Stones River National Battlefield Explores Murfreesboro’s Past

Stones River National Battlefield and its partners invite visitors to participate in two special events focused on nationally significant events that had a profound impact on Murfreesboro, TN on August 24-25, 2019.

Saturday August 24, 2019 will feature musket firing demonstrations along with programs featuring the stories of men from Murfreesboro and Rutherford County who fought in the Battle of Stones River, one of the most important engagements of the Civil War. Those local men fought on the very land they had tilled and among the homes of family and friends knowing defeat meant they might never see their hometown again. Programs will take place at 10 & 11 AM and 1, 2 & 3 PM.

On Sunday August 25, 2019 the focus will shift to an event that laid the groundwork for Civil War and other defining moments in our nation’s history. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the first landing of enslaved Africans in English North America at Point Comfort in Hampton, VA. At 1:30 PM members of our community will come together at the Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church (4122 Old Nashville Highway, Murfreesboro, TN 37129) and join national parks across our nation in ringing bells to honor 400 years of African American history and culture.

Bells are symbols of freedom. They are rung for joy, sorrow, alarm, and celebration; universal concepts in each of our lives. The program will feature brief reflections on the national event and its meaning to our community, a shared song and the ringing of the Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church bell that first called the newly free residents of the Cemetery Community to worship shortly after the Civil War.

For more information visit our website at http://www.nps.gov/stri or contact us by phone at 615-893-9501 or email at [email protected].