Jackson Battlefield

Salem Cemetery

Desperate to slow General Ulysses S. Grant's advance on the vital city of Vicksburg, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest launched an expedition in late 1862 to disrupt and sabotage vital Union railways in Tennessee. Attacking the garrison at the town of Jackson, Forrest used this minor engagement as a distraction while he and the rest of his force destroyed two sections of rail tracks to the North and South of the battle. His mission accomplished, Forrest ordered a withdraw and continued to harass Union supply lines until the following month.

Currently, the battle site remains in the hands of the cemetery, but is open to the public thanks to a collaborative effort with Madison County Parks Department. The park contains two replica cannons, one donated from Shiloh Battlefield, two monuments honoring the combatants, the cemetery itself, and a map detailing troop movements during the two-hour skirmish.

Jackson Battlefield: What's Nearby

Jackson, TN
Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center
Corinth, MS
Civil War  |  Fort
Fort Pillow State Historic Park
Henning, TN
Marshall County Historical Museum
Holly Springs, MS
Dover Hotel (Surrender House), Fort Donelson National Battlefield
Dover, TN
Mississippi River Museum at Mud Island
Memphis, TN

Preservation

The 91ÇÑ×Ó and our members have saved more than 120 acres at Jackson Battlefield.

View All Saved Land

Related Battles

Madison County, TN | December 19, 1862
Result: Confederate Victory
Estimated Casualties
6
Union
6
Confed.
0