More Sites

Parker’s Crossroads
Intersection of I-40 and TN 22 North (Exit 108), Parker’s Crossroads TN 38388
 Road map 
A Confederate cavalry force under Gen. N.B. Forrest was nearly trapped here by converging Union forces Dec. 31, 1862. Forrest was returning from a raid during which he destroyed Union railroad lines carrying supplies for the building Federal offensive against Vicksburg. Union pursuers caught up with him at Parker’s Crossroads. Forrest’s men fought their way out of the trap with the Confederate hero famously ordering his troops to “charge them both ways.” A very good driving tour of the battlefield with two interpreted walking trails has been developed. The battlefield now straddles I-40, but modern interruptions are few on this well-preserved property.
    Pick up a free driving tour map at the Log Cabin visitor center or request a copy from the park’s website. Audio tapes and CDs also available at the visitor center.

Fort Pillow State Historic Site
3122 Park Road, Henning TN 38041
731-738-5581, 731-738-5731
 Road map 
Fort Pillow was built by Confederates early in the war to defend against naval attack on the Mississippi River. Faced with bombardment from the river and the threat of invasion by land, the Southerners evacuated the fort in June 1862, and the place was occupied by Union troops.
    Almost two years later, on April 12, 1864, Confederates under Gen. N.B. Forrest attacked the fort and easily got the best of the small Federal garrison. About half the Union defenders were black, members of the United States Colored Troops. Forrest demanded surrender. Controversy surrounds what happened next. A high rate of casualties among the black troops suggests that killings occurred following the surrender. But if and how it happened remains uncertain. Very good interpretive center here explains the controversial events.
   Remains of the fort’s earthworks no longer overlook the river, which has moved two miles west. Park open 8 am–sunset. Park interpretive center/museum open 8 am–4 pm daily (call first during off season). Free.

Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park
1825 Pilot Knob Road, Eva TN 38333
731-584-6356
Road map
Confederate cavalry commander Gen. N.B. Forrest used the heights here Nov. 4, 1864, to bombard the huge Federal supply depot at Johnsonville across the Tennessee River. A monument to Forrest and that action stands just outside the park’s interpretive center, which focuses on area folk life but includes some Civil War material. Center open 8 am–4:30 pm daily but closes for lunch 11 am–noon (call first during off-season). Parking fee.

Salem Cemetery Battlefield
35 Cotton Grove Road, Jackson TN 38301.
731-424-1279
 Road map 
Confederate Gen. N.B. Forrest ran into a Union ambush Dec. 19, 1862, near this circa-1820 cemetery. The battle, fought up and down the Cotton Grove Road, eventually turned in Forrest’s favor after dislodging a Federal line in the cemetery. The Union force withdrew to Jackson, leaving Forrest to continue his raid north. An interpretive kiosk at the site helps explain the battle.

Britton Lane Battlefield
Five miles southwest of Denmark TN
Directions: From I-40 exit 76, follow Hwy 223 through Denmark. Turn left on Britton Lane, follow signs.
731-989-7944
Road map
About 3,000 Confederate cavalry under Col. Williams Jackson raiding north from Mississippi ran into an outnumbered but stubborn Union force on Britton Lane Sept. 1, 1862. The sharp battle resulted in a Confederate victory and the capture of a couple hundred Union prisoners and two pieces of artillery. A nice park includes a walking trail and historical markers. A cabin that stood during the battle and was used as a hospital is preserved.

Town of La Grange
Pick up tour info at the City Hall during business hours
20 Main St, La Grange TN 38046
901-878-1246
 Road map 
This small town (much larger during the war) was visited by Union troops and officers, including Gens. Grant and Sherman, for most of the war. Many of the stately mansions and other buildings, many used for hospitals, survive. The famous 1863 Grierson’s Raid through Mississippi began here. Tour material covers the Civil War history. Nice first-person tour: www.lagrangetn.com.

Davis Bridge Battlefield (Hatchie River)
South of Pocahontas TN
 Map of the area 
Confederate forces under Gens. Sterling Price and Earl Van Dorn, withdrawing west and south after their defeat at the Battle of Corinth, Miss., managed to hold off a Union attempt to trap them near the Hatchie River. It was a near thing with the Confederates finding a way across the river after a daylong battle Oct. 6, 1862 near Davis Bridge. This was the second-largest battle fought in Tennessee and the subject of a strong preservation effort. Much of the battlefield remains as it was in 1862. For more information about this battle and others connected with the Corinth Campaign, ask at the NPS Corinth Interpretive Center.
    Directions to the battlefield: From Route 57 at Pocahontas, take Pocahontas-Ripley Road south. Battlefield markers and landmarks are located on a loop from Pocahontas Road south to Oak Grove Church Road then east to Essary Springs Road then back north to Route 57.

Website links to these places: Tennessee Links