Clarksville, TN – The next meeting of the Clarksville (TN) Civil War Roundtable will be on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 at Fort Defiance Interpretive Center, our new home, 120 Duncan Street, off New Providence Boulevard. Turn onto Walker Street off New Providence Boulevard and then onto Duncan Street. There are site markers on New Providence Boulevard above and below the park.
The meeting begins at 7:00pm and is always open to the public.
Our topic and speaker – “McFadden’s Ford, Battle of Stones River”
Generals in blue and gray dreamed of tactical knock-outs on the battlefield. Fort Donelson’s capture wasn’t a tactical knock-out, but a surrender. Stonewall Jackson’s greatest day may have been the capture of a similar number of U.S. troops at Harper’s Ferry, but not from a knock-out punch. Two of Lee’s greatest victories, Second Manassas (Bull Run) and Chancellorsville were amazing flank attacks, but not knock-outs.
The best opportunity was likely at Sharpsburg (Antietam), Maryland. George McClellan began the battle with about a three to one edge over Lee. Regardless of McClellan’s failure, Lee’s army had something to do with that. One Antietam park ranger said it was the Army of Northern Virginia’s greatest day. With the Potomac River at their backs, they fought the U.S. Army to a standstill.
So what was the closest knock-out in a major battle? A case will be made for McFadden’s Bend, outside Murfreesborough during the Battle of Stones River. Visualize the view of the U.S. final line on the 31st of December; from the park road you may see the original routes of the Nashville Pike and the railroad.
The U.S. left was about where the Hazen monument is located and their right was just past the visitors center. Behind them was McFadden’s Bend. The park owns the bend, yet had no trail to it, or mention of it. If Bragg had a fresh reserve division, the Army of Tennessee could have pushed the Yankees into the bend. A rock palisade was on the opposite bank.
Prior to this battle, a division, Braxton Bragg’s largest under Carter Stevenson, had been taken from Bragg and sent to Vicksburg before the battle. This probably affected the Confederate side of the battle quite a bit.
Nashville based Ross Massey will tell us the details of the events leading up to where Bragg could have pinned Rosecrans into McFadden’s Bend along the banks of the Stones River. Of course, this area is part of the Confederate attack on the final day of the battle.
Ross Massey is an author and historian and a veteran tour guide and has spoken to us several times in the past.
