Stones River National Battlefield,
Rutherford County, Tennessee
(Click to enlarge pictures)
I am not a Civil War “buff” by any means,
but it is a part of our nation’s history and I do find it fascinating. That I
can combine an interest with a love of hiking is that much better, and Stones
River National Battlefield is a terrific place to visit. Here is Dan
McDowell and P. J. at the visitor’s center (new) and taking a short break on
the 4 mile perimeter trail.
There are big trees throughout the park;
the ones on the left are on the trail, while the one on the right
(lightning-struck, it appears) stands sentry in the
Yes, this is cave country, and this battle
just happened to be fought in and among sinks and karst
features. Here are a couple of examples, one small and one rather large.
There are cannons everywhere, some
apparently abandoned in place. Here Peej alternately appears to be rowing and
riding a pair. The one on the left is near the “Slaughter Pens”, and I believe
it’s original. At right, Peej enjoys a bit of lunch. These pictures and a few
others (they should be obvious) are from our 2003 trip.
Here then are the
aforementioned Slaughter Pens, which are exposed chunks of limestone that
obviously made for excellent cover…to a point…then they became a sad place to
die. Thousands were killed here in a few days’ furious fighting over the New
Year of 1862-1863. In the picture on the right, P. J. assumes a firing position
with his hiking staff, perhaps in the exact location a soldier fell in those bloody
days.
There are bits of beauty amongst the reminders
of the horrors of war; on the left, pale blue berries on a cedar tree, on the
right, an “osage orange” someone decided needed to be
mounted on a rail fence. It made for an interesting picture, at least.
It was a little chilly on our
most recent (2008) trip to
Then there was this example, which looks
more like a gypsum flower in a cave.
Still, one must bear in mind that this was
a battlefield, and despite the beauty, you are constantly driven to wonder what
horrors might’ve taken place in an otherwise peaceful cedar glade such as this.
There are several signs erected by various
states memorializing their citizens’ efforts in the battle; this is from
Dan examines another interpretive sign.
These three pictures are at
the Hazen Brigade Memorial, which is across the highway from the main
battlefield area and adjacent to the cemetery and the old Nashville-Chattanooga
(now CSX) rail line. It commemorates the actions of those killed at
These World War I-era graves are located just outside the Hazen Memorial
enclosure.
A row of graves inside
the walls. The one in the middle, sadly, reads, “Unknown”.
One of the more interesting—if
gruesome—stories of the Battle of Stones River is that of Lt.
Col. Julius Peter Garesche, who was the
chief-of-staff of Union General William Rosecrans.
I will not attempt to relate it here in much detail (better told here, though I
will not vouch for its accuracy) except to note that Garesche
was apparently struck by a cannon round as his unit moved into position. He was
instantly decapitated, but his body stayed atop his horse which apparently
trotted on till eventually he fell. That spot was marked by the sign on the
left, which lay adjacent to the rail line. Garesche
was a devout Catholic, and we found these tokens (a rosary and a crucifix)
mounted on the sign in 2003…memorials which in time apparently prompted the
sign’s removal, as it is no longer there.
Left to right: Row upon row
of graves, a unit memorial, and the plaque on the flagpole at the
Some of the poignant verses
posted throughout the cemetery…
…and more. I found seven such signs; if there’s more, I didn’t
see them. Right: “This Precious Dust.”
The rail line that runs along the back of
the cemetery still carries trains, and we spotted this one.
It hardly seems like five years, but it
was, and to the day, even. Our first visit (based on the cancellation stamp in
our National Parks Passport) was
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