State Sites
Camp Blount Historic Site
Tennessee earned its nickname the “Volunteer State” due to large number of people to respond to the call for military service during the War of 1812. In late September 1813, thousands of Tennessee soldiers assembled at Camp Blount, which served as a training location. The next month, Andrew Jackson took command of these soldiers, including David Crockett, Sam Houston, and John Coffee.
Address:
1124 Huntsville Hwy
Fayetteville, TN 37334
Hours of Operation:
Sunrise to Sunset, No Camping
Parkers Crossroads Battlefield
The Battle of Parkers Crossroads occurred on December 31, 1862. Both the Union and Confederate armies claim this battle as a victory, though Nathan Bedford Forrest and his men were able to advance across the Tennessee River. Today, more than 300 acres of battlefield have been preserved.
Address:
138 Wildersville Rd,
Wildersville, TN 38388
Hours of Operation:
Battlefield Sunrise to Sunset, No Camping
Visitor’s Center: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm Monday-Sunday.
Salem Cemetery Battlefield Historic Site and Park
The culmination of five years of collaboration, technical support, education, and advocacy has come to fruition on September 11, 2024, with the signing of the Management Agreement between the THC and Madison County, facilitating the creation of the Salem Cemetery Battlefield Historic Site and Park that will interpret the December 19, 1862 battle. The initial planning phase has kicked off, as the Friends of Salem Cemetery Historic Site and Madison County partner to locate grants, identify initial planning needs, and outline desired capital improvements for the site. The park is slated to contain walking trails, restrooms, and parking.
After routing Federal troops in Lexington, Tennessee on December 18, 1862, an estimated 400 Confederate forces led by Forrest rode toward Jackson on the Lexington stagecoach road in an effort to trick the enemy to believe thousands of Forrest’s men were to attack the city. Union forces under the command of Adolph Engelmann rushed to meet the advance, setting up defensive positions and encamping at Salem Cemetery and its surrounding fields. Union troops repulsed the two-hour assault on December 19, 1862. Forrest, however, was not present at the battle, as he used this attack as a feint while he and his remaining men destroyed a section of railway tracks to the north. Having completed his mission, he and his men withdrew, continuing to attack other towns in West Tennessee, including Parker’s Crossroads on December 31, 1862. While the Battle of Jackson and the subsequent Battle of Parker’s Crossroads did slow Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s advance toward Vicksburg, Mississippi, the West Tennessee battles of December 1862 did not prevent Federal troops from eventually capturing Vicksburg on July 4, 1863.
Address:
58 Cotton Grove Rd.
Jackson, TN 38305
Hours of Operation:
Sunrise to Sunset, No Camping
Ft. Redmond Historic Site
Positioned between the current CSX Railroad Bridge and the historic Edgefield & Kentucky Railroad Bridge trestles lies circular earthworks, ca. 1861. Two names are associated with the site; Fort Redmond (Confederate) and Red River Blockhouse Number 1 (U.S.). The origin story of this site is cloudy due to conflicting accounts and a lack of tangible evidence, but it is thought that Confederate forces abandoned this defensive position when Forts Henry and Donelson fell in February 1862. Union troops, specifically the 15th Infantry U.S. Colored Troops garrisoned at this site for the remainder of the war, sacrificing their lives by defending the railroads and their supply lines.
Seeing the importance of this site, the Tennessee Historical Commission and Tennessee Wars Commission acquired 16.83 acres in November 2013. However, approximately 1.18-acres remained under the ownership of CSX Railroad. TWC has been working ever since to protect this remaining acreage that encompasses a portion of the earthworks.
We are pleased to announce that THC/TWC has signed a lease to protect that remaining acreage! We hope to collaborate with CSX to stabilize and conserve the site, protecting this important cultural resource for future generations.
Preserved, conservation upcoming.
Address:
Adams, Tennessee
Hours of Operation:
Not open to the public