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Fight For West Tennessee

7 Hunt-Phelan Home – 533 Beale St., Memphis, 38103. No phone number. Built between 1828-1832, the home was host to many well known Tennesseans such as President Andrew Jackson, Jefferson Davis and General Forrest. Confederate General Leonidas Polk planned the Battle of Corinth in the home. General U.S. Grant later used the home as his headquarters and planned the Vicksburg campaign in the library. The home also served as a Union hospital. After the war, one of the first schools for freed slaves was built on the property by the Freedman’s Bureau. A large family archive contains many Civil War related papers and books, and the home has many rare antique furnishings. Open daily, spring and summer. Closed on Tues.-Wed., Labor Day-March 1. Admission is charged.

8 Mississippi River Museum at Mud Island – 125 N. Front St., Memphis, 38103-1713. 901-576-7232. The museum features five galleries dedicated to the significant role of the river in the Civil War. A life-sized replica of an ironclad gunboat is featured complete with audio visual program. An outdoor five-block long replica of the lower Mississippi River allows visitors to trace significant battles. Open Tues.-Sun. April 6-May 24; daily May 25-Sept. 2; Tues.-Sun. Sept. 3-Oct. 31. Admission is charged.

9 Memphis National Cemetery – 3568 Towers Ave., Memphis, 38122. 901-386-8311. Drive or walk around the grave sites of veterans while learning local history dating back to the Civil War. Of the 13,965 soldiers buried at this site, 8,866 are unknown. Other burials include those from the USS Sultana, which sank in April, 1865 and ranks as one of the nation’s deadliest maritime disasters with 1,700 soldiers and crew lost. Guides are provided upon request. Open Mon.-Fri. Admission is free. Historic Elmwood Cemetery – 824 S. Dudley St., Memphis, TN 38104. 901-774-3212. Established in 1852, Elmwood is the oldest active cemetery in Memphis. Remains of 14 Confederate generals and 2 Union generals are interred here, along with those of 1,100 soldiers who fell in different battles.

10 Fort Pillow State Historic Site – 3122 Park Rd., Henning, TN 38041. 731-738-5581. Federal forces captured this important Confederate river fort in 1862. On April 12, 1864, Confederate General Forrest attacked the fort and demanded immediate surrender of the garrison, but was refused. The fort was then stormed and captured. Due to high Union casualties and the presence of black troops, controversy surrounding this battle still exists today. Open daily; visitor center open Mon.-Fri. Admission is free. Related Links: Fort Pillow Battle Summary ; Fort Pillow State Historic Site - State Park

11 Britton Lane Battlefield – 4707 Steam Mill Ferry Rd., Medon, 38356. 731-935-2209. These quiet woods and fields were the scene of a mighty conflict on Sept. 1, 1862, when Federal and Confederate troops clashed. During the four-hour battle, Confederates made furious charges across open cornfields to attack the Federal troops who were entrenched behind in a grove of trees on a hill. The battle resulted in the capture of 213 prisoners. Monuments mark the site along with a mass grave of Confederates. A restored Civil War-era cabin, used as a hospital during the battle, is open. After the battle, 87 prisoners were imprisoned in the Denmark Presbyterian Church, located near the battlefield. The structure still contains graffiti left by the Federal prisoners. Open daily. Admission is free.

12 Salem Cemetery Battlefield – 35 Cotton Grove Rd, Jackson, 38301. 731-424-1279. Self-guided tour with brochures available at the cemetery’s main gate. The site has two large monuments, flag pole and battle map inlay showing the layout of the battle. A state historical marker identifies the site. A battle occurred nearby on December 19, 1862, between General Forrest’s cavalry and Union troops. Approximately 1,000 men were engaged in the two-hour battle. Open during daylight hours. Admission is free. Riverside Cemetery – Riverside Drive, Jackson 38301. 731-425-8580. Established in 1830, the cemetery contains the graves of 140 unknown Confederate soldiers. Brochures for a self-guided tour are available at the gate. Open during daylight hours. Admission is free.

