Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site, Mississippi

Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site is located in northeastern Mississippi approximately 85 miles from Memphis, Tennessee. On June 10, 1864, a battle took place at Brices Cross Roads between Confederate and Union Troops.

Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

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Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

The National Park Service has a one-acre memorial within the battlefield. The rest of the 1,400 acres of the battlefield are owned by a local battlefield commission.

Within the battlefield, there are two interpretive trails describing both the Union and Confederate sides of the battle.

In 1864 Union Major General Sherman began his march to the sea during the Civil War.

This march was dependent on supplies that were moved on the rail line from Nashville to Chattanooga, Tennessee. General Sherman knew the line was vulnerable to attack by Confederate troops so he sent troops to northern Mississippi.

A battle took place on June 10, 1864, at Brices Cross Roads. The battle was a southern victory but the outcome was positive for the Union cause.

About Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

There are no visitor facilities at the site.

The site is SMALL!!

There is more in-depth information available at the Mississippi Final Stands Interpretive Center located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 45 and Mississippi 370, in Baldwyn, Mississippi.

The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Is Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site worth visiting?

Yes, No, and maybe so...

This park is a ways out from most places. If you are a huge fan of American Civil War sites than you will find it really interesting.

If you are a general park visitor this may not be the park you love.

There is not a lot of infrastructure for the park so you will be viewing the site but need to drive to the visitor center for any information.

History of Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

Brice’s Cross Roads National Battlefield Park preserves the site of a Civil War battle fought on June 10th, 1864.

The battle, fought over control of the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad, was a Confederate victory. The Confederates were victorious despite being outmanned and outgunned by the Union.

The Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads occurred when the Confederate forces under Gen. Forrest attempted to sabotage the Union supply line.

The supply line played a pivotal role in Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s plan to defeat the Confederates for good in 1864. Gen. Grant sent his most trusted General, William T. Sherman into Georgia.

Sherman, fearing an attack on the railroad by Gen. Forrest, ordered Union forces under the command of Gen. Sturgis to march from Memphis, Tennessee.

Sturgis was to make sure that Sherman's supply line was not destroyed or harassed by the Confederates by occupying Forrest in Mississippi.

The Battle in Context

General Ulysses S. Grant had recently been appointed head of the entire Union Army. It was now up to him to defeat the Confederates and end the Civil War.

Grant planned to strike the Confederates in coordinated attacks to destroy General Robert E. Lee’s forces in Virginia and General Joseph E. Johnston's army in Georgia.

In the Overland Campaign, Grant pursued Lee with the intent of destroying Lee's forces and capturing the Confederate capital, Richmond.

He sent Sherman to defeat Johnston in Georgia and, if possible, bring the second biggest Confederate stronghold of Atlanta under Union control.

To be able to do this, Sherman needed to be able to receive supplies via the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad.

The destruction of the railroad would make Sherman’s advance down to the coast impossible, which would have had serious consequences on the Union's ability to win the war.

The March from Memphis

