Auto Tour Stop 1 - Eve of Battle

Van Cleve Lane was called McFadden Lane during the Battle of Stones River.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Murfreesboro, TN

Significance:

This site interprets the key events leading up to the Battle of Stones River.

Designation:

National Park, National Register of Historic Places

Amenities

5 listed

Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Scenic View/Photo Spot

On December 30, 1862, the Union Army of the Cumberland, commanded by General William S. Rosecrans, arrived at Murfreesboro. Troops occupied this area along McFadden’s Lane (called Van Cleve Lane today). As night fell, soldiers struggled to sleep in the freezing mud without campfires, knowing a major battle was imminent. For thousands, that night would be their last.

On December 30, 1862, the Union army set its lines with its left lying on the Stones River, running south along McFadden's Lane. This line stretched for about three miles. The Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by General Braxton Bragg, held roughly parallel positions from a quarter to half mile to the east.

While the men in blue and gray tried to rest, the commanders planned the coming fight. Generals Rosecrans and Bragg ultimately came up with similar plans. Each aimed to attack their enemy's right flank and cut off their supply line and route of escape.

While the generals and their staffs planned, one of the most unique and emotional moments of the Battle of Stones River unfolded.

Learn more by watching this video made by our friends at the American Battlefield Trust.

• Tour Stop 1 - Audio

  
  

  Learn more about the movements and experiences of the opposing armies leading up to the Battle of Stones River.
  Audio Transcript

  On the bitter cold, drizzly day after Christmas, 1862, Union General William Rosecrans’s Army marched from Nashville to Murfreesboro where Confederate General Braxton Bragg’s army had established their winter camp. President Lincoln demanded that Rosecrans move on the Confederates. So Rosecrans marched on to Murfreesboro to win the victory for Lincoln. Rosecrans planned his attack for New Year’s Eve of 1862. General Bragg also planned to attack on New Years Eve. Both armies spent the day before the battle developing their battle plans and forming their battle lines. As nightfall approached, the men on both sides tried to settle in for the night. No campfires were allowed that night on either side, in order to conceal positions. Union soldiers camped on a cold, damp ground where you stand now. Anxieties and fears were as prevalent in the soldiers’ dreams as were the memories of loved ones back at home.

  Private P.R. Jones from Texas described how he spent his night before the battle: “When nightfall came (we) were in a lane with rail fences on each side, about four hundred yards from the enemy. [Our] orders were to speak only in a whisper, as the enemy’s pickets were not more than one hundred yards in front, the plan of battle being to take them by surprise the next morning.” Soldiers anxiously waited through the freezing night, anticipating the battle that would be fought the next day. For many soldiers that camped that night, it would be their last.