MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Murfreesboro City Council voted Thursday evening to approve a unique sub-grant agreement for the American Battlefield Trust. The Trust will use this sub-grant to purchase property that will be deeded to the City of Murfreesboro for incorporation into the Parks & Recreation system. The 31.6 acres off Agripark Drive (east of Gresham Lane) played a major role in the start of the Battle of Stones River in 1862, one of the bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War.

“We’re excited to partner with the American Battlefield Trust to add more greenspace to Murfreesboro’s park system and preserve this important historic site,” said Recreation Services Executive Director Nate Williams. “As Murfreesboro continues to grow, preserving natural areas is critical for education and conservation.”

Jim Lewis, Acting Superintendent of Stones River National Battlefield, added, “We’re thrilled to preserve another part of the battlefield and look forward to working with the city to create an experience that helps the public imagine the early stages of the Battle of Stones River on this site.”

The land to be preserved is west of I-24 and just north of Hwy 96, where a significant early moment of the Battle of Stones River took place. On the morning of December 31, 1862, a Confederate assault at 6 a.m. led to intense fighting and strategic movements that played a crucial role in the battle’s outcome.

After the land purchase is finalized and approved by the State of Tennessee, it will be managed by the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department. The land will be permanently protected, and the public will have access to it.

The City of Murfreesboro will act as the applicant and recipient of a federal grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program to fund this project. The total cost is approximately $7.94 million, with no financial match required from the city, and future park maintenance costs are expected to be minimal.

The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization focused on preserving battlefields from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the Civil War. For more information, visit www.battlefields.org.

Below Photo: The area to be preserved is outlined in yellow and sits west of I-24 and just north of Hwy 96 where one of the most crucial early moments of the Battle of Stones River took place.

FULL DETAILS RELEASED BY THE CITY OF MURFREESBORO - The Murfreesboro City Council voted Thursday, June 20, 2024, to approve a unique sub-grant agreement for American Battlefield Trust to purchase property to be deeded to the City for incorporation in the Parks & Recreation system. The 31.6 acres located off Agripark Drive and east of Gresham Lane was pivotal in the start of the Battle of Stones River in 1862, one of the bloodiest conflicts in the Civil War.

“We are excited once again to partner with the American Battlefield Trust to add more greenspace to the Murfreesboro Park system and preserve this historically significant site,” said Recreation Services Executive Director Nate Williams. “As Murfreesboro continues to grow, adding natural preservation areas like this is critical to fulfill our vision for education and conservation.”

“We’re excited to see another piece of the battlefield preserved and are looking forward to working with the City of Murfreesboro to create an interpretative experience that will allow the public to imagine the early stages of the Battle of Stones River on this site,” said Stones River National Battlefield Acting Superintendent Jim Lewis.

The area to be preserved sits west of I-24 and just north of Hwy 96 where one of the most crucial early moments of the Battle of Stones River took place (see attached maps).

Lewis provided a description of the landscape on the morning of Dec. 31,1862:

“Following a 6 a.m. Confederate assault upon the U.S. Army of Cumberland’s right wing, Confederate Gen. J.P. McCown’s division began moving northwest in pursuit of their shattered enemy. The Confederate movement ran counter to the planned wheel to the north and opened a gap in the Confederate lines. Confederate Gen. Patrick Cleburne pushed his brigades forward to fill the gap and struck Col. Sidney Post’s Union brigade.

General Cleburne’s men drove their enemy from the site beginning the collapse of the U.S. division commanded by Gen. Jefferson C. Davis. The early Confederate success, however, came at a price. Cleburne’s men were meant to act as a reserve, bolstering the Confederate attack with fresh troops when the leading units began to slow down. Instead, they had to rush into the fight at 7 a.m., leaving the Confederates with no reserve force to reinvigorate their attack as it began to slow near Wilkinson Pike.

The loss of momentum ultimately allowed Union Gen. William S. Rosecrans of his U.S. Army of the Cumberland to establish a new line of defense along the Nashville Pike that stopped the Confederate advance and began turning the battle into an important Union victory.”

After the land purchase is finalized, along with State of Tennessee regulatory action, the land will be deeded to the City in future maintenance of the park land by the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department.

Under the agreement, “a recorded easement must provide for the permanent preservation and protection of the Property by restricting the use, development, and conversion of the Property, and by requiring public access to the Property.”  The City of Murfreesboro has agreed to act as the Applicant and Recipient of an American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant (BLAG).

The agreement outlines the responsibilities of the Subrecipient (American Battlefield Trust) and the City of Murfreesboro, including the assigning of a City grant coordinator for grant administration and communication with the Subrecipient.

The National Park Service (NPS) grant requires a municipal participant to act as a passthrough for federal funds. The Sub-Grant Agreement with the American Battlefield Trust must still be finalized with legal approval.

The total project funding cost, including federal share and subrecipient share is approximately $7.94 million. The grant does not require a financial match from the City and future maintenance costs of the park are anticipated to be minimal.

The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization whose primary focus is the preservation of battlefields of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the American Civil War, through the acquisition of battlefield land.

• For more information on the American Battlefield Trust, visit www.battlefields.org
• For more information on Stones River National Battlefield, visit www.nps.gov/stri