Tupelo National Battlefield — Attraction in Tupelo

I am a writer and photographer for National Park Planner. The Tupelo National Battlefield commemorates the Battle of Tupelo, fought on July 14-15, 1864, between the army of Union General Andrew J. Smith and Confederate Generals Stephen Lee and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Smith was tasked with hunting down and destroying Forrest and his cavalry, as they posed a legitimate risk to General William T. Sherman’s supply line that fueled his campaign against Atlanta. The Union repulsed an attack by Lee and Forrest, and though victorious, eventually withdrew back to Memphis. While Forrest’s cavalry was severely crippled, he was left free to raid Union targets for the remainder of the war.

Today, nothing remains of the battlefield except for this one acre memorial located in downtown Tupelo on the corner of West Main Street and Monument Drive. A National Park sign marks this corner. The rest of the battlefield was lost long ago to the development of the city of Tupelo.

A visit to the park takes all of fifteen minutes. The grounds contain two monuments, two cannon, two information panels, and the graves of two Confederate soldiers. There is a small parking area along the curb on Monument Drive on the same side as the memorial. There are no other facilities. Being a one acre lot, there is no Visitor Center specifically for the National Battlefield. To get information, use the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center located at Milepost 266 on the Parkway or visit the Tupelo Convention and Visitor Bureau two miles further east on Main Street.

The park is officially open during daylight hours, but it’s a corner lot in downtown Tupelo, so I doubt anyone cares when you take a walk around it. The park is not fenced in. However, there are no lights, so you probably can’t see much at night.

For complete information on visiting the Tupelo National Battlefield, check out National Park...

It is important to remember to protect the supply line!

Amid the scorching southern July, Beneath a blazing, cloudless sky, Two armies clashed, steel and pride, For roads that carried hopes to abide.

Union soldiers held steadfast and strong, To guard the paths where life moved along. For the freight of war—its bread and might, Fed Sherman’s march and lit the fight.

Confederates charged, fierce and bold, Through fields of green and stories untold. Yet the Union lines refused to bend, A bulwark strong till the very end.

The cost was high, blood marked the soil, But victories rise from bitter toil. Supply lines kept, the mission clear, A step toward triumph, a future near.

Now echoes linger in that Mississippi air, Of bravery forged in a battle rare. The roads they guarded, the lives they saved, Their names forever, in...

I visited this and other battlefields over the years. I've seen some posts that seem to say it's not much. It doesn't have to be much. It's standing on the battlefield where the North and the South faced off. One of many. Trust me. EVERY battle that was fought, EVERY man that died, was an important part of making this country what it is today. Sure, we're not perfect, and never will be. But those who fought, and those who died, in every war, ever battle, all thru the years, helped forge this country. Never forget that, never...