Superintendent Stuart K. Johnson announced the upcoming schedule of events to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Stones River and other important Civil War events in or near Murfreesboro in 1862.
July 21-22 Stones River will open its sesquicentennial programs in partnership with Oaklands Historic House Museum telling the story of General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s raid. Visitors will experience Murfreesboro’s first taste of the shooting war from several perspectives. Confederate cavalry demonstrations at the battlefield at 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. will help visitors see the raid through the eyes of Forrest’s troopers. At Oaklands, where the Ninth Michigan Infantry surrendered, visitors will hear the Union perspective accompanied by infantry demonstrations at 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. each day. Special house tours and an exhibit of civilian artifacts will help visitors understand the raid from the point of view of Murfreesboro’s inhabitants.
Oct. 26-27 Focus will shift to the most significant Civil War event in Murfreesboro, the Battle of Stones River, with a two-day symposium at First Presbyterian Church and Stones River Battlefield. Stones River: Why the Battle Matters 150 Years Later will feature scholarly discussions and park programs that examine the military, political, social, and cultural implications of the Battle of Stones River. Speakers will include: Larry Daniel, Earl J. Hess, Richard McMurry, Dwight Pitcaithley, Jim Lewis & Antoinette Van Zelm. The program is 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Fri. Oct. 26 and will continue 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Sat., Oct. 27.
Dec. 22 Park Rangers will lead a Stones River Campaign bus tour stopping at Nolensville, Triune, LaVergne and other places where the events of Dec. 26-30, 1862 unfolded. Participants will get an understanding of how the movements of two armies onto a battlefield helped shape the final conflict.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 2, 2013 park rangers and volunteers will present a variety of programs to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Stones River including a living history program presented by nearly 300 volunteers.
For more information and detailed program schedules, visit http://www.nps.gov/stri/planyourvisit/cw150park.htm.