Finding the ancestor

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!