Shiloh Park hosting Civil War medical demonstrations, ‘Blood Drive on the Battlefield’

Wounded soldiers during the Civil War Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia, which took place on May 5-7 in 1864.

Friday kicks off the weekend at Shiloh National Military Park with the park’s second annual “Blood Drive on the Battlefield,” followed by two days of Civil War medical demonstrations Saturday and Sunday.

Shiloh is partnering with Lifeline Blood Services on Friday for people to be able to donate blood on the battlefield.

“We are excited to be partnering once again with Lifeline Blood Services at a time when there is a shortage of available blood in the United States and particularly the state of Tennessee,” Park Superintendent Catherine Bragaw said.

Anyone 18 or older and in good health is invited to donate blood at Lifeline’s mobile donation vehicle. It will be at the park’s visitor center parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All donors will also receive a free T-shirt from Lifeline.

On Saturday and Sunday, living historians will give talks and present demonstrations of Civil War medicine and surgical procedures.

The demonstrations focus on the roles of regimental surgeons and assistant surgeons up to the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. The historians will also briefly discuss how those roles changed as the war progressed.

Living historians will also be portraying the 2nd Iowa Infantry field hospital at Shiloh and sharing stories of real soldiers and their care after battle.

Demonstrations of Civil War medical instruments and equipment, as well as procedures for treating and evacuating the wounded take place at the replica field hospital throughout the weekend.

The demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m., and on Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.

The tent hospital site will be set up in the front yard of the visitor center and is open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.