Last updated: May 15, 2021
Place
Underground Railroad "Free State Community"
NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
Fort Donelson National Cemetery
Significance:
Site of Free State Community
Designation:
National UGRR Network to Freedom Site
Amenities
2 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto
Freedom-seeking slaves sought refuge, food, and safety from the Union Army in the days and weeks following the 1862 surrender of Confederate forces to Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant. U.S. troops maintained control of Middle Tennessee and the Twin Rivers for the remainder of the war. In the shadows of the Union camps at Henry, Heiman, and Donelson, a thriving African American community developed.
Oral histories, military records, and a few diaries tell the stories of these often unknown refugees. Schools, churches, and homes were built near the Union Fort Donelson (today's national cemetery). A postwar map described the area as "Free State."
Oral histories, military records, and a few diaries tell the stories of these often unknown refugees. Schools, churches, and homes were built near the Union Fort Donelson (today's national cemetery). A postwar map described the area as "Free State."