Stones River Battlefield marks the 153 Anniversary

Nancy De Gennaro, The Daily News Journal, December 26, 2015

Federal  Artillery 1 - 150th - Resized

MURFREESBORO — Stones River National Battlefield will sponsor a series of programs starting Saturday and running through Jan. 3 to commemorate the 153rd anniversary of the Battle of Stones River.

The Battle of Stones River was fought Dec. 31, 1862, through Jan. 2, 1863, and was one of the bloodiest and most significant battles of the Civil War, noted Park Ranger Jim Lewis.

The slim Union victory bolstered Northern morale, supported the changing Union war policy heralded by the Emancipation Proclamation and set the stage for future campaigns through the Confederate heartland, officials said.

Starting on Saturday, park rangers will present an array of talks and walks every weekday through Jan. 3.

One of the highlights of these programs, officials said, will be daily walks at 10 a.m. Saturday through Dec. 30 at some of the key sites of events leading up to the battle including Nolensville, the Jefferson Pike bridge and Harker’s Crossing. Visit the park website at nps.gov/stri or facebook.com/stonesriverNPS for details, including addresses and coordinates for each location.

On New Year’s Eve, park rangers will lead walks at key battlefield locations at the time that some of the most critical actions raged 153 years ago. Each program will include musket or cannon-firing demonstrations.

More living history programs are on tap for Jan. 2-3, with programs focusing on the events that played out along the banks of the Stones River on Jan. 2, 1863