Stones River

• The Dawn Assault

  

  The Confederate attack at Stones River began at dawn on December 31, 1862. Maj. Gen. John McCown's division led the way, but was drawn off track as the Confederates recklessly pursued their broken foes. Patrick Cleburne's men filled the gap and drove on towards a dense cedar thicket. (Rob Shenk)

• Union Artillery

  

  Union artillery maintained fire superiority throughout the battle. The dense terrain largely prevented Confederate gunners from supporting the infantry assault through the trees. (Rob Shenk)

• The Slaughter Pen

  

  The Confederates pushed the Union defenders into a cedar thicket that would become known as "The Slaughter Pen." The Federals had reached a crisis point. If the line could not be held here, then the army would face annihilation. (Rob Shenk)

• Sheridan's Stand

  

  Union Gen. Phil Sheridan took advantage of excellent defensive terrain in the Slaughter Pen as he directed his division to perform a fighting withdrawal. Overlapped on his right flank, Sheridan kept his cool and took up a series of positions that exacted a heavy toll on the advancing Confederates. (Rob Shenk)

• High Tide

  

  After four hours of savage fighting, Sheridan stopped the Confederate infantry. His men had turned back nine Southern brigades--some of the stiffest odds ever faced during the Civil War. The Union line bent but did not break. (Rob Shenk)

• Spiked Guns

  

  The spiked guns that dot the Slaughter Pen represent the Union batteries that were overwhelmed during the morning's fighting. Over a dozen cannons were lost in the smoky woods. (Rob Shenk)

• The Round Forest

  

  The battle then shifted north to the Round Forest, or "Hell's Half-Acre," as the Confederates tried to break the Union center. The bent Union line had created a salient in this small woodlot that Bragg hoped to isolate and exploit. (Rob Shenk)

• The Hazen Monument

  

  Gen. William B. Hazen repulsed the Confederate attacks on the Round Forest. The attacks were piecemeal and disorganized, causing heavy losses on both sides. Now the site of his heroic stand is threatened by development. (Rob Shenk)

• Stones River

  

  Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg expected Rosecrans's bloodied army to retreat on January 1. Finding the Federals to be unobliging, he turned his attention to the Union left and the battle shifted across Stones River on January 2. (Rob Shenk)

• Breckinridge's Charge

  

  After Braxton Bragg overruled his objections, Confederate Gen. John Breckinridge led a doomed charge on January 2. This monument memorializes the massed Union batteries that shattered his infantry. After the struggle Breckinridge rode among his Kentucky troops crying, "My Poor Orphans!" (Rob Shenk)

• Battlefield Museum

  

  The Stones River battlefield museum boasts an impressive array of dioramas that bring the struggle to life. These models highlight episodes from camp, from the battle, and even include a full representation of the Battle of Stones River in miniature. (Rob Shenk)