The last
time cannons fired on the Civil War battlefield was 144 years ago, but on this
day the guns were lit to celebrate the dedication of Parker's Crossroads
Battlefield as a preserved site. We were invited to the ceremony by Marilyn
Holland, Stan's daughter, who was the point person for the Tennessee Department
of Transportation that provided a majority of the funding for the preservation
project.
The gathering of characters at the dedication was surreal;
mingle dignitaries with costumed reinactors then stir in a healthy helping of
motorcycle riders and you get the picture of the wide interest in Civil War
heritage. With increasing numbers of the Civil War battlefields disappearing to
21st century developments every site preserved is precious memory to a period in
our nations history that we never want to repeat. Tennessee ranks second, behind
Virginia, with documented and significant Civil War sites.
If you want
to visit Parker's Crossroads and walk their interpretive battlefield site you'll
find the Tennessee park about 40 miles to the east of Jackson on Interstate 40
at mile marker #108. Turn south on Hwy 22 and the entrance is just to the left
within view of the Interstate.
For a copy of "A Path Divided -
Tennessee's Civil War Heritage Trail", a 47-page listing and description of 62
sites, contact Harpers Ferry Historical Association at (800) 821-5206 or e-mail
at hfha@intrepid.net The
web site for the Civil War Preservation Trusts is: www.civilwar.org/travelandevents.htm