Stones River National Battlefield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stones River National Battlefield |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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 Stones River National Battlefield
Location in Tennessee
Stones River National Battlefield
Location in the United States
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| Location | Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States |
| Area | 728.41 acres (294.78 ha) |
| Established | March 3, 1927 |
| Visitors | 206,425 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Stones River National Battlefield |
Stones River National Battlefield is a special park in Rutherford County, Tennessee. It covers about 570 acres (2.3 km2) along the Stones River. The park is located near Murfreesboro and Nashville. It was created to remember the important Battle of Stones River. This battle was a key event in the American Civil War. It happened on December 31, 1862, and January 2, 1863. The battle ended with a big victory for the Union army.
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How the Battlefield Park Was Created
The idea for Stones River National Battlefield came from many people and groups. Private citizens, a group called the Stones River Battlefield and Park Association, and a railway company all helped. In 1927, the United States Congress officially approved making it a national military park. At first, the War Department managed the park.
Early Efforts to Preserve the Battlefield
In the early 1900s, the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway helped promote the battlefield. They wanted more people to travel by train to visit the site. The railway also helped organize reunions for soldiers who fought in the war. They even bought parts of the battlefield to protect them. In 1906, the company put up a tall stone pillar, called an obelisk. It was 31 feet (9.4 m) high. This pillar remembered a key moment on January 2, 1863. Union cannons were placed there and stopped a Confederate attack.
The Stones River Battlefield and Park Association was started in 1896. This happened after another Civil War park, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, was created. People became more interested in saving important battlefields. The Association worked to get control of land where the battle happened. By 1897, they had options on about 3,400 acres (14 km2). Members of the Association also put up wooden signs to explain different parts of the battlefield. In 1912, the Association tried to get Congress to set up a system of markers. But this plan failed. Some people thought the battle landmarks were gone and could not be found.
Protecting More Land
The government started buying land for the park in 1928. They finished buying land in 1934. In 1992, the city of Murfreesboro gave the park a part of Fortress Rosecrans. This was the largest dirt fort built during the Civil War. The park today protects less than one-fifth of the land where the battle was fought. The battle covered more than 3,000 acres (12 km2).
On March 3, 1927, the site officially became Stones River National Military Park. In 1933, it was moved from the War Department to the National Park Service. This service is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. On April 22, 1960, its name was changed to a national battlefield. Like other historic places managed by the National Park Service, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
In April 2009, a strong tornado hit the park and caused some damage. Since 1997, a group called the Civil War Trust has helped protect more land. They have bought about 26 acres (0.11 km2) of the battlefield. This land was then sold to the National Park Service and added to the park.
Stones River National Cemetery
Inside the park is the Stones River National Cemetery. This cemetery covers about 20 acres (81,300 m2). It is the burial place for 6,850 soldiers. About 2,562 of these soldiers are unknown.
Just outside the main cemetery is the Hazen Brigade Monument. This monument was built in 1863. It is the oldest surviving monument from the American Civil War that is still in its original spot. Another monument, the 32nd Indiana Monument, is a year older. It is located at Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. An even earlier monument was built after the First Battle of Bull Run in Virginia, but it no longer exists. Soldiers from the Army of the Cumberland also built the U.S. Regular Brigade Civil War Monument here.
The cemetery was started on March 29, 1864. Major General George Henry Thomas gave the order to create it. Chaplain William Earnshaw oversaw the work. The 111th Regiment United States Colored Troops helped move bodies from several battlefields. These included Stones River, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Shelbyville, Tullahoma, and Cowan. Reburials began in 1865 and finished by 1867.
Most Confederate soldiers who died were taken back to their hometowns. Some were buried in a large grave south of Murfreesboro. Later, they were moved to another large grave called Confederate Circle. This is located in Evergreen Cemetery in Murfreesboro. In November 1867, the bodies of 1,360 Union soldiers were moved to Stones River. They had been buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Columbia, Tennessee.
The cemetery was also moved from the War Department to the National Park Service in 1933.
Images for kids
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A cannon at Stones River National Battlefield
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Stones River National Cemetery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
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Hazen Brigade Monument.
