my trip to stones river national battlefield

Saturday after my yoga class I decided to go on a little adventure before I headed back home. I've passed the sign to the Stones River National Battlefield several times this summer & I've always wanted to go but it was always at a bad time. I passed it again on my way out of yoga & thought "now is the perfect time!". I drove down the road to the battlefield, which is long & weaves through a field, into some trees & then pops out to the museum/visitor center.

I made it half way through the visitor center & a gentleman informed me that there was going to be a tour of the cemetery shortly. I really did come at the perfect time! I got to go with a small group of people on a little guided tour of the cemetery. Our tour guide was very insightful & seemed to really love the history of Stones River & other American War stuff.

He told us that more than 81,000 soldiers fought at Stones River, & 23,000 were killed, wounded, or captured. The men fought from Dec 31 1862-Jan 2 1862. Yikes, that's so many people! They were all moved & buried in this one cemetery on the outer edge of the battlefield.

When the tour was over I went & took a picture of this giant old tree, that they think might be a "witness tree" since it's so much bigger than the rest of the trees. I finished looking around at the museum & watched a short film on a journal entry of one of the soldiers. Then I went & picked out a couple postcards, one for my collection, & one for my dad. When I was little & my dad would go out of town he would send us back a postcard of where he was, so now I do the same for him!

I wish no one ever had to die for peace. Unfortunately it never seems to work like that. I'm not too keen on American History (it bores me to death) I'm more of an ancient history buff, but I'm glad I got to walk back into the past & get to know a couple of the brave men who fought for the rights we have today.