Commanded by Captain John Wesley Powell, Wounded
Back of monument:
Reached this position about 10:00 a.m., April 6, 1862, and until 4 p.m. was in action on this line. Casualties in battle were 1 officer and 5 men wounded; 3 men missing; total, 9.
John Wesley Powell is one of those amazing characters of American history. He is much better known for what he did after the war, exploring the West. He has quite an impressive list of exploring exploits, all the more impressive considering that his Shiloh wound necessitated the amputation of most of his right arm. He must have been a pretty hardy man as he returned to service after he recovered from his Shiloh wound and served until the end of the war. Then he went west and climbed up mountains and other physical feats that men with both arms found difficult. His expedition often was the first white men to accomplish some feats, like traveling the length of the Colorado River (which cuts the Grand Canyon) or climbing Longs Peak (which appears on the Colorado state quarter). He was the second director of the United States Geological Survey and the founder of the National Geographic Society. A recap of Powell's career, plus photos taken of his expedition of the Grand Canyon can be found here.
The monument is located in Wicker Field, north of the Peach Orchard.
I'm not sure of the date of this photo of Powell.
This photo is from 1865.
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