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Stones River National Battlefield employees,
along with wildland firefighters from Natchez Trace Parkway,
conducted a prescribed burn at Fortress Rosecrans at Old Fort
Park in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Tuesday April 5, 2005.
The project was a success, due to the cooperation of the National
Park Service and local community agencies. City of Murfreesboro
and Rutherford County firefighters assisted with several fire
engines. Representatives from the National Weather Service
out of Nashville also participated in an effort to learn about
the weather needs of fire personnel. The burn produced significant
challenges for everyone involved since the project was centered
in the wildland-urban interface.
In order to facilitate the ongoing prairie
restoration work at Stones River, the Fortress Rosecrans burn
was conducted to promote the growth of native grasses planted
at the earthworks. These grass species help stabilize the
earthen fort that was built in 1863 following the battle of
Stones River. The grasses have deep root systems that hold
the soil in place and reduce erosion. Fire also helps reduce
encroachment by woody plants and some invasive exotic plants.
Fire effects monitoring plots installed in the burn unit will
allow managers to determine the success of fire in facilitating
the restoration process.
Fortress Rosecrans was one of the largest
earthen forts constructed during the Civil War. It served
as a supply depot for the Union Army as it moved south to
Chattanooga and Atlanta. The fort originally covered about
200 acres; about 30 acres remain, including the area at Old
Fort Park, one remnant along the Lytle Creek Greenway, Redoubt
Brannan on West College Street, and a segment along Manson
Pike.
Contact: Gib Backlund, Chief of Operations
or Terri Hogan, Ecologist
Phone: (615) 893-9501
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