Stones River - Modern Views

[Ole Miss]

In October of 2022, the CWT Stones River Muster was held in Murfreesboro, TN and was a great success. @Gettmore took many beautiful photos of the Park and historic sites nearby, and I was fortunate enough to be friends with him since the year before at the Antietam Muster and knew of his skill with a camera! Teaming up with his gorgeous photos and my scribble, we want to present views from the Stones River Muster and share with those who have not had the opportunity to visit this Park.
Regards
David

 

[Ole Miss]

Hazen's Monument, the oldest extant Civil War Monument, was created six months after the battle was over in June 1863 by the veterans of Hazen Brigade to honor their brigade commander and their honored dead. Capt. E. B. Whitman---supervised the establishment of described the monument as a "quadrangular pyramidal shaft, ten feet square at the base and eleven feet in height, surmounted by a neat coping. A dry-stacked stone wall, four feet high and two feet thick, enclosed both monument and cemetery. Three low steps breached the wall's south side to allow access."*

Hazen's Brigade, composed of men from men from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentuck, was a stalwart of the Federal army during the battle holding its position---the hinge** of the Union line- despite repeated assaults by the Confederates who called the Round Forrest location "Hell's Half Acre"!*** The monument is surrounded by 4' walls in which are the remains of the KIA of Hazel's Brigade.

If one gets the opportunity to visit this beautiful National Military Park, they will see this monument along with all the other markers which are dedictated to brave men who fought and died here.
Regards
David

Just a reminder that all photos are shared through the generosity of @Gettmore who is equally participating in this thread!

Sources:

*Stones River National Battlefield Historic Resource Study
Page 38
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/stri/hrs.pdf

**STONES RIVER: CREATING A BATTLEFIELD PARK, 1863-1932 by John Riley George (Dissertation)
Page 8

https://jewlscholar.mtsu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/71de556e-37d9-4ad1-bb8e-498676f6daee/content

***Hell's Half Acre

Hell's Half Acre - Stones River National Battlefield (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[Ole Miss]

Here are some more of @Gettmore photos of Hazen's Monument and the grave stones withing the confines of the wall.
Regards
David

This view of the monument is the East face with the following inscription
THE VETERANS OF SHILOH HAVE LEFT A DEATHLESS HERITAGE OF FAME UPON THE FIELD OF STONE RIVER
Capt. James Houghton 9th Ind. Vols.
1st Lt. & Adj. T.J. Patton 9th Ind. Vols.
1st. Lt. Joeseph Turner 9th Ind. Vols.
1st. Lt. Franklin E. Pancoast 41st O. Vols.
2nd. Lt. Chauncey E. Takott 41st O. Vols
2nd Lt. Anton Hand 6th Ky. Vols.
Killed at Shiloh April 7th 1862

 

[Ole Miss]

@Gettmore and I met up at the Stones River Muster and had discussed posting his images from the Stones River National Park and here are his gorgeous photos of the Stones River National Cemetery.

The Stones River National Cemetery was established in 1864 by an order from Major General George Thomas and prerations were made to reinter Federal soldiers to this new National Cemetery. Members of the 111th United States Colored Troops were assigned the onerous task of removing bodies from not only the Stones River Battlefield but other battlefields and locations within 90 miles. The task began in 1865 and was finished in 1867 and now the 20 beautifully serene acres holds the 6,139 graves of Union Civil War dead of which 2,562 which are unknown a percentage of 41%!
Regards
David

This cannon seems to be guarding the honored fallen

Another view in a different direction. Note the large Ceder tree in the background, Hazens Monument is located the "Round Forrest" where many large Ceder trees provided protection

 

[Ole Miss]

The National Cemetery is placed alongside the Old Nashville Highway but sadly it is little noticed and even less visited. We Americans take all our rights and freedoms for granted and few realize or know how these were gained and protected.
Regards
David

This B & W photo by @Gettmore is capturing and stunning, and one of my favorites!

This photo is striking when one realizes the small stones mark the grave of a soldier "known but to God" and there are so many. Families never knowing where their loved ones lie.

 

[lupaglupa]

Is it just me or can no one get the images to load?

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Is it just me or can no one get the images to load?

They aren't loading for me either

 

[breckod]

They look fine to me. Browser issue?

 

[gjpratt]

They are not loading on my Firefox browser.

 

[Ole Miss]

I am sorry that y'all are having trouble with seeing @Gettmore photos.
I am unable to assist with photo glitches. Perhaps a moderator can assist?
Regards
David

 

[Ole Miss]

The Slaughter Pen Stones River

Each Civil War Battlefield had a distinctive feature or site that identified eachm battlefield. Shiloh has the Hornets Nest, Spotsylvannia has the Mule Shoe, Gettysburg the Angel and Stones River has the Slaughter Pen! In this bloody area of thick forest and a strangely formed rock formation with stones as high as 3' coming out in finger-like formations, both Federal and Confederate units lost nearly 40% of their strength in this 2 hour slugfest!

These photos taken by @Gettmore in October of 2022, plainly show how difficult the terrain was for the advancing Confederate's to attack. I can only imagine how many casualties there were caused by rocks shards resulting from the incoming projectiles.

Notice how high the stones are still nearly 161 years later.