Help Save 140 Acres at Stones River and Fort Heiman

The Opportunity

Multiple historically significant tracts — two at Stones River, TN, and one at Fort Heiman, KY are currently at risk. 

The value of these properties is an astounding $21 million. With state and federal matching funds from the American Battlefield Protection Program, the State of Tennessee Civil War Sites Preservation Fund, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, along with contributions from partners and a very generous landowner donation of value, we’ve reduced the amount we need to $377,205 to close these deals. 

Every dollar you give is effectively being multiplied 57 times!

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The History

Stones River, Tennessee

There are two tracts at Stones River. The larger of these tracts is comprised of 122 acres of hallowed ground. 

The Battle of Stones River ranks among the most important battles of the entire Civil War. Over three days of fighting, more than 23,500 men fell as casualties, making it the 7th bloodiest battle of the War, ranking between Shiloh and Antietam. It also contributed to 1862 being the bloodiest year by far in American history up to that point!

More than 30 years ago, in 1993, the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, a congressionally appointed panel of experts, assessed Stones River Battlefield. They ranked the battlefield at the highest level of military importance, but deemed it a Priority IV.1 or “poor integrity” site, effectively giving up on making it a preservation priority.

But we never give up! And, together, we’ve made incredible progress at Stones River, preserving this important battlefield for generations.

This large, pristine tract is a rarity at Stones River, which is situated in Murfreesboro, TN, one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation. In recent years, the owner has been flooded with offers from developers seeking to buy it for residential, commercial, and mixed-use development.

The value of this land has increased almost daily, and given this hot real estate environment, there is not a more threatened situation.

But at the 11th hour, the Trust was able to convince the property owner that our offer, not those from developers, would preserve this hallowed ground so that generations of Americans of all ages could walk in the footsteps of the soldiers who fought, bled, and died there, and could appreciate the significance of what transpired there — but only if it was preserved.

The Trust also secured the second smaller tract of land at Stones River after finding out the privately-owned property was going up for auction just one week before the sale.

This 16-acre tract is adjacent to the Stones River National Battlefield, and if lost to development, it would be disastrous for the park and the battlefield.

The Trust tried to acquire it at the live real estate auction. As soon as the auction started, developers began driving up the price, and things weren’t looking good. Then at the last minute, at the 11th hour, one of our partners supplemented our bid, and we won!

None of these last-minute “heroics” would be possible without the ongoing support of dedicated Trust members. 

Fort Heiman, Kentucky

That same congressionally appointed panel of experts that scored Stones River a “poor integrity” battlefield ranked Fort Heiman even lower — a Priority IV.2 “lost integrity.”

Fort Heiman was a Confederate earthwork constructed hastily on the high bluffs of the Kentucky side of the Tennessee River. It was built to protect the poorly positioned Fort Henry on the Tennessee side of the river.

When Grant advanced with 15,000 troops in early February 1862, the fort position was untenable. On February 4, Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, who was in charge of both forts, evacuated Fort Heiman. Union troops arrived to find warm stew still on the fire.

The fort’s significance exceeded its bloodless capture. Its fall helped crack the entire Confederate defensive line in the West, triggering retreats from Kentucky and setting in motion the chain of events leading to Shiloh.

Today, the Trust aims to preserve nearly 1.5 acres at Fort Heiman, a unit of the Fort Donelson National Battlefield that witnessed maneuvers and combat during the Battles of Fort Henry and Jacksonville.

While a small parcel of land, preserving it is critical to protecting its earthworks and expanding public access to the site’s cultural resources.

Make History at Stones River & Fort Heiman!

140 acres of hallowed ground where men fought and died, on battlefields considered low priority or even “lost” over thirty years ago, are all ready to be rescued at the 11th hour. It is only through your generous support that the Trust can do this important work.

The Trust is working to save every acre possible, and with your help and the help of our local, state, and federal government partners and friends, progress is happening that no one would have ever dreamed possible over 30 years ago.

Please make your most generous gift today, and don’t forget that it will be multiplied 57 times to help the Trust bring these three tracts into the fold once and for all.

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