The Slaughter Pen Cannon at the Stones River National Battlefield

Buckeye Bill

Captain
Forum Host
Annual Winner
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
* Photo #1
StonesRiver007.JPG

I sent Ranger Jim Lewis an email question last week regarding the cannon positioned outside of the "Slaughter Pen" at the Stones River National Battlefield. During my visit to this NPS venue in 2012, I could not locate the disassembled cannon inside of the "Slaughter Pen" in photo #1. This disassembled cannon was positioned directly behind the historical marker in photo #2. I did observe the same cannon positioned outside of the "Slaughter Pen" on the east side of this battlefield in photo #3.
* Photo #2
IMG_7082.JPG

* Photo #3
Mammoth Cave, Stones River, Chattanooga-Chickamauga & Townsend 103.jpg


Here is Park Ranger Jim Lewis' response.........


Dear Mr. Bechmann:

Thank you for your interest in Stones River National Battlefield, the site of one of the most important battles in the American Civil War. The cannons that used to lie on the ground at the Slaughter Pen are still there but in a more historically accurate position.

There are no battle accounts that mention any attempt to move cannons through those rocks. The soldiers would have known the terrain well enough to realize any attempt to do so would be futile. Battery G, First Ohio Light Artillery was positioned on the east side of the woods, where the guns stand today, and lost four of its six cannons to damage or capture at that position. The two guns that escaped intact most likely did so along a road cut through the woods by the Pioneer Brigade.

Although the broken down cannons in the rocks were a powerful illustration of the impact of terrain on the battle, we believe that display sometimes led people to mistakenly assume that cannons were in fact damaged that way during the fight. We have added new wayside exhibits and some steel soldier silhouettes so visitors can still appreciate the powerful effect of terrain on the fighting in that area.


If you have any more questions, please write back or call me at 615-893-9501.


Sincerely,

--
Jim Lewis
Park Ranger
Stones River National Battlefield
3501 Old Nashville Highway
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Phone: 615-893-9501
Mobile: 615-904-4977
Email: [email protected]


Enjoy,

Bill
 
Last edited:
Ole is correct. A friend and I were there a few weeks ago and that's what we were told by one of the rangers.
 
Ole is correct. A friend and I were there a few weeks ago and that's what we were told by one of the rangers.

Let me clarify.....

Is the cannon in photo #3 in the same spot when you visited two weeks ago or not?
 
002.JPG
Let me clarify.....

Is the cannon in photo #3 in the same spot when you visited two weeks ago or not?
I took pictures of a Wiard gun near the visitor's center. While there, my friend asked about the Wiard gun that you show in a disabled condition because I had told my friend about it. So while I was taking pictures, he went in and asked about it. He told me that the rangers said they no longer displayed any Wiard guns in that disabled condition, but had reassembled it and moved it to a different location. I'll look for my pic.
 
In 2013, another friend and I made the same trip, roughly at the same time and we drove right by the gun in its former broken-down condition. I remember thinking, "How cool! I wish I had my camera." That was one of the reasons I brought it with me this time. It was easily seen from the road. I didn't bring the camera last year because I was not planning on driving around the battlefield. We drove there to sell some CDVs at the privately owned museum. Same reason for going this year, but I remembered the Wiard gun because I had posted a thread about it at that time and that's when I learned the name of the piece.
 
* Tour Stop 2 : Slaughter Pen (Looking Southwest - Slaughter Pen in Heavy Wooded Area)

Mammoth Cave, Stones River, Chattanooga-Chickamauga & Townsend 089.jpg


* Cannon just North of Slaughter Pen

Mammoth Cave, Stones River, Chattanooga-Chickamauga & Townsend 042.jpg


* Cannon just East of Slaughter Pen (Outside of the Heavy Wooded Area)

Mammoth Cave, Stones River, Chattanooga-Chickamauga & Townsend 103.jpg


* Photos courtesy of William Bechmann (2012)
 
In 1999 I was at Stones River especially to see the cannon in the Slaughter Pen. That image was in all descriptions of the battle. I got this shot and hoped for something more and better with a digital camera in 2012 ... but there they were, gone! I think they should have left them anyway but I don't get a vote.
Abandoned Artillery 1999
99C714 Ed.jpg
 
I sent Ranger Jim Lewis an email question last week regarding the cannon positioned outside of the "Slaughter Pen" at the Stones River National Battlefield. During my visit to this NPS venue in 2012, I could not locate the disassembled cannon inside of the "Slaughter Pen" in photo #1. This disassembled cannon was positioned directly behind the historical marker in photo #2. I did observe the same cannon was positioned outside of the "Slaughter Pen" on the east side of this battlefield in photo #3.

* Photo #1

View attachment 56988

* Photo #2

View attachment 56989

* Photo #3

View attachment 56990

Here is Park Ranger Jim Lewis' response.........


Dear Mr. Bechmann:

Thank you for your interest in Stones River National Battlefield, the site of one of the most important battles in the American Civil War. The cannons that used to lie on the ground at the Slaughter Pen are still there but in a more historically accurate position.

There are no battle accounts that mention any attempt to move cannons through those rocks. The soldiers would have known the terrain well enough to realize any attempt to do so would be futile. Battery G, First Ohio Light Artillery was positioned on the east side of the woods, where the guns stand today, and lost four of its six cannons to damage or capture at that position. The two guns that escaped intact most likely did so along a road cut through the woods by the Pioneer Brigade.

Although the broken down cannons in the rocks were a powerful illustration of the impact of terrain on the battle, we believe that display sometimes led people to mistakenly assume that cannons were in fact damaged that way during the fight. We have added new wayside exhibits and some steel soldier silhouettes so visitors can still appreciate the powerful effect of terrain on the fighting in that area.


If you have any more questions, please write back or call me at 615-893-9501.


Sincerely,

--
Jim Lewis
Park Ranger
Stones River National Battlefield
3501 Old Nashville Highway
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Phone: 615-893-9501
Mobile: 615-904-4977
Email: [email protected]


Enjoy,

Bill

I'm going to visit the battlefield in the last week of March. I wonder if the Chicago Board of Trade cannon are marked from the first day as they and the Pioneers played a major part in saving the Union on the afternoon of December 31st? Thanks for the pictures.
 
I've never seen anything anywhere like the Slaughter Pen. It's not that big an area and I wondered if there's any more of this topography on the battlefield ...

IMG_1245 Edg.JPG
 
Back
Top