Dr. Shellenberger Visits Stones River 30 Years Later

Thirty years after witnessing the carnage of Stones River as a 17-year-old drummer boy in the ranks of the 94th Ohio, Dr. James E. Shellenberger returned to visit the area while journeying to Chickamauga in company with several fellow Buckeyes. In some ways, it was as if he had never left.

          “Soon we arrived at LaVergne, the scene of a cavalry engagement during the Battle of Stones River and the place of Wheeler’s raid on our trains. It was found just as we left it 30 years ago,” commented Shellenberger. Once in Murfreesboro, the men hired a guide, a local soldier named H.C. Moore who had fought in the battle in the ranks of the 18th Tennessee. “We came out by the courthouse out towards the line of earthworks or forts on both sides of Stones River. The large one is on the east side of the pike near the river and called Fortress Rosecrans. These works, all plainly marked, remain undisturbed by the natives living about them.”

          Dr. Shellenberger’s account of visiting the Stones River battlefield first appeared in the September 15, 1892, edition of the Miami Helmet, published in Piqua, Ohio. A few years later, Dr. Shellenberger would again don the blue uniform, serving as the surgeon of the 3rd O.V.I. in the Spanish-American War. He chose to remain in the U.S. Army as a contract surgeon for the rest of his life, dying of heart failure on February 4, 1907.

 

Dr. James E. Shellenberger is depicted late in life wearing his Spanish-American war uniform. A few years before, he traveled through Stones River battlefield and shared his impressions of the field with the homefolks back in Piqua. 

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

September 10, 1892

Mr. editor,

          Probably half of the Ohio representatives of organizations in the battle of Chickamauga left Cincinnati last evening to visit other places of interest on the old battlefield route for Rosecrans’ army and, back of that, that for Mitchel’s division in 1861, the old Louisville & Nashville railroad. We came over a short line built through the country since the war. We were well on the way through Kentucky on waking. Our first stop was on familiar ground for Rousseau’s troops, both the brigade of 1861 and the division of 1862, Franklin, Kentucky.

          Later on came Gallatin 26 miles from Nashville, the scene of engagement for the 69th Ohio represented bin our party of ten by Captain Chenowith of Greenville. Edgefield Junction was passed; the camps of Rousseau’s brigade could be located on the left of the road in sight of the Cumberland River. Not much can be recalled at Nashville as the city has been improved about the outskirts. The L&N depot is the same greasy, dirty place known to all soldiers passing there during the war.

          Soon we arrived at LaVergne, the scene of a cavalry engagement during the Battle of Stones River and the place of Wheeler’s raid on our trains. It was found just as we left it 30 years ago 15 miles from Nashville. After passing through the Stones River battlefield, we landed at the depot. Persons visiting there will find it about 300 yards nearer towards Nashville than the old one.

          We engaged a wagon at the hotel and drove back on the Wilkinson Pike. H.C. Moore, who fought in the 18th Tennessee of Breckinridge’s division, was our guide and driver. We came out by the courthouse out towards the line of earthworks or forts on both sides of Stones River. The large one is on the east side of the pike near the river and called Fortress Rosecrans. These works, all plainly marked, remain undisturbed by the natives and colored people living about them. All were built by the Union army after the battle, probably for the river crossing of the railroad bridge. Later in the war, they were used in the defense of the place. Two other engagements were fought here called by the name Murfreesboro.

          We came through from the Wilkinson Pike on a byroad through the cedars to the attack on Johnson’s division that last day of the year, 1862. The cedars have been cut away so that the strip of ground between that the pike is wider than then. The large trees have been shipped north for telegraph poles, posts, etc. The lines of battle of Hazen’s brigade over near the pike and the lines of Rousseau’s and Negley’s divisions were located in the cemetery in the rear or towards Nashville as compared with Hazen’s brigade monument. We found these figures to show the devotion of the soldiers of Rosecrans and Thomas for the cause of the Union.

          Interments: 6,139

          Known: 3,817

          Unknown: 2,322

 

An early view of the Hazen brigade monument as Dr. Shellenberger likely saw it during his visit in 1892.

          A fine monument was erected here by the regulars of our division (Rousseau’s) in 1884. Hazen’s monument, erected by the officer and men of his brigade, was placed at a spot upon which the bodies of 29 men of the brigade were buried. Here lie the 29 with probably 20 others picked up in the cottonfield nearby.

          The visit was enjoyed by all of the men. The scene of the great battle of Friday [January 2, 1863] was located from here on the banks of Stones River. To the left, the ridge can be shown which was the location of the 58 guns that caused such destruction after the return of Van Cleve’s division over Stones River. Our guide owned it was a slaughter pen for Breckinridge. Halstead says that more than 2,000 men were cut down in that advance that afternoon. Not two hours of time from the massing under Breckinridge until he retired broken with this lost. This assault really ended the battle.

         

Source:

“Enroute to Chickamauga: Along the Old Line of March and Battle,” Dr. James Eyre Shellenberger, Miami Helmet (Piqua, Ohio), September 15, 1892, pg. 5

Subsequent letter about Chickamauga in September 22, 1892, issue, pg. 6

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