Inscription:In Memory of the Confederate Soldiers of General Morgan's Command who fell in the Battle at Green River July 4, 1863 / They have not been forgotten by their Countrymen.
In 1872, funds were raised by subscription to erect this monument on the site were Confederate graves from the Battle of Tebb's Bend had been reinterred, on a knoll overlooking the Green River. Originally, the monument site consisted of the granite obelisk and its immediate base. The obelisk appears to be draped at the top, and a crossed sword and flag motif is carved on its face. The obelisk stood in a landscaped area enclosed by an iron fence. The site fell into disrepair, and it was restored in the 1930s. At this time, the enclosure was removed, and the obelisk was placed upon a rather awkward and disproportionate elevated pyramid of concrete. This is how it appears today.
The Battle of Tebbs Bend (also known as Green River Bridge) on July 4, 1863 marked the beginning of John Hunt Morgan's Great Raid. Union Col. Orlando H. Moore's 25th Michigan Infantry had taken position near a strategic bridge on Green River to protect the Lebanon-Campbellsville-Columbia Turnpike, an important Federal supply route. Although Moore only had 200 men, they were protected by a 100' rifle trench with earthen breastworks and abatis, a classic military defense barrier constructed of felled trees with sharpened branches facing the enemy. Knowing that Morgan’s troops were in the area, Moore ordered his men to cross the bridge again and again to make it appear as if reinforcements were coming in. Moore refused the Confederate demand for surrender, noting that it was Independence Day, "It is a bad day for surrender, and I would rather not." Moore=s successful defense of this fortified position forced Morgan to bypass the area, leaving some 75 casualties.
Today the battle site also features a historical marker placed by the State of Michigan to honor its troops lost there and a museum housed in the Atkinson-Griffin House which served as the Confederate field hospital.
Questions/Activities:
Why were bridges and railroad lines the sites of so many battles and skirmishes?
Search books or the Internet for a picture of the military defense barrier called by the French word abatis. Also look for a similar military structure called chevaux-de-frise. Compare the two. Why would these be effective to construct around a camp?
Why was the date of this battle important in Colonel Moore’s decision not to surrender?
What is a field hospital? Are field hospitals still used? When? Why?
