Cannon to roar July 3-4 at Shiloh National Military Park

Cannon firing demonstration at Shiloh Battlefield (NPS photo)

Shiloh National Military Park is presenting cannon firing demonstrations in commemoration of the July 4th weekend.

The scheduled demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday are presented by the Shiloh Cannon Crew, firing a 6-pounder gun, across the street from the park visitor center.

“These demonstrations will hopefully allow visitors to get a sense of the destructive power of the weapon and the terrible experience Shiloh soldiers faced when confronting massed artillery,” said park Superintendent Allen Etheridge. “The 6-pounder field piece was the most prevalent big gun in the Battle of Shiloh, making up 40% of all the cannon on the battlefield,” Etheridge continued.

On Saturday there are five demonstrations. They’re scheduled for 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. On Sunday there are four demonstrations. They take place at 11 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Each demonstration lasts about 20 minutes and include two cannon firings.

All demonstrations are free and open to the public. There is no mask mandate for vaccinated visitors in open spaces.