Murfreesboro in Rutherford County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Pioneer Brigade Earthworks

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 28, 2010

1. Pioneer Brigade Earthworks Marker

This marker is duplicated at other points along the trail, and may be replaced by a wayside type interpretive marker in the future.

Inscription. The trenches before you were built by the Pioneer Brigade of the Union Army of the Cumberland. After the fighting on the first day of the Battle of Stones River, December 31, 1862, both armies piled dirt, logs, and stone to protect themselves from future attacks. Their work has survived nearly 150 years.

Please help protect these fragile earthworks by staying on the trail.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is December 31, 1862.

Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 35° 52.849′ N, 86° 26.212′ W. Marker was in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in Rutherford County. It could be reached from Park Road, on the right when traveling south. Located on a walking trail from stop four, Defense of the Nashville Pike, on the driving tour of Stones River National Battlefield. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Murfreesboro TN 37129, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was in Middle Tennessee

and in Greater Nashville.

It was also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it was in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Digging In! (a few steps from this marker); Stand Fast! (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Why Fight Here? (about 600 feet away); Battle at Stones River

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(about 700 feet away); God has granted us a Happy New Year! (about 700 feet away); The Charge Kept Coming, Coming Like the Sea (about 700 feet away); Passing Through Murfreesboro (about 700 feet away); Their Longest, Coldest New Year’s Eve (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Murfreesboro.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Chicago Board of Trade Battery (was about 500 feet away but has been confirmed missing).

More about this marker. This marker was replaced by a new one named "Digging In!" (see nearby markers).

Also see . . . Stones River National Battlefield. National Park Service site. (Submitted on October 31, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Marker and Earthworks image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 28, 2010

2. Marker and Earthworks

Difficult to see with the summer foliage, the works are marked by a stake with a red flag on top.

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 28, 2010

3. Earthworks

The earthworks are now little more than slight rises in the ground within the woods.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 31, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,737 times since then and 48 times this year. Last updated on March 13, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 31, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.