Murfreesboro in Rutherford County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Fortress Rosecrans
Life Under the Guns
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 28, 2020
1. Fortress Rosecrans Marker
Inscription.
Fortress Rosecrans. Life Under the Guns. After the Battle of Stones River, Union soldiers and newly freed slaves began building the earthen walls of Fortress Rosecrans in front of you. Named for Union Gen. William S. Rosecrans, it was the largest earthen fortress ever built in North America, covering about 225 acres. Union Gen. James St. Clair Morton, chief engineer for the Army of the Cumberland, supervised its construction between January and June 1863. The fort protected the junction of Stones River and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, as well as the intersection of the Wilkinson Turnpike and the Old Nashville Turnpike. Fortress Rosecrans provided logistical support for the Union advances on Chattanooga andAtlanta and Union Gen. William T. Sherman's March to the Sea., The fort also cast a shadow over the lives of Murfreesboro's citizens. Union soldiers scoured the surrounding land for timber, fences, and food to support the garrison. Murfreesboro's residents resented the Federal occupation, which lasted three years. Because of local resentment, Rosecrans issued orders to “shell the town and burn it up” if the residents rebelled, and regular patrols and artillery practice constantly reminded the townspeople about the dangers of causing trouble. The army abandoned the fort in 1866. The citizens worked to erase the memories of the occupation by removing as much of the fort as they could and returning the land to agricultural uses., (Captions) , Bottom left corner: Battery Mitchell – Courtesy Stones River National Battlefield , Bottom left: Plan of Fortress Rosecrans, Atlas to Accompany the Official Records , Center: Gen. William S. Rosecrans Courtesy Library of Congress , Right: Rosecrans in front of the massive walls of Fortress Rosecrans, painting by Albert Metzner Courtesy Patricia Perry Gadbois
After the Battle of Stones River, Union soldiers and newly freed slaves began building the earthen walls of Fortress Rosecrans in front of you. Named for Union Gen. William S. Rosecrans, it was the largest earthen fortress ever built in North America, covering about 225 acres. Union Gen. James St. Clair Morton, chief engineer for the Army of the Cumberland, supervised its construction between January and June 1863. The fort protected the junction of Stones River and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, as well as the intersection of the Wilkinson Turnpike and the Old Nashville Turnpike. Fortress Rosecrans provided logistical support for the Union advances on Chattanooga andAtlanta and Union Gen. William T. Sherman's March to the Sea.
The fort also cast a shadow over the lives of Murfreesboro's citizens. Union soldiers scoured the surrounding land for timber, fences, and food to support the garrison. Murfreesboro's residents resented the Federal occupation, which lasted three years. Because of local resentment, Rosecrans issued orders to “shell the town and burn it up” if the residents rebelled, and regular patrols and artillery practice constantly reminded the townspeople about the dangers of causing trouble. The army abandoned the fort in 1866. The citizens worked to erase the memories of the occupation by removing
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as much of the fort as they could and returning the land to agricultural uses.
(Captions) Bottom left corner: Battery Mitchell – Courtesy Stones River National Battlefield Bottom left: Plan of Fortress Rosecrans, Atlas to Accompany the Official Records Center: Gen. William S. Rosecrans Courtesy Library of Congress Right: Rosecrans in front of the massive walls of Fortress Rosecrans, painting by Albert Metzner Courtesy Patricia Perry Gadbois
Location. 35° 51.014′ N, 86° 24.424′ W. Marker is in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in Rutherford County. Marker is on Overall Street, 0.2 miles east of Golf Lane, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located at Overall Street Trailhead in Old Fort Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Murfreesboro TN 37129, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Defense of Fortress Rosecrans (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Living Under the Guns (about 400 feet away); a different
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 28, 2020
2. Fortress Rosecrans Marker Detail
Battery Mitchell Courtesy Stones River National Battlefield
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 28, 2020
3. Fortress Rosecrans Marker Detail
Plan of Fortress Rosecrans Atlas to Accompany the Official Records
Photographed By Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries, circa 1865
4. Fortress Rosecrans Marker Detail
Gen. William S. Rosecrans Courtesy Library of Congress
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 28, 2020
5. Fortress Rosecrans Marker Detail
Rosecrans in front of the massive walls of Fortress Rosecrans, painting by Albert Metzner Courtesy Patricia Perry Gadbois
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 28, 2020
6. Fortress Rosecrans Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 29, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 249 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 29, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.