Highlighting the weekend will be cricket games run with the help of cricket player and historian Tom Melville.

The typical Civil War soldier only spent 10 percent of his time in combat.

What did soldiers do when they weren't fighting?

Just as soldiers do today, many Civil War soldiers enjoyed playing sports, and one of the most popular sports with Americans during the 1860s was the venerable old English game of cricket. The game had been introduced to the United States during the colonial era and, by the mid-19th century, was played more extensively in America than any other team sport, even baseball.

Visitors will have an opportunity to personally relive this long forgotten sports tradition by joining in the short, informal, cricket games that Melville will be conducting throughout the weekend.

The games will be run on a continuous walkup basis and are open to all. Absolutely no experience required. So come and discover what else “play ball” meant to soldiers and civilians during the 1860s.

In the months following the one the bloodiest and most important battles of the Civil War Union soldiers settled into a routine that included constant drill, preparations for the next campaign and free time to enjoy the fruits of surviving the fight.

The weekend’s programs will shed light on some of the activities that occupied the soldiers before they marched south in June 1863.

In addition to the cricket games, visitors will get a chance to see infantry and artillery practicing their skills and have the chance to try their hand at handling a musket and loading a cannon.

Visitors will also learn about the sophisticated communications network run by the Signal Corps that set the stage for success in future campaigns and use the flags and telegraphs to send their own messages.

These programs are part of a series of interpretive programs offered at the battlefield during the year.

Stones River National Battlefield is located on the Old Nashville Highway, northwest of Murfreesboro.

Additional information is available at the visitor center, by calling 615-893-9501 or at the park website.