Sunday, March 30
A young man from Florida arrived at the Visitor Center, looking for the place where his great-great-great-great grandfather had fought here at Stones River. Fortunately, he had done his homework, knew the regiment with whom his ancestor had mustered, and thanks to our troop movement maps by time of the Battle, we were able to identify the general area in which he wounded. Unfortunately, the battle field has been so developed that there are few markers to note specific skirmish sites.
The Stones River battle took place over 4000 acres between what is now called the Franklin Road and the Nashville Pike. Today's National Park site is but 700 acres on the northwest corner of that battle ground. Surrounding the entire park area are the makings of a suburban development - strip malls, some big box stores, and now The Avenue Mall. But. working with our Florida visitor we tracked his relative's company as they would have been first thing the morning of December 31, 1862, when the battle began. But the best I could do was show him on the map the general area in which he probably had been wounded. Using street names and other markers, he left in search of the area, just off Asbury Road, about a half mile from the north entrance to the park. He was thrilled and very moved to discover that he would be able to visit that site.
Many of our days include such conversations. Today a young woman, her son, and her mother arrived, and their first words when asked if any ancestor had fought at Stones River, "We found his grave!" That doesn't happen all that often, but when it does, it is an even more powerful encounter. She had already taken a picture of the gravestone. When a descendent visits, we ask them to sign the ancestor registry. I continue to be amazed at the number of people who are able to pull out pieces of paper with all the needed documentation to find where the company was during the battle, and in some cases to discover a gravestone in the National Cemetery across the street.
Over and over again, I am reminded of the immense cost of war. Over 650,000 dead in this war; over 7000 buried in the national cemetery next door; homes commandeered and turned into field hospitals or military headquarters; memories shaped and stories passed from generation to generation.
Two other notes:
Every weekday between 9:30 and 10:30 I work with three young men from an area high school (and their advisor) who are learning to work. Each of these students carries his own personal needs, but each of them can be quite a worker if given a specific task with clear directions. Windows have been washed and polished with newspapers; sticks and branches are being cleared out in preparation of soon-to-start lawn work; cannons have been shined. We are learning to work together; they are learning to work. It is a good arrangement.
Last night we saw the Spring House Theater production of "The Miracle Worker." I was reminded again of the difference between "knowing" and "understanding." We are learning a lot about the effects of the Civil War in this section of Middle Tennessee; I only hope we are beginning to understand a bit!
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
Did you know the capital of Missouri moved to Marshall, Texas?
Friday, March 28
Hillary writes: One of our duties as volunteers at Stones River is to greet people when they arrive, orient them to the park, and provide information about the battle. In addition we ask whether or not any of their ancestors fought at Stones River. An amazing number can cite names, rank, and company of their family members.
This week a three generation family (grandmother, mother, and daughter) from Arkansas and Missouri, arrived and informed me that several members of their family had been part of this battle. During the course of my conversation with them, the grandmother who lives in Missouri, told me that during the Civil War Missouri Governor Jackson, very sympathetic to the confederate cause in 1861, asked the legislature to rush passage of a bill to place the military future of Missouri in his hands. If passed, this bill would have aligned Missouri with the Confederate States of America.
On May 10, 1861, the General Assembly approved a resolution opposing Union General Nathaniel Lyon's intent to capture the arsenal at St. Louis, but that still allowed the state to remain loyal to the Union. General Lyon, an adamant Union supporter announced that if Governor Jackson would not agree to continuing Missouri's neutral status, he would declare war on the Jackson forces.
On June 17, General Lyon and his troops routed the Jackson forces, resulting in a Jackson administration move to Carthage. On July 5, the Jackson forces defeated a small Lyon Union troop. Meanwhile Union supporters had installed Hamilton R. Gamble as Missouri's Union governor. In response Confederate supporting governor Jackson called the Missouri legislature into session at Neosho, Missouri, in October, but was unable to muster a quorum. Jackson then took his government on the road again, settling in Cassville. Not until the Battle of Pea Ridge in 1862 did the Union troops secure southwest Missouri.
In early November, 1861 15 or 16 senators and 35-40 representatives sympathetic to Governor Jackson and the Confederate cause did meet in Cassville with the ultimate result that the Missouri Confederate government went into exile in Marshall, Texas.
I would never had known this piece of Civil War history without my conversation with the three generations of Confederate descendents, and that is the delightful part of doing this work. She also recommended Caroline Bartels's Bitter Tears, the story of women Confederate sympathizers. As I usually do, in talking with people who have family history, I asked about the effects of occupation. She reported a story of a family that had just lost a son in the War when Union troops commandeered their house. The family fed and sheltered the troops only to have everything destroyed when the troops left. For southerners who experienced this kind of death and destruction, it is no wonder the Civil War has left such a sour taste in their mouths.
