Shiloh National Military Park, established on December 27, 1894, commemorates and preserves the site of the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh, one of the first major engagements of the Civil War. With 23,746 casualties, Shiloh served not only as a wake-up call for the North and South but also provided important strategic gains for the North. Prior to the park's establishment, a small national cemetery had been the only preservation and commemoration at the site for decades, but the arrival of the commission to build the park changed the isolated area to a memorial visited by hundreds of thousands annually. Originally governed by the War Department, Shiloh is now under the auspices of the National Park Service, which continues to preserve, commemorate, interpret, and educate the public about the Battle of Shiloh and the Civil War.