses S. Grant.

As dawn broke on April 6th, the Confederate infantry stormed the southernmost Federal camps, taking Grant’s forces off guard. The fray was concentrated around the Shiloh Church as Union troops fell back towards Pittsburg Landing. 

As the morning continued, Confederate troops pushed Grant’s men into defensive positions at several points, including Water Oaks Pond, the Peach Orchard, and the Hornet’s Nest. By afternoon, General Johnston was shot in the right knee, severing an artery. After bleeding to death, Beauregard was appointed as the new Confederate commander. 

Thinking their maneuvers were successful, Beauregard called for the attacks to cease as night fell. Unbeknownst to him, reinforcements arrived overnight for Grant, resulting in the Union army greatly outnumbering his own. 

On the morning of April 7th, Grant launched an attack, and two timberclads arrived, supplying naval artillery support to Grant’s left flank via the Tennessee River. By 3 pm that afternoon, Beauregard retreated towards Corinth, grasping that he was outnumbered. By this point, massive casualties had occurred, with neither side escaping the horrors of war unscathed. 

Ultimately, the battle established a clear victory for Federal troops. On May 30th, Union forces would take control of the Confederate railway system during the Siege of Corinth, giving Union armies staging points to take Vicksburg and Chattanooga. 

The Specters of Ghost Soldiers

Within the Shiloh Military Park, you can visit a myriad of haunting sites, from the Bloody Pond to the Shiloh National Cemetery, which holds over 3,500 of the Civil War dead — about 2,300 whose identities remain unknown. 

Many were buried in mass graves in unhallowed ground, creating an environment ripe for unsettled souls to remain restless. Visitors to the Shiloh battlefield have revealed experiencing strange feelings and hearing unusual sounds. A special few have even claimed otherworldly sightings. 

One commonly told tale is that of the phantom drummer. Several park guests have reported hearing a drum pounding in the distance, although no reenactment is underway. Others report hearing the echoes of gunfire and men yelling, especially around the Hornet’s Nest.

Those who walk by this bloody site, where bullets once whizzed like angry insects, have reported encountering disembodied moans and cries for help, yet no one in need can be found.

Another haunted site is the Bloody Pond, so named as it was rumored to have turned a shade of crimson from the many men who washed the blood from their wounds after the battle. Every so often, the pond occasionally adopts the same red hue it had over 160 years ago, as if echoing the past traumas of the land. 

Multiple specters have been sighted by the Peach Orchard, including a little boy in grey and white clothing seen climbing down a ladder and fleeing into the woods. Another figure has been described wandering about slowly as if wounded. When approached, he disappears, reappearing again further away. 

Other structures are said to be haunted on the site as well, including the replica of the Shiloh Church. Guests here have described being touched, sensing they are being watched, or to have photographed strange mists inside. 

Eight Centuries Old: The Shiloh Indian Mounds 

A site much older than that of the Civil War is also located within the Shiloh National Military Park. Several prehistoric Indian mounds are listed as historic landmarks within the park.

Around 800 years ago, a town once resided in the high Tennessee River bluff, although its exact residents remain unknown. All that remains are the Shiloh Indian Mounds, telling us little about the former occupants who lived on this land long before battles were waged upon its soil.

These mysterious Indian mounds are also said to be a source of haunted activity. The rectangle-shaped mounds once served as platforms for the town’s central structures, likely including a council house, homes for town leaders, and various religious dwellings. 

Yet one mound appears slightly unlike the others. The southernmost mound differs from the rest, being oval and round-topped. This mound is believed to be where the town leaders and other important figures were buried. 

Guests who visit these sites describe feeling cold drafts despite the air around them being warm. At other times, a sensation of heat is experienced despite the air surrounding them being cold. Orbs have also been seen suspended above the mounds or flitting in and out of the earth. 

Could the residents of this former town linger here still? One might wonder what they think of the more recent ghostly occupants wandering the grounds should the two ever meet.

Haunted Gatlinburg

You can visit the Shiloh National Military Park during the day to enjoy its multiple exhibits within the Shiloh Battlefield Visitor Center and Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center. A self-guided driving tour spanning over 12 miles is also available in which guests can stop at 22 historic sites. 

If you’re looking for something to do after dark, however, you can embark on a journey into the shadows with Gatlinburg Haunts to descend into the shadowier aspects of this picturesque mountain town. 

Until then, keep reading more stories on our blog, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. 

Sources: