October 31, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie
A National Park in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Stones River National Battlefield is a historic park and cemetery with a visitor center and walking trails along a Civil War Battlefield in Tennessee. There are several hiking trails and a driving trail.
The first place we stopped at of course was the visitor center. The Union victory at Stones River opened the way into the Confederate heartland. The battle was known as The Battle of Murfreesboro and lasted three days, from December 31, 1862, until January 2, 1863.
According to the History Channel —
The North was in control of central Tennessee, and the Union victory provided a much-needed morale boost in the aftermath of the Yankees’ loss at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862. Stones River was a hard-fought, bloody engagement, with some of the highest casualty rates of the war.
The driving tour is easy to follow and highly recommended. Stop #1 is a field where Rosecran’s Union Army arrived and occupied on December 30, 1862, the eve of the battle.
Stop #2 is called the Slaughter Pen where Confederate forces launched attack after failed attack but the Union forces held their ground. Both sides experienced heavy losses.
Stop #3 is a cotton field where Rosecran’s Union Army established a defensive line and continued to hold its ground.
Stop #4 is a field where canister charges forced Confederates back into the trees. Union troops defended the Nashville Pike and railroad here. The railroad and pike are still there.
This National Battlefield contains several displays of original cannons and wagons from the battle.
Stop #5 is an area called the Round Forest. The Union Army held its position throughout the entire day. This forest was covered with Confederate dead and wounded soldiers and was dubbed “Hell’s Half Acre.”
After the battle, most of the dead from both sides were quickly buried on the field. In 1865, they were moved and reburied in the new Stones River National Cemetery which is located across the street from the visitor center. Over 6,100 Union soldiers are buried here, with 2,500 of them having no name.
Stop #6 — The Artillery Monument in the photo below marks the battle’s final attack. Here is where 57 Union cannons fired upon the approaching Confederates, killing or wounding 1,800 men in a short time.
The Hazen Brigade Monument is shown below. Colonel Hazen’s men were the only Union soldiers who didn’t retreat. Over 400 of his troops fell in the battle and the survivors didn’t want the world to forget, so they built this monument in 1863.
It is one of the oldest Civil War memorials in the country.
They were buried according to what state they were from…Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.
The Battle of Stones River at Murfreesboro engaged approximately 76,400 men and had the greatest percentage of casualties of any major battle in the Civil War. It was declared a Union victory but at a great cost of life. Rosecrans’s men were so battered they would not campaign for another six months.