NY Times: Opinionator: Why Shiloh Matters

My grand-dad Lawrence Urquhart served on the S.S. Beauregard which I recall was on the Lend-Lease "Murmansk run" convoy to aid Russia when his brother, as captain of the S.S. City of Atlanta, was lost with 40+ crew and passengers on the way from NYC to Savannah, Georgia, sunk by U-123 in "Operation Drumbeat". I once, working on the archeology of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Barge Canal, had the opportunity to visit nearby Shiloh from MS. I have also worked in the Cold Spring, NY periphery of the West Point Foundry and would like to point out that the "cannonballs" atop the rifled R.P. Parrott vertical cannon in the tribute to "Col. Everett Peabody" were never actually part of the cannon. It fired a shell with a brass "sabot" or foot to impart the twist of the barrel "rifling" and contained incendiary, perhaps, as used in the "Swamp Angel" bombardment of Charleston, South Carolina, also noted in poem, one by Herman Melville. Perhaps added later, and not actually used in the battle. I've also read that the origin of American "protest folk music" in music history began with this horrendous battle. Comment submitted: “Why Shiloh Matters” – Winston Groom, April 6. 2012