The Battle of Stones River

My parents and I went to Murfreesboro, TN to visit the battlefield on the banks of the Stones River. We had no idea that this battle took place Dec. 31-Jan. 2, 1862 and this weekend was the 145th anniversary of the battle. There were lots of reenactments to watch in celebration of the anniversary weekend. You can either walk the battlefield grounds (about a 4 mile walk) or drive it (which we opted to do). The Battle of Stones River covered 4,000 acres and Stones River National Battlefield preserves about 600 acres. This was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War - about 24,000 men were killed, wounded, or captured during the battle and a National Cemetery was built in 1865 and bodies were moved to the cemetery for final burial. The State of Michigan erected a Historic Landmark at one of the tour stop sites, honoring the men from Michigan who fought in the war. The Hazen Brigade Monument, built in early 1863, is the oldest, intact Civil War monument in the nation which can also be seen on the tour. I forgot my camera so maybe Dad will post some pictures on his blog.