Stones River National Battlefield Centennial

The Stones River National Military Park entrance circa 1934.

NPS

 

Establishing Stones River National Battlefield

 

I see that you have put through, successfully, your bill to establish a National Park on the Murfreesboro battlefield and I assure you that you have the congratulations and the thanks of every citizen of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County.

—Richard Beard, Veteran of the 7th Tennessee, CSA, in a letter to Congressman Ewin L. Davis

 

Veterans of the Army of the Cumberland's Regular Brigade posed for this 1898 photo at the Regular Brigade Monument in Stones River National Cemetery.

Association of Survivors, Regular Brigade Fourteenth Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland - Columbus Ohio's Press of John L. Trauger - 1898

In the 1880s, veterans began to take the lead in remembering the Battle of Stones River. In 1882, the federal government built a rostrum in the national cemetery to host public ceremonies. The veterans of the Army of the Cumberland’s Regular Brigade dedicated a monument to their unit that same year. National veterans’ groups like the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) for U.S. soldiers and the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) grew quickly during this time. In Rutherford County, Union and Confederate groups honored their dead in different ways. Union veterans focused on Stones River National Cemetery. Confederate organizations reburied their dead at Evergreen Cemetery in Murfreesboro, and later dedicated a monument on the courthouse square. These efforts showed how important the battle remained to the people who had lived through the war.

 

This 1920's photo shows one of the signs placed on the battlefield by the Stones River National Battlefield and Memorial Association.

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By the 1890s, many Americans believed battlefields should be preserved so future generations could study and understand the war. Congress had already created national military parks at places like Chickamauga and Chattanooga. Inspired by this movement, Congressman James D. Richardson, a Murfreesboro resident and Confederate veteran, introduced the first bill to create a park at Stones River in 1895. Although it did not pass, it led to the creation of the Stones River National Battlefield and Memorial Association in 1896. This local group included both Union and Confederate veterans as well as community leaders such as lawyers, clergy, bankers, and politicians. The Association asked national GAR and UCV posts to send petitions of support, invited their national commanders to visit the battlefield, mapped important areas, placed markers, and worked to secure land that could someday be protected by the federal government.

 

Families living in the Cedars and Cemetery, a community founded by formerly enslaved people in 1866, had to sell their land to the War Department to create Stones River National Military Park. Some moved the Bottoms section of the community while other left the area.

NPS

In the early 1900s, Congress was hesitant to spend money on large battlefield parks, so supporters at Stones River adjusted their strategy. As the Civil War generation passed away, new supporters joined the cause, including business leaders and tourism advocates. The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway, led by President John W. Thomas, promoted travel to Civil War sites, helped erect markers, and protected important places such as Redoubt Brannan. By the 1920s, more Americans were traveling by automobile, and interest in historic sites increased after World War I. Congressman Ewin L. Davis introduced a more affordable and carefully planned bill, supported by the War Department’s battlefield studies. With backing from veterans, local leaders, and national officials, but without input from Cemetery Community residents, Congress finally approved the legislation. On March 3, 1927, President Calvin Coolidge signed the legislation into law and Stones River National Military Park was established so the battlefield could be preserved, studied, and remembered for generations to come.

Stones River National Military Park became part of the National Park Service in 1933 and was renamed Stones River National Battlefield in 1960.