13 Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield – 97 Battleground Dr., Parker’s Crossroads, 38388 (location at exit 108, I-40 and Highway 22). 731-968-1191. The battle was fought on Dec. 31, 1862. Union forces sought to capture.18 Confederate troops on their return from their first West Tennessee raid. When Confederate General Forrest found himself caught between two Union forces, he ordered his troops to "charge both ways" and made a successful escape. Seven marked sites can be visited (with the help of an audio cassette) on a self-guided driving tour. Open daily. Admission is free. Related Link: Battle Summary - Parkers Crossroads - NPS

14 Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park – 1825 Pilot Knob Rd., Eva, 38333. 731-584-6356. The park was named for General N. B. Forrest, the intrepid Confederate cavalry leader who on November 4, 1864, attacked and destroyed the Federal supply and munitions depot at (old) Johnsonville at the mouth of Trace Creek. His operations were concentrated along the river near the park and the town of Eva. The park features a monument to General Forrest and a map delineating the action at Johnsonville. Park open daily 24 hours; museum: Apr-Nov. Admission is free. Related Link: Battle of Jackson-Summary; Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park

15 Davis Bridge Battlefield – c/o Davis Bidge Memorial Foundation, 1250 Clift Rd., Bolivar, TN 38008. 731-658-6554. After the Battle of Corinth on October 5, 1862, the retreating Confederate army under Generals Sterling Price and Earl Van Dorn met General Ord and 8,000 Union troops at Davis Bridge over the Hatchie River. An all-day battle ensued for the bridge. The Confederates managed to hold off the attacking Union forces and cross the Hatchie at Crum’s Mill, farther south. Monument and informational markers are open daily. Admission is free.

16 Town of LaGrange – P.O. Box 621, LaGrange, 38046. 901-878-1246. LaGrange was occupied by Federal troops from 1862 until the Civil War ended. In 1863, Grierson’s Raid—a daring raid through Mississippi carried out by U.S. cavalry under the command of Col. Benjamin H. Grierson—originated here. Immanuel Episcopal Church was a hospital. See the birthplace of Lucy Holcombe Pickens, the "Queen of the Confederacy," and many antebellum homes. Open daily during daylight hours. Pick up driving tour brochure at Cogbill’s Store and Museum, 901-878-1235 or city hall, 901-878-1246. Cogbill’s Store and Museum is open Thurs-Sun except in winter, when it is open only on Sun 1-5pm; call ahead for schedule. Admission free.

17 Forrest Park – P.O. Box 241813, Memphis, 38124. This park in downtown Memphis is the site where Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest is buried. The park features a large, bronze equestrian statue of the general that was erected in 1905, as well as the granite monument that serves as the grave marker for the general and his wife, Mary Montgomery Forrest. After the Civil War, General Sherman said of Forrest, "He was the most remarkable man our Civil War produced on either side." General Lee, when asked to identify the greatest soldier under his command, said, "a man I have never seen, ... Forrest." The monument is located 2 blocks from the scene of Forrest’s death in 1877. Open daily 24 hours. Admission Free

18 Memphis Pink Palace Museum – 3050 Central Ave., Memphis, 38111. 901-320-6320. The Civil War exhibit displays artifacts, documents, and photographs of civilian Memphis; arms and equipment; and currency. It provides material on the war around Memphis, the battle of Memphis, Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, and Confederate veterans. A diorama depicting an artillery crew serving an ordnance rifle is the centerpiece of the exhibit. The Civil War exhibit is part of a larger museum. Open to Public: Memorial Day-Labor Day: Mon-Wed 9am-5pm, Thurs 9am-9pm, Fri, Sat 9am-10pm, Sun noon-5pm. Day after Labor Day-day before Memorial Day: Mon-Wed 9am-4pm, Thurs 9am-4pm, Fri, Sat 9am-9pm, Sun noon-5pm. Admission: Adults $5.50, children $4. Call for group rates. Related Link: Battle of Memphis - Summary (1) and (2)

Prologue | Invasion by River | Fight for West Tennessee | Contest for MiddleTennessee | East Tennessee's Mountain War | Hood's Tennessee Campaign | Epilogue | Civil War Discovery Trail | Civil War Timeline | Tennessee's Civil War Heritage Trail - A clickable map

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