War brings an unbelievable cost to all involved, directly or indirectly, but a huge ethical issue is raised by this commitment to break the will of the people by destroying everything they have. We live with the ongoing effects of those decisions today, and we hear the stories regularly as we meet and chat with our visitors.
Hillary writes: One of our duties as volunteers at Stones River is to greet people when they arrive, orient them to the park, and provide information about the battle. In addition we ask whether or not any of their ancestors fought at Stones River. An amazing number can cite names, rank, and company of their family members.
This week a three generation family (grandmother, mother, and daughter) from Arkansas and Missouri, arrived and informed me that several members of their family had been part of this battle. During the course of my conversation with them, the grandmother who lives in Missouri, told me that during the Civil War Missouri Governor Jackson, very sympathetic to the confederate cause in 1861, asked the legislature to rush passage of a bill to place the military future of Missouri in his hands. If passed, this bill would have aligned Missouri with the Confederate States of America.
On May 10, 1861, the General Assembly approved a resolution opposing Union General Nathaniel Lyon's intent to capture the arsenal at St. Louis, but that still allowed the state to remain loyal to the Union. General Lyon, an adamant Union supporter announced that if Governor Jackson would not agree to continuing Missouri's neutral status, he would declare war on the Jackson forces.
On June 17, General Lyon and his troops routed the Jackson forces, resulting in a Jackson administration move to Carthage. On July 5, the Jackson forces defeated a small Lyon Union troop. Meanwhile Union supporters had installed Hamilton R. Gamble as Missouri's Union governor. In response Confederate supporting governor Jackson called the Missouri legislature into session at Neosho, Missouri, in October, but was unable to muster a quorum. Jackson then took his government on the road again, settling in Cassville. Not until the Battle of Pea Ridge in 1862 did the Union troops secure southwest Missouri.
In early November, 1861 15 or 16 senators and 35-40 representatives sympathetic to Governor Jackson and the Confederate cause did meet in Cassville with the ultimate result that the Missouri Confederate government went into exile in Marshall, Texas.
I would never had known this piece of Civil War history without my conversation with the three generations of Confederate descendents, and that is the delightful part of doing this work. She also recommended Caroline Bartels's Bitter Tears, the story of women Confederate sympathizers. As I usually do, in talking with people who have family history, I asked about the effects of occupation. She reported a story of a family that had just lost a son in the War when Union troops commandeered their house. The family fed and sheltered the troops only to have everything destroyed when the troops left. For southerners who experienced this kind of death and destruction, it is no wonder the Civil War has left such a sour taste in their mouths.
War brings an unbelievable cost to all involved, directly or indirectly, but a huge ethical issue is raised by this commitment to break the will of the people by destroying everything they have. We live with the ongoing effects of those decisions today, and we hear the stories regularly as we meet and chat with our visitors.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Return to Murfreesboro
March 26, 2014
Four days back into our volunteer interpretation positions at Stones River National Park, it is time to write again. The southern hospitality is a bit overwhelming right now: the car temperature registered 19 degrees this morning; we had white-out snow for about twenty minutes yesterday afternoon; forecast for tomorrow calls for 40 mph winds. We, of course, are being blamed for bringing all this wintry weather with us! We, of course, are trying to settle their wondrous welcoming. A extra homey touch is a furnace that seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to being on task. But we are fine and pleased to be back "on the job."
Our responsibilities this year are not all that different from last year. We welcome and introduce visitors to the Battlefield - its museum and audio tour - and then are available to answer questions arising from time at the site. As we indicated last year Stones River is not a well-known battle, but it is very significant and was unbelievably costly in terms of human life.
Hillary and I are both involved with the Junior Ranger Program again this year, and yesterday was a really big day - over two dozen kids became junior rangers and received their badges. The photo of Hillary swearing in three of our visitors yesterday was posted on the Stones River facebook page later yesterday. I will try to insert it here:
Four days back into our volunteer interpretation positions at Stones River National Park, it is time to write again. The southern hospitality is a bit overwhelming right now: the car temperature registered 19 degrees this morning; we had white-out snow for about twenty minutes yesterday afternoon; forecast for tomorrow calls for 40 mph winds. We, of course, are being blamed for bringing all this wintry weather with us! We, of course, are trying to settle their wondrous welcoming. A extra homey touch is a furnace that seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to being on task. But we are fine and pleased to be back "on the job."
Our responsibilities this year are not all that different from last year. We welcome and introduce visitors to the Battlefield - its museum and audio tour - and then are available to answer questions arising from time at the site. As we indicated last year Stones River is not a well-known battle, but it is very significant and was unbelievably costly in terms of human life.
Hillary and I are both involved with the Junior Ranger Program again this year, and yesterday was a really big day - over two dozen kids became junior rangers and received their badges. The photo of Hillary swearing in three of our visitors yesterday was posted on the Stones River facebook page later yesterday. I will try to insert it here:
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