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Stones River Virtual Ranger Activity

A grey and gold badge that says "Virtual Junior Ranger" at the top and "Stones River National Battlefield" in the center, surrounding a cannon pulled by horses.

Junior Rangers are special people who are dedicated to their National Parks. Their mission is to explore, learn, and protect, and to have fun while doing it!

While you can earn your Junior Ranger badge on your visit to Stones River National Battlefield, we have also put together an opportunity for you to become a Stones River National Battlefield Virtual Ranger.

Using the pages of our website, you can complete the quiz below to earn your Virtual Ranger badge! When you finish, download and print your badge to add to your collection!

To reveal the answers below, move the sliders on each picture.

Question 1

Left: Question: Why did President Lincoln push Gen. Rosecrans to fight a battle before the end of December 1862? Right: Answer: Lincoln wanted a victory to get the Union war effort back on track and support the Emancipation Proclamation Left: Question: Why did President Lincoln push Gen. Rosecrans to fight a battle before the end of December 1862? Right: Answer: Lincoln wanted a victory to get the Union war effort back on track and support the Emancipation Proclamation

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Question: Why did President Lincoln push General William S. Rosecrans to fight a battle before the end of December 1862?

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Check out "Discover the Battle of Stones River" to learn about why the battle was fought.

Question 2

Left: Question: The night before the battle, soldiers recalled a unique moment. What was the “Battle of the Bands?” Right: Answer: Both bands competed with each other by playing their armies’ favorite songs, until both bands played “Home Sweet Home." Left: Question: The night before the battle, soldiers recalled a unique moment. What was the “Battle of the Bands?” Right: Answer: Both bands competed with each other by playing their armies’ favorite songs, until both bands played “Home Sweet Home."

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Question: What was the "Battle of the Bands?"

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Question 3

Left Side Text: Question: Soldiers from Chicago named a part of the battlefield “the Slaughter Pen.” Why did they give it that name? Right Side Text: Answer: The bloody scene in the rocks reminded them of the slaughter pens in their city’s stockyards. Left Side Text: Question: Soldiers from Chicago named a part of the battlefield “the Slaughter Pen.” Why did they give it that name? Right Side Text: Answer: The bloody scene in the rocks reminded them of the slaughter pens in their city’s stockyards.

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Question: Soldiers from Chicago named a part of the battlefield “the Slaughter Pen.”  Why did they give it that name?

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Check out The Slaughter Pen and the Virtual Tour - Stop 2 about this key part of the battlefield.

Question 4

Left Side: Question: Why was it so important for the Union army to protect the Nashville Pike? Right side: Answer: The Nashville Pike was the road used to connect the Union army to their supply line. It also was their only route to escape to Nashville. Left Side: Question: Why was it so important for the Union army to protect the Nashville Pike? Right side: Answer: The Nashville Pike was the road used to connect the Union army to their supply line. It also was their only route to escape to Nashville.

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Question: Why was it so important for the Union army to protect the Nashville Pike?

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Visit Defending the Nashville Pike and the Virtual Tour - Stop 3 about this key part of the battlefield.

Question 5

Left side Text: Question: What were two of the duties of the Pioneer Brigade? Right Side Text: Answer: The soldiers of the Pioneer Brigade were combat engineers. They built and repaired roads, bridges, and defenses. Left side Text: Question: What were two of the duties of the Pioneer Brigade? Right Side Text: Answer: The soldiers of the Pioneer Brigade were combat engineers. They built and repaired roads, bridges, and defenses.

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Question: What were two of the duties of the Pioneer Brigade?

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Visit  Virtual Tour - Stop 4 to learn about this unit.

Question 6

Left Side: Question: Why did the men of Hazen’s Brigade build the monument that stands on the battlefield today? Right Side: Answer: Hazen’s men decided to build a monument to honor their fallen comrades and the stand they made during the battle. Left Side: Question: Why did the men of Hazen’s Brigade build the monument that stands on the battlefield today? Right Side: Answer: Hazen’s men decided to build a monument to honor their fallen comrades and the stand they made during the battle.

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Question: Why did the men of Hazen’s Brigade build the monument that stands on the battlefield today?

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Check out Hell's Half Acre and Virtual Tour - Stop 5 to learn about the Hazen Brigade and their actions during the battle.

Question 7

Left Side: Question: Which Confederate General once served as the Vice President of the United States and commanded the Confederate attack on the final day of the battle? Right Side: Answer: General John C. Breckinridge Left Side: Question: Which Confederate General once served as the Vice President of the United States and commanded the Confederate attack on the final day of the battle? Right Side: Answer: General John C. Breckinridge

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Question: Which Confederate General once served as the Vice President of the United States and commanded the Confederate attack on the final day of the battle?

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Visit Breckinridge's Charge, Virtual Tour - Stop 6, and My Poor Orphans to find out more about the ill-fated Confederate attack.

Question 8

Left: Question: Which soldiers were responsible for reburying Union soldiers at Stones River National Cemetery? How many Union Soldiers are buried here? Right: Answer: The 111th United States Colored Infantry reburied most of the 6100 Union soldiers. Left: Question: Which soldiers were responsible for reburying Union soldiers at Stones River National Cemetery? How many Union Soldiers are buried here? Right: Answer: The 111th United States Colored Infantry reburied most of the 6100 Union soldiers.

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Question: Which soldiers were responsible for reburying Union soldiers at Stones River National Cemetery? How many Union Soldiers are buried here?

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Visit the page on Stones River National Cemetery and the last stop on the virtual tour to learn about those who helped build the lasting reminder of the Battle of Stones River.

Question 9

Left: Question: After the Civil War, a community grew up by the National Cemetery. What was its name and who built it? Right: Answer: It was named “Cemetery” and built by those formerly enslaved, including those of the 111th United States Colored Infantry Left: Question: After the Civil War, a community grew up by the National Cemetery. What was its name and who built it? Right: Answer: It was named “Cemetery” and built by those formerly enslaved, including those of the 111th United States Colored Infantry

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Question: After the Civil War, a community grew up around the National Cemetery. What was its name and who built the community?

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Learn about those who started a new life on the ground that had been fought over by visiting the page on Stones River National Cemetery and the last stop on the virtual tour.

Question 10

Left Side: Question: What was the name of the fortress that was built in Murfreesboro after the battle to protect Union soldiers and their supply base? Right side: Answer: Fortress Rosecrans Left Side: Question: What was the name of the fortress that was built in Murfreesboro after the battle to protect Union soldiers and their supply base? Right side: Answer: Fortress Rosecrans

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Question: What was the name of the fortress that was built in Murfreesboro after the battle to protect Union soldiers and their supply base?

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Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer!

Read "A Hard Earned Victory" and this page to learn about this large fortification.

Congratulations!

You have completed the activites to become an official Virtual Junior Ranger at Stones River National Battlefield! All that's left is to read the Junior Ranger Pledge:

"As a Junior Ranger, I promise to explore other National Parks, be a good example to others, and help others have fun learning about nature and history."

A grey and gold badge that says "Junior Ranger" at the top and "Stones River National Battlefield" in the center, surrounding a cannon pulled by horses.

To download your virtual ranger badge, right click and "save image as" jpeg. Navigate to your downloads folder and open the image on your computer. From there you can print.

A few ideas for displaying your badge:

Print your badge, use it as a template to cut a piece of cardboard matching the shape, and then glue the paper and a pin onto the cardboard!

Use tape to secure it into your passport or scrapbook!

Set it as your background on a phone or tablet!

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Stones River National Battlefield

Last updated: May 20, 2020