Tupelo
National Battlefield
Here, on July 13-14, 1864, Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest tried to cut the railroad supplying the Unions march on Atlanta. Established as a national battlefield site Feb. 21, 1929; transferred from War Dept. Aug. 10, 1933; changed to national battlefield and boundary changed Aug. 10, 1961. The Battle of Tupelo, which was a part of a larger strategy by Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman to protect the railroad that was his supply line, broke out on July 14, 1864, when Federal troops under Gen. A.J. Smith battled Confederates under Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. Both sides also battled the heat that ultimately forced the Federal retreat. Tupelo National Battlefield was estqablished as a national battlefield site on February 21, 1929. It was transferred from the War Department Aug. 10, 1933, and changed to a national battlefield Aug. 10, 1961.
- Acreage-1, all federal
- Address: Tupelo National Battlefield
- c/o Natchez Trace Parkway
- R.R. 1, NT-143
- Tupelo, MS 38801
- telephone:601-680-4025
- MAILING ADDRESS:
- Superintendent, Natchez Trace Parkway, RR 1,NT-143, Tupelo, MS 38801
- Telephone: 601-680-4025; for traveler information, call 800-305-7417
- GENERAL INFORMATION
- The 1-acre site is within the city limits of Tupelo, MS 6 about 1.3 miles west of its intersection with US 45. It is 1 mile east of the Natchez Trace Parkway. No Fees. No site specific parking.
Last Updated: September, 1997
http://www.nps.gov/tupe/