Stones River National Battlefield

Just a few of the headstones in the National Cemetery.

The monument in the middle of the cemetery.

The short headstones are all unknown soldiers.

More unmarked grave sites.

This was the final battle - 1,800 men from both sides were wounded or killed here in less than an hour.

McFadden Farm monument.

On the left is the knoll where Union soldiers lay in wait for the Confederate soldiers.

 

We visited Stones River National Battlefield, one of the numerous historic sites in the area. I felt incredibly sad as I wandered through the cemetery where over six thousand men are buried, nearly half unknown. 

Stones River National Battlefield

“Lincoln was worried as 1862 came to a close. Confederate attacks in Maryland and Kentucky had shaken Northern confidence. Generals McClellan and Buell wasted victories in Antietam and Perryville by refusing to advance on the Confederates. The Emancipation Proclamation was to take effect on January 1, but military success to enforce it seemed impossible. The Union effort was stalled. Lincoln’s only hope lay with Gen. William S. Rosecrans’s Army of the Cumberland.” ^{(From the National Park Brochure)}
 

 During bloody battles on December 31, 1862 and January 2, 1863, 81,000 soldiers fought – each side losing nearly one-third of its men. The National Park System has done a wonderful job in bringing the battles to life for visitors. It is well worth the stop.