Department News

History Group Does Service Project at Shiloh National Military Park

Members of the Delta-Psi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta and the Rutledge Honorary History Club traveled with Drs. Stephen Carls and Keith Bates on April 8, 2006, to do a service project at Shiloh National Military Park. The nine-person contingent from Union worked with Park Ranger Ashley Ball in directing traffic in a parking area close to a site that was used all day long for Civil War re-enactor demonstrations. When not directing traffic, the volunteer workers observed some of the living history programs scattered across the park. The special weekend events at Shiloh were in observance of the 144th anniversary of the Civil War battle in April, 1862. In her thank you letter, Park Ranger Ball praised the "excellent character" of the group and stated that the Union workers exceeded her high expectations of them in dealing with the parking activity.

Among the participants in the Shiloh service project of April 8, 2006, are (front row, left to right) Joshua Abbotoy, Jessica Gertig, Cassie Harris, and Jennifer May; (back row, left to right) Natalie Treece, Nikki Henry, Jared Myracle, and Dr. Keith Bates. Dr. Stephen Carls took the photo.

Park Ranger Ashley Ball gives instructions about directing cars to parking spots at Shiloh to Union University volunteers.

Posing for the camera prior to the arrival of heavy morning traffic on April 8 are (left to right) Jessica Gertig, Jennifer May, former mayor of Selmer Jim Whittington, Jared Myracle, and Cassie Harris.

Jessica Gertig (left) and Jennifer May take photos of the Confederate re-enactors' campsite.

Jared Myracle shows a car where to park during the morning of April 8, 2006.

Confederate re-enactors prepare to fire their artillery guns in a demonstration on the morning of April 8, 2006.

Jessica Gertig (left), Jennifer May (center left), a Confederate army re-enactor, and Joshua Abbotoy (right) stand by a cannon following the morning artillery demonstration on April 8, 2006.

 
Confederate re-enactors dressed as infantrymen fire their weapons during a battlefield demonstration at Shiloh on the afternoon of April 8, 2006.