Posted: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 9:02 am

On Saturday Aug. 1, and Sunday Aug. 2, members of the 9th Kentucky Infantry and park volunteers will portray the Pioneer Brigade and the Chicago Board of Trade Battery of the Army of the Cumberland as they present demonstrations of musket and artillery firing to tell the story of those units during the Battle of Stones River.

Programs will be offered at 10, 11 AM, 1, 2, and 3 PM. A detailed schedule is below.

All of the programs will be presented near the remnants of earthworks built by the Pioneer Brigade during the Battle of Stones River. The overgrown rifle pits were cleared last year and can now be seen by visitors along a short trail.

Union Gen. William S. Rosecrans created the Pioneer Brigade shortly after taking command of the Army of the Cumberland in the fall of 1862. He intended that this unit act as a corps of engineers for his army.

During the Battle of Stones River, the Pioneer Brigade cut roads through the forest, improved fords in the river, and built earthworks to shelter themselves and others. Responding to the onslaught of the Confederate army in the battle, the pioneers also picked up their muskets and fought off several assaults on the afternoon of Dec. 31, 1862.

These programs are a 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 (http://www.nps.gov/stri).

Program Schedule

10 AM – The Pioneer’s Only Stand – Infantry Program

11 AM – The Chicago Board of Trade Battery: Somewhat of a Relief – Artillery Program

1 PM – The Pioneer’s Only Stand – Infantry Program

2 PM – The Chicago Board of Trade Battery: Somewhat of a Relief – Artillery Program

3 PM – Rosecrans’s Last Gambit: The Pioneer Brigade and Chicago Board of Trade Battery at Stones River – Combined Arms Program