How many of realize there was a thriving community located on present day Stones River National Battlefield? How many of us realize this community, known as ‘Cemetery’ was created by freed slaves after the Civil War?
Yes, a Freedmen’s community known as Cemetery emerged on the landscape where the Battle of Stones River had raged. Park rangers along with representatives of the African American Heritage Society of Rutherford County, the Friends of Stones River National Battlefield and Middle Tennessee State University will take visitors to several sites where formerly enslaved people labored to overcome many challenges and forge new lives in freedom at 10:00AM and 1:00PM.
All tours will begin at the park visitor center.
10 AM – Cemetery Community Tour – Explore several Cemetery Community sites in and out of the park and hear the stories of residents spanning the 1860’s to the present.
1 PM – Evergreen Graveyard Tour – Ride with us to the Evergreen Graveyard where we will walk among the headstones and discover the rich tapestry of stories just waiting to be told on that hallowed ground.
