National Battlefields · Tennessee
Stones River National Battlefield
National Park Service source material · single source. Source dates and reuse information are available beside each field.
Check the official park website for current access, conditions and visitor information.
Introduction
Background: 1
The Battle of Stones River began on the last day of 1862 and became one of the bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War. The battle produced important military and political gains for the Union, and it changed forever the people who lived and fought here.
Geography
Designation: 3
National Battlefield
State or territory: 4
Tennessee
Park Map - Stones River National Battlefield: 5
Map scope: Stones River National Battlefield
Map of Stones River National Battlefield in Tennessee. The park is relatively small and pale green within a larger tan, roughly bean-shaped, vertically oriented area on the left half of the map. Surrounding areas are pale yellow, highways are shown as red lines, and named roads indicated with black lines.
History and culture
People: 6
From the tens of thousands of soldiers and their officers who fought in the battle to those who came after to build Stones River National Cemetery -- learn about the people who fought, lived, and died in and around this ground.
Use the links on this page to connect to information about the men and women whose lives were changed forever by the battle and the Civil War.
The links below will take you to a list of the military units, also called an Order of Battle, that fought in the major Civil War engagements in and near Murfreesboro.
Collections: 7
Stones River National Battlefield manages a wealth of objects and information in it's museum, archives and library collections. Park rangers and volunteers use these collections to prepare exhibits and interpretive programs.
An Esteemed Friend and a True Soldier - Lieutenant Christian Nix: 8
Stones River National Battlefield’s museum and archives collections hold many artifacts and documents detailing the life Lieutenant Christian Nix of the Twenty-fourth Wisconsin Infantry.
Christian was a German immigrant who joined the Union Army in 1861 to fight for his adopted homeland. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Stones River and is buried in Stones River National Cemetery.
On the following pages you will have a chance to experience Christian's story through the objects and documents that he left behind.
Charles Nickerson: A Shared Tragedy: 9
This is the story of Private Charles H. Nickerson. It is a story of bravery, suffering, survival, and tragic destiny that was shared with hundreds of soldiers during the Civil War.
You can see all of the documents that tell the story of Charles Nickerson in our Regimental Files and request copies by sending an email to stri_administration@nps.gov.
Like thousands of other young men across the United States of America, Charles H. Nickerson answered President Lincoln's 1861 call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion in the southern states. Charles Nickerson joined Company E of the Sixty-fifth Ohio Infantry when he was 19 years old on October 30, 1861.
Nickerson missed the battle of Shiloh (April 6-7, 1862) because he had the measles. He returned to his regiment in time to fight the Battle Of Perryville in Kentucky on October 8, 1862. Charles was lucky. Disease caused nearly two thirds of all Civil War deaths.
On December 26, 1862, the Union Army of the Cumberland, including Nickerson and the Sixty-fifth Ohio, began marching towards Murfreesboro to attack the Confederate Army of Tennessee.
Charles mentions several items in his journal that he had at the beginning of the march south including, "1 large blanket and overcoat, haversack with three days rations, [his]gun and accoutrements." The 65th Ohio stopped marching at 9 PM. They didn't have any tents. However, Nickerson had his blanket, a fact that made him proud.
During the course of the battle, the Confederates forced the Sixty-fifth Ohio to retreat and reform their lines. While retreating Nickerson threw away the blanket that made him so proud. He also tried to get rid of his haversack and canteen but could not get them off.
Shortly after discarding his blanket, Nickerson met his Major who asked him if he was wounded. Nickerson responded, "No, only nearly tired out." The Major looked at Nickerson and told him he is wounded and to get to the rear of the lines across the pike. At this point Nickerson wiped sweat off his face and is stunned to see his hand covered with blood.
After the Confederates withdrew from Murfreesboro, General Rosecrans gave orders to fortify the area. The Sixty-fifth Ohio helped build part of Fortress Rosecrans. Private Nickerson wrote that the breastworks they were building were "very strong." The Fortress protected an area of more than 200 acres and a vast supply depot.
While in Murfreesboro, Private Nickerson became Sergeant Nickerson. Many promotions occurred during the first half of 1863 as the Union army prepared itself for a drive towards Chattanooga.
In September the 65th Ohio took part in the Battle of Chickamauga . During this battle Sergeant Nickerson was wounded and captured. He went to a prison camp near Richmond, VA. In the spring of 1864 he transferred to the newly opened camp at Andersonville , Georgia. He spent the rest of the war there.
Sergeant Nickerson did not die at Andersonville as many others did. Near the end of the war he and several hundred other Union Prisoners of War moved to Vicksburg, Mississippi to begin their passage home. These men were weakened from their experiences in Andersonville.
In April of 1865 Sergeant Nickerson boarded the S.S. Sultana excited at the prospect of heading home. The Sultana was 260 feet long and had a legal carrying capacity of 376 passengers and crew.
One of the Sultana's boilers had a bulging wall plate. Instead of replacing it entirely the Captain decided to have the defect patched. On April 27, 1865 this poorly repaired boiler exploded when the Sultana was 9 miles north of Memphis, TN.
The explosion killed more than 1,800 men. Charles Nickerson and hundreds of men who had so recently left the horrors of Andersonville behind were among the dead.
Charles Nickerson's death after surviving so many trials is one of many tragic endings that make up the story of the Battle of Stones River and the Civil War.
William Holland: From Property to Property Owner: 10
William Holland was born a slave in the mid-1830s in Todd County, Kentucky. William spent most of his first 30 years working as a slave in Maury County, Tennessee for his owner Benjamin Harlan. Holland began his life in a country where the law said he was only a piece of farm property. When he died some 70 years later, he was, by law an American citizen and a property owner.
Museum and Archives Collection: 11
The Stones River National Battlefield museum and archive collections contain nearly 100,000 objects and pages that tell the story of the Battle of Stones River and the park's history.
You can view all of the holdings in these collections at the National Park Service Web Catalog .
Research appointments are obtainable via written request at least two weeks prior to the proposed date.
Library: 12
The Stones River National Battlefield library holds more than 3,500 items ranging from books to copies of Civil War letters and diaries.
History & Culture: 13
Stones River National Battlefield is the site of one of the largest and most important battles of the American Civil War. The people, places, and stories found at this site help us to understand more than only this moment in history. They also help us understand those that came before and afterwards as well. Explore these pages to learn more about what makes this place such hallowed ground.
Nature
Ecology; Nature & Science: 14
Stones River National Battlefield is made up of over 600 acres of living landscape that has been shaped by environmental factors throughout history. The Stones River is just one of many natural features in the park, including native grasslands, forests, karst topography, and rare limestone cedar glades. The park is also home to many plants, animals, fungi, and other living things, providing essential habitat in a growing urban area. Natural resource management plays an important part in preserving the natural history of the battlefield.
Visitor centers and places
Visitor Center: 15
The park visitor center and restrooms are open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm in Spring and Summer and 9am to 4:00 pm from November 1 through February 29 in fall and winter.
Visitor information
Visitation
Sources & field notes
Source records (19)
Select a numbered reference to open a source card. Retrieval dates describe this edition’s source capture, rather than an independent verification or the date of the underlying information.
Background · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Stones River National Battlefield · NPS / Buddy Secor. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source scope
- Stones River National Battlefield
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Public domain: U.S. National Park Service employee work
- Rights
- Public domain: U.S. National Park Service employee work
Designation · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
State or territory · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
Park Map - Stones River National Battlefield · National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source scope
- Stones River National Battlefield
- Download
- Official map PDF ↗
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Public domain; NPS map
- Rights
- Public domain; NPS map
People · People — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- January 3, 2026
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
Collections · Collections — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- December 23, 2020
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
An Esteemed Friend and a True Soldier - Lieutenant Christian Nix · An Esteemed Friend and a True Soldier - Lieutenant Christian Nix — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- April 14, 2015
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
Charles Nickerson: A Shared Tragedy · Charles Nickerson: A Shared Tragedy — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- February 2, 2020
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
William Holland: From Property to Property Owner · William Holland: From Property to Property Owner — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- February 14, 2021
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
Museum and Archives Collection · Museum and Archives Collection — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- July 19, 2017
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
Library · Library — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- April 14, 2015
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
History & Culture · National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party material may have separate rights. No images copied.
Ecology; Nature & Science · Nature & Science — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- December 11, 2025
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS webpage text; U.S. government work generally public domain. Third-party material may have separate rights.
Visitor Center · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Physical Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Mailing Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Telephone · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Recreation visits · National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics. Open source ↗
- Information date
- 2025
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Methodology
- NPS reporting unit; annual total is the sum of 12 monthly recreation visit estimates.
- Reporting unit
- Stones River NB
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.