Forgotten Friday-McFadden Farm, Murfreesboro

   When I first moved to Rutherford County in 2002, one of the first places we explored was the Stones River Battlefield. One of the tour stops is known as the McFadden's Ford. It was in this area on January 2, 1863, near the McFadden's family farm, that the Confederates attempted to cross the Stones River from the southeast to attack the Union forces entrenched on the hills. Cannons pounded and the Confederates were killed by the hundreds.
   Currently at this tour stop you will see a monument, cannons, a small family cemetery, and you can walk down to the river where fighting occurred. But when I first visited(with my non-digital camera) in 2002, there was an old abandoned farmhouse. I took only this one photo of it, thinking I would take more in the future. And then one day it was just gone. I asked a park ranger who said it was removed because it wasn't original to the site. And that is rather sad, because it was still clearly a quite old home.

Graves in Snow at Stones River

   I wish this were current, but it is not. Photo taken in February 2010.
   Both graves are located just outside the Hazen's Brigade Monument at Stones River Battlefield in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The back one is William Harlan, Cpl US Army, World War I. The closer one is Sgt William Holland, Co I 111 Regt US Colored Infantry, 1834-1909.

Gone but not Forgotten

  I am quite obsessed with abandoned buildings. I'm not sure why, or really when it started. I find them eternally sad. When I see an abandoned home I can't help but wonder why and how it got that way. And at times I wish I was really rich so I could save some of the really beautiful old homes that are torn down in the name of "progress". I hate "progress". I don't like I belong in this time period. I know, it's weird and complicated.

  Anyway, here a few of the old homes that I have photographed that have since been completely removed from existence. Sadly.


This home was in downtown Smyrna, Tennessee. It was torn down recently to make more parking for a church across the street.


The Jenkins House was used as a hospital during the Battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was torn down only a few months after I got photos of it in late 2005. They were going to put up a strip mall, but as of now the land still sits empty.


The McCulloch House, built in 1838, used as the headquarters by Union Lt General William J Hardee during the Battle of Stones River. It had been altered so many times over the years that it hardly resembled the Civil War landmark. In 2006 it was demolished so condos could be built.


Old home in Blackman, Tennessee, possibly a Batey family residence as there is a cemetery nearby. All that remains is an empty lot and a few outbuildings.


Morton House, Smyrna, Tennessee. Land was once owned by Revolutionary War veteran, James B Morton, 1758-1808. I don't know any more details about the home, such as when it was built. It did have an original log portion of the home that was reportedly saved and moved to a Tennessee State Park. This home however was demolished to make way for a new school. The cemetery that was into the woods beyond the house was relocated to the edge of the school property.

Tuesday's Battle

Tuesday is named for Tyr, the Norse God of War. I believe it is fitting to show photos from the various battlegrounds, mostly Civil War, that I visit.

Today we visit the Stone's River National Battlefield Park, specifically the Hazen's Brigade Monument and Cemetery. Built just a few months after the battle in 1863 to honor those in the brigade of General William Babcock Hazen, men from the 110th Illinois, 9th Indiana, 6th Kentucky and 41st Ohio. They held this area throughout the Battle of Stones River on December 31, 1862. Buried here around the monument are 45 of the men from the unit who fell in battle. The monument has inscriptions on all four faces, including a memorial to 6 officers of these units who were killed at Shiloh in April of 1862.

This photo was taken after a snowfall in February of this year.