![]() NPS Union soldiers hid behind stone and rail breastworks as men fled across the river chased by Confederates. Union cannon firing from above McFadden’s Ford halted the Confederates with shot, shell, and canister, killing and wounding over 1,800 men in less than an hour. This was the battle’s final action. NPS Both armies spent New Year’s Day reorganizing, resupplying, and caring for the wounded and dead. Confederate General Bragg thought that Union General Rosecrans would retreat back towards Nashville. Instead, Rosecrans decided that they should stay and fight, and prepared to defend his position. NPS Along the opposite bank of the river, Union artillery trained their guns on the gray mass and waited for the chance to change the tide of the battle. As the Confederates came within range, the cannons began to fire. The earth shook and explosions ripped the air. For the Confederates, horror and despair dashed the momentary thrill of victory. NPS In 1906, the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway dedicated this monument on the site where Union artillery did its deadly work on January 2, 1863. The plaque on the monument reads:
Learn more about the final day of the Battle of Stones River by watching this video from our friends at the American Battlefield Trust. ![]() The Very Forest Seemed to FallRead the wayside exhibit about the 58 Union cannons that fired on the attacking Confederates. ![]() My Poor Orphans!Read the wayside exhibit about the Orphan Brigade and the losses they sustained. ![]() Remembering by RailRead the wayside exhibit about the Artillery Monument and the role of the railroad in remembering the Civil War. Virtual Tour Navigation
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Last updated: July 23, 2022