Battlefield Tours

BATTLE OF NASHVILLE GUIDED TOURS        

As the article below by BONT Board member Philip Duer explains, the Nashville battlefield, despite its extremely important role in the Civil War, is not easy to see in its entirety. It was a huge battle area that was developed for commercial and residential use before it could be preserved in tact as a historical site, such as the battlefield parks at Gettysburg, Chickamauga, or Shiloh.  For that reason, BONT recommends tourists interested in seeing the full scope and overview of the battlefield hire one of the guide services listed below.

Note:  Please contact individual guides for details regarding cost, transportation, itinerary, etc.

  • Ross Massey. Mr. Massey is a Nashville native who has been studying, researching and discovering facts about the battle and battlefield since its Centennial in 1964. In the early 90’s, he became one of the founders of The Battle of Nashville Preservation Society. He has  published a book entitled Nashville Battlefield Guide, containing detailed explanations of the battle and its battlefield.  He has made appearances as part of the Civil War Journal on the History Channel.  He can be reached at (615) 352-6384 or email at MasseyLA@aol.com.
  • Thomas Y. Cartwright is a Nashville native who, as an author, guide and historian, is a recognized expert on the Civil War battles of Middle Tennessee. He is currently serving as the Historian for the Lotz House, located at the epicenter of the Battle of Franklin, and had previously served as Executive Director of the Carter House in Franklin for almost 20 years.  Mr. Cartwright  frequently appears on various documentaries for the History Channel, A&E, Travel Channel, CNN, Discovery and Preservation Channel. He has lectured throughout the United States for Civil War Round Tables, corporations, preservation groups, and heritage organizations. In addition to authoring several published articles and essays, he is currently working on two books and is featured in numerous DVDs on the Battle of Franklin and Battle of Nashville.  He is known for his portrayal of Confederate soldier Sam Watkins, whose memoirs entitled Sam Watkins’ Co.  Aytch is one of the best primary sources about the American Civil War as told by a common soldier.  He can be reached at (615) 410-6990 or email at cyt6481@aol.com.

DISCLAIMER:  The Battle of Nashville Trust, Inc. does not sponsor  or otherwise officially sanction any of the listed tours and is not responsible for the content, destinations or services provided by tour operators.  Any commentary, opinions and explanations of the Battle of Nashville and related discussion by tour guides are not officially endorsed by the Battle of Nashville Trust, nor does BONT receive any financial benefit from the listed guide services. 


By Philip W. Duer,
Former President, BONT

People from all over the country, not just Nashville, have many questions about the location, size, and history of the battlefield left behind after the two-day Battle of Nashville on December 15-16, 1864:  Some may ask:

  1. Does Nashville matter?
  2. Are there significant sites to see in a sprawling urban environment?
  3. Is there public interest in Nashville as a Civil War historical tour destination?

The answer to these questions is “Yes” — Nashville matters.

Our website has averaged almost 500 visits per day since it was revised in 2011.  As a result of this interest in the Battle, I, as well as other members of our Board, have tried to answer numerous questions from people all over the country inquiring as to their Civil War ancestors who were posted here, who died here, or who fought here.  Inquiries have ranged from California to Michigan, and from Ohio and Indiana to North Carolina, not to mention from the other Southern states.  Nashville had 15.2 million visitors in 2018, and they want to see the sites.

The Expansive Field of Battle. It is easy to imagine the confusion experienced by visitors to Nashville in trying to orient themselves to the maps and the battlefield.  Nashville was not like Franklin; it was not a compressed battlefield, and it did not happen in a few hours. Two armies faced each other for two weeks before the battle and in some of the worst weather up to that time. Nashville was one of the largest battlefields of the Civil War, characterized by  a two-day battle of maneuver.  One of the U.S. Army defensive belts protecting Nashville was some seven miles in length.  On the first day of the battle, the Confederate lines ran for several miles from Nolensville Pike all of the way over to Hillsboro Road, and for two and a half miles on the second day.  And these descriptions do not include the desperate duels of  Confederate artillery with Union ironclads and tinclads on the Cumberland River, nor the running fights of cavalry and infantry from the Belle Meade Mansion to what is now Green Hills.

Guide Is The Best Choice.  If you are in West Nashville, you are on the battlefield. Although subdivisions and office buildings cover most of the battlefield, there are still core battlefield sites preserved and available to visitors.  To make sense of the battle and to tie in the sites involved in each day’s  fight, a tour guide is the best possible choice to make.  We have videos and maps for sale, but you have to walk the battlefield to fully understand its scope.  Since one cannot walk it, the next best option is to drive it.  Typically, the tours that are offered are driving tours in which the guide  will be in your car discussing the Civil War history of Nashville and the battle; there will be no “dead time” nor “lost  time” as the information is provided from the time the tour starts until its conclusion, both in and out of the car.

The best time for touring the battlefield is from late October (when the leaves have fallen off the trees) to early Spring, although tours will be available year round.

With a driving tour augmented by written source material available from BONPS, you will leave Nashville with a clear understanding of Nashville’s strategic role as a base of transportation, communication, and supplies  for the U.S. Army as it moved deeper and deeper into the heartland of the Confederacy.  You will leave Nashville with a clear tactical understanding of why, where and how the battle was fought, the mistakes and  the successes.  You will leave Nashville with many heartfelt stories of the soldiers on both sides as they attempted to survive the winter elements and contemplate the battle that all knew was coming.

The Unique Battlefield.  We cannot emphasize enough that Nashville is a unique battlefield; it was fought in the open fields, wooded hills and valleys.  It was a war of maneuver where contemporary accounts comment on panoramas of thousands of cavalry and tens of thousands of troops in long lines with battle flags flying and moving steadily toward the dug-in Army of Tennessee.  The battle was fought on the water; in fact, two Union sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor during actions between Union ships and Confederate cavalry and artillery.  Nashville has the largest inland masonry star-pattern fort in North America –Fort Negley — which is open free to the public.  And, the Nashville battle was probably the largest battle in which significant numbers of African American troops actually fought, and fought heroically.  One Union officer, going over the battlefield after the battle at Peach Orchard hill, was recorded as saying, “Don’t tell me Negroes won’t fight, I know better.”  There are not many Civil War sites that African Americans can point to for evidence of their effort to win the war and help gain their freedom; Nashville has three such sites, including Fort Negley, the assault on Granbury’s lunette, and the charge at Peach Orchard Hill.

Yes, Nashville matters.