Stones River, Battle of

also called  Battle of Murfreesboro  

      (December 31, 1862–January 2, 1863), bloody but indecisive American Civil War clash in Tennessee that was a psychological victory for Union forces. General Braxton Bragg (Bragg, Braxton)'s 34,700-man Confederate army was confronted on Stones River near Murfreesboro by 41,400 Union troops under General William S. Rosecrans (Rosecrans, William S), who had orders to drive Bragg out of eastern Tennessee. After the first day's bitter, seesaw battle, the battered Union army was on the verge of retreating, but Rosecrans decided to hold fast. On January 3, Bragg's equally exhausted Confederate forces withdrew southward. Rosecrans's tenacity thus averted a potentially serious Union defeat. Union casualties numbered 12,906; Confederate losses totaled 11,739. Stones River National Battlefield (established 1927) commemorates the battle.

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