Mississippi Monument to be Dedicated at Shiloh National Military Park

Mississippi Monument to be Dedicated at Shiloh National Military Park

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SHILOH, Tennessee – Shiloh National Military Park Superintendent Dale Wilkerson announced today that dedication ceremonies for the Mississippi Monument will take place on Saturday, October 10, beginning at 11:00 a.m. The ceremonies, honoring all troops from the state of Mississippi who participated in the Battle of Shiloh, will take place at Rhea Field.

Mississippi is the only state that had a significant number of troops engaged in the battle that until now does not have a monument of any kind to honor its troops who fought here. In all, over 5,800 Mississippians were present at the battle, which was 13% of the Confederate Army at Shiloh. Of these, there were 1,404 casualties, which accounted for 24% of the Mississippian soldiers present.

“This monument is a welcome addition to the commemorative landscape we preserve at Shiloh National Military Park,” Superintendent Wilkerson noted. “Nineteen states had units engaged at Shiloh, and over the past 113 years fifteen of them have placed monuments, memorials and markers as a testament to the service of those whose fate brought them here in April of 1862. With the dedication of this spectacular monument, Mississippi will take its place in honoring the service and sacrifice of its sons on this great battlefield. This dedication will be a solemn moment in the history of the park, and connects us with the generations who have gone before.”

Rhea Field was the site of some of the fiercest fighting of the battle. On the morning of April 6, 1892, the 6th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, assigned to Confederate Brigadier General Patrick R. Cleburne, suffered especially horrendous losses here. Around 8:00 a.m., 425 men of the 6th charged the Union encampment of the 53rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Federal division commanded by Brigadier General William T. Sherman. The Mississippians immediately found themselves exposed to a murderous crossfire by massed infantry from two of Sherman’s brigades, supported by the fire of twelve cannon from two batteries of artillery. The results were devastating, forcing survivors to fall back into the cover of woods to regroup. Rallied by their officers, the regiment charged a second time and suffered another repulse. A third time, the shattered remnants rallied and attempted an advance, but were again turned away.

In less than 30 minutes, 300 of the 425 Mississippians had become casualties, with at least 50 of the men killed outright. These men are buried in a mass grave on the southern end of Rhea field. This casualty rate of more than 70 percent earned "The Bloody Sixth" the distinction of having the fourth highest percentage loss of any Confederate infantry regiment in a single battle during the Civil War.

The monument itself is principally sponsored by the state of Mississippi. The design features three 8-foot tall bronze soldiers atop a 6 foot, 2 inch granite base. In the sculpture, three Confederate soldiers are depicted going into the battle. As the color bearer is hit by a bullet, his comrades simultaneously reach for the flag and their fallen comrade. The depiction is very appropriate for this site, because 7 different color bearers were shot down at Rhea Field.

Dr. Kim Sessums, of Brookhaven, Mississippi, sculpted the soldiers. Dr. Sessums has been featured in various exhibitions and shows around the nation, and his works in bronze, mixed media, pencil and paint media are in museums and corporate/private collections throughout the country. Other public art works created by Dr. Sessums include: The African American Monument at Vicksburg National Military Park; G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery at the Mississippi State University library; Coach John Vaught at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at the University of Mississippi; and Dave “Boo” Ferriss at Delta State University.

In addition to the dedication ceremonies, author Stacy W. Reaves will be signing copies of her book “A History and Guide of the Monuments of Shiloh National Military Park.” The book signing will take place in the park bookstore from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Also, immediately following the dedication ceremonies, the new Mississippi Monument Christmas ornament will go on sale in the bookstore. A limited number of 500 ornaments have been produced.

A list of frequently asked questions and a site map are attached. For more information contact the park Visitor Center at 731-689-5696, go to the park website at www.nps.gov/shil, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShilohNMP.