Use Nashville as a Central Hub for a Civil War Tour of Tennessee
This post is a stand-alone post, but it is also #3 to Monday’s Holiday Gift Ideas for the Established Civil War Buff.
Nashville is a great destination for anyone interested in the American Civil War. The Virginian battlefields get all the glory, but the war in the western theater was just as compelling. Many argue that the North won the war because the North won the west. (They had a heck of a time defeating Lee in the east.)
Nashville is a great jumping off point for many points of Civil War interest in Tennessee. Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Stones River (Murfreesboro), Franklin, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga are all within a few hours’ drive. Of course there are also plenty of sites within Nashville itself.
(Ask about the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust of honor in the Capitol Building. It makes the guides nervous.)
One of the great things about establishing a central headquarters in Nashville is that you don’t have to keep packing and unpacking every day. For those in your family or group who are not enamored with this period of history, there are plenty of other places to explore. Also, I didn’t find Nashville to be that expensive for travelers. For me, the cost-convenience scale was definitely in my favor.
A Civil War buff is definitely going to enjoy visiting these sites. The topography of Tennessee helps make the events of these battles understandable. Highlights include:
- the river locations of Forts Henry and Donelson
- the railway at Stones River
- the bullet strewn houses from the urban fighting of Franklin
- the almost insignificant swell on which Thomas and his men made their stand at Chickamauga
- the little central hill on which Grant stood and watched his men go up and over the Chattanooga mountains
Even if you don’t understand all these references, your friendly neighborhood Civil War geek will. And he/she is going to want to see them all.