We left Manchester, Tennessee on Thursday, May 27 and headed to nearby Nashville. On Friday we decided to do some sightseeing in the area. We found ourselves south of Nashville in the town of Franklin, TN.
Our first stop was the McGavock Confederate Cemetery.
Late on the afternoon of November 30, 1864, part of the last great battle of the Civil War unfolded across a rolling stretch of John McGavock's bluegrass pasture. After the battle that day, the Union Army withdrew into Nashville. Casualties of over 8,000 Union and
Confederate soldiers lay upon the field. In pursuit of the withdrawing Union forces, Confederate General John Bell Hood left a burial detail in Franklin for two days. Confederate soldiers were buried near the Carter House breastworks with the graves arranged in plots according to the states from which the soldiers came. As winter wore on, many of the headboards were fading or were used for firewood by the poor. Seeing the great need, 1866 John McGlovck and his family donated two acres of land adjoining the family graveyard, to be used for a final resting place for the soldiers. This is the nation's largest private Confederate cemetery. The dead were re interred here in order by states. In 1890, the wooden markers, which were inscribed with the names of the men. their companies and regiments, when known were replaced with stone markers. Burial records were preserved by Col. McGavock's wife, the former Carrie Winder. She and her husband maintained the cemetery for the balance of their lives.
There are 1496 Confederate Soldiers buried here.
From the McGavock Cemetery we headed to the Arrington Vineyards to taste a little wine. Arrington was founded in 2005 by country music artist Kix Brooks ( of Brooks & Dunn).
They currently offer 14 different varieties of award winning wine. We found that many of their wines come from grapes grown in California, although they do grow some grapes here in
Tennessee. The wine made from these grapes are for a sweet desert wine. The wine we tasted was pretty good and made for an enjoyable afternoon. During the weekends the host a very popular
"Music in the Vines". From the winery we headed to the Stones River National Battlefield. See more about that stop below.
Candy and Johnny
