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Stones River STONES RIVER NATIONAL MILITARY PARK TENNESSEE On December 26, 1862, the Union Army, back into Stones River. This movement, had under Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans left it been carried out, would have placed a part STONES Nashville and advanced against the Confed­ of the Union Army between the Confederate erates who occupied a strong position 3 miles Army and Murfreesboro, which was the base from Murfreesboro. By December 30, the of Confederate supply. Union forces were in front of the Confederate Moving first, the Confederates secured an RIVER positions near Stones River. The Union ad­ early advantage. At daybreak on the 31st, vance did not take place, however, without op­ they furiously assaulted the Union right wing position from the Confederates. Gen. Joseph and succeeded in driving it and part of the Wheeler, moving swiftly, conducted an im­ center back through the surrounding cedar National Military Park portant cavalry raid around the Union Army, woods to the Nashville Pike. Only inspired burning and destroying wagon trains and fighting by the right wing brigade of Brig. generally harassing their rearguard. Starting Gen. Philip H. Sheridan and stubborn hold­ on the night of December 29, he completely ing of most of the center by Maj. Gen. circled the Union Army and returned to the George H. Thomas averted a rout of the The first big battle in the Northern strategy of cutting Confederate lines by morning of December Union Army at this stage of the battle. The the Confederacy in two by driving eastward to the sea. 31, destroying nearly a million dollars worth Union attack against the Confederate right of Federal property, and taking 700 prisoners. wing was called off, and the troops involved The Hazen Brigade Monument, erected by members of the brigade early in 1863 and believed to be were sent back to the highway to form a new the oldest Civil War memorial. line along the high ground near the pike and TONES RIVER was the scene of one of Rosecrans Advances From Nashville The First Day of Battle— the hardest fought battles of the Civil along the embankment of the Nashville & THE Union Army in its conduct of the war December 31, 1862 holding desperately in the new line along federates were driving the Union troops into War. Here, only a short distance from Chattanooga Railroad tracks. As the Confed­ S west of the Allegheny Mountains centered its the pike and the railroad. At it was, Ohio, and across the river, ordered his chief of ar­ the town of Murfreesboro, Tenn., the Union ON the evening of December 30, the Confed­ erates charged out of the woods, they were strategy upon two major objectives: Getting Indiana, and Illinois troops, their ammuni­ tillery, Capt. John E. Mendenhall, to support Army of the Cumberland and the Confeder­ erate commander, General Bragg, formulated met by a heavy fire from these fresh troops. control of the Mississippi River, and driving tion expended, used clubbed rifles and bayo­ the infantry with artillery. Mendenhall then ate Army of Tennessee fought a 3-day battle, his plan of attack—an assault the next morn­ The Confederates finally fell back to the pro­ a wedge through the Confederacy along the nets to repel the Confederate attack here. The assembled, in an incredibly short time, guns ing at dawn against the right wing of the tection of these woods with heavy losses. December 31, 1862, through January 2, 1863. railroads southeastward through Tennessee fighting was especially close and desperate in from 8 batteries, totaling 58 pieces, concen­ Union Army in an attempt to drive it into Bragg's orders to Breckinridge to roll up This was the first big battle in the 2-year and Georgia. By the middle of 1862, it re­ the general vicinity where the Hazen Brigade trating them on the heights about 100 yards Stones River. The Union commander, Gen­ the Union center after the Union right had campaign in the west that cut the Con­ mained only for Vicksburg and its adjoining Monument now stands and Van Cleve Lane from the river and overlooking the field of eral Rosecrans, meanwhile was adopting an been driven back were not carried out at a federacy in two and reached its climax in forts to fall before the first plan was com­ meets the Nashville Road. Confederate attack beyond. These guns were almost identical plan of battle. He intended critical point in the battle just before noon. Sherman's march to the sea. pleted. brought to bear at once upon the flower of to cross Stones River and attack the Confed­ Had they been, it is very possible this added the attacking Confederate troops, firing at Rosecrans' immediate aim was victory In the advance eastward, Union forces had erate right wing and force the Southern army blow would have crumpled the Union troops Artillery Decisive on January 2 the rate of about 100 rounds a minute. The against Bragg's Army of Tennessee, which gained control of all west Tennessee, as well result was ghastly. A successful dashing was centered about Murfreesboro, 30 miles as Nashville and a part of middle Tennessee. THROUGHOUT the next day the opposing MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM S. ROSECRANS. GEN. BRAXTON BRAGG. charge was turned into sudden retreat and away, and then the capture of Chattanooga, Further advances were halted temporarily by armies faced each other without fighting. rout. Eighteen hundred Confederates fell an important railroad center 100 miles far­ the Confederate invasion of Kentucky, which The Union commander moved his left wing killed and wounded in a short time. Not a ther to the southeast. With this city in Union was turned back finally when Buell defeated to high ground across Stones River where it Confederate soldier reached the river. This hands, the army could then drive on eastward the Confederate Army under Gen. Braxton held a stronger position and was able to com­ decisive, sudden turning of the fortune of toward the coast. When it was reached, the Bragg at the battle of Perryville on October mand the Confederate right. Bragg felt he battle was due entirely to the work of Men- South would be divided by a line that ran 8, 1862. The Confederate plan of bringing must remove this threat to his position and denhall's concentrated artillery. This is per­ from the Mississippi to the Atlantic Ocean. Kentucky into the Confederacy was now aban­ assembled his best troops for an assault haps the outstanding instance of ground doned. Bragg moved his army south through against it, timed to take place about an hour Sherman reached Savannah, Ga., just 2 years combat in the Civil War when artillery was Cumberland Gap to Chattanooga and from before dusk on January 2. The attack suc­ after Rosecrans marched out of Nashville to the decisive factor. As the Confederates fell there northwest to Murfreesboro, 30 miles ceeded, the Union troops being driven from begin the drive eastward. Many desperate back, the Union troops recovered their for­ battles lay between these two events. from Nashville. their positions in headlong retreat across Stones River. mer positions. At this juncture, Maj. Gen. Thomas L. On January 3, General Bragg decided to The National Park System, of which this area is a unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, Crittenden, commander of the Union left, retreat because of the disaster of the preced­ and historic heritage of the United States for the benefit and enjoyment of its people. observing the action and seeing that the Con­ ing day, and issued orders for the withdrawal 6,000 of these are of Union soldiers, 2,562 of which are unidentified. The Hazen Brigade Monument, located STONES just south of the cemetery, was erected early in 1863 by members of the Hazen Brigade and is believed to be the oldest memorial of the Civil War. A small plot of ground, de­ RIVER tached from the principal part of the park, memorializes the site of Mendenhall's 58- gun concentration that decided the final out­ come of the battle on January 2, 1863- Stones River National Military Park is one of several Civil War battlefields in Tennessee administered by the National Park Service. Erected in 1906 by the Nashville, Chattanooga & Not very far away, and easily reached from St. Louis RR., through its president, Maj. John Murfreesboro and Nashville, are Chicka- W. Thomas, marking the Union artillery posi­ tion which turned hack the last Confederate mauga and Chattanooga National Military charge. It overlooks the area where hundreds Park, Shiloh National Military Park, and of brave men fell. Fort Donelson National Military Park. of his army to Tullahoma, about 40 miles southeast of Murfreesboro. The Union Army Location thereupon occupied Murfreesboro on January The park is 3 miles northwest of Mur­ 4. The losses for both sides in the battle of freesboro and 30 miles southeast of Nashville Stones River were very high. Of the 38,000 on U. S. 41. It may be reached by Greyhound Confederate troops engaged in the battle, bus from Nashville and Murfreesboro. 12,000 were casualties, and of the 45,000 Union troops engaged, approximately 13,000 About Your Visit were casualties. Both sides had some claim to victory. The You may obtain further information about Confederates had captured 28 Union cannon this and other areas of the National Park and had taken over 3,000 prisoners. The System at the park headquarters building in Union Army, however, had held its position the national cemetery every day from 8 a. m. and occupied Murfreesboro, while the Con­ to 5 p.
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