Storms bring down Murfreesboro tree that might’ve stood during Civil War

Sunday’s storms brought down a tree at the Stones River National Battlefield that could’ve been standing during the Civil War.

It’s hard to tell exactly how old the tree was because it was already badly damaged from a storm last year, making its rings hard to count.

“Because it’s hard to read the rings, we are going to bring it to some experts to see what they can determine. But Hackberry trees generally live 150 to 200 years, so it is possible this tree was here then,” said John McKay, Stones River Battlefield Educational Coordinator.

And if it was, it would be what they call a “Witness Tree.”

“The battle that occurred here was likely a turning point in the war. The Union soldiers unleashed over 150 cannons on Confederate troops on the other side of the Stones River. In some 45 minutes, 1,800 confederate soldiers perished. This turned the battle for the Union,” McKay explained.

Courtesy of WKRN News 2