As the Civil War unfolded, Murfreesboro became hotly contested by
Confederate and Union forces. Both sides occupied the town for
significant periods, with power changing hands as the fighting raged.
Punctuated by events like Nathan Bedford Forrest's raid on Union forces
in July 1862, Jefferson Davis's visit and the wedding of General John
Hunt Morgan and Martha Ready, wartime Murfreesboro saw no shortage of
drama. As combat escalated, the bloody Battle of Stones River and the
Nashville Campaign brought more destruction. Yet at war's end, the
resilient locals remained and rebuilt their town from the rubble.
Authors and Civil War historians Michael Bradley and Shirley Farris
Jones track the tumult of the proceedings to recount the compelling
story of Murfreesboro during the Civil War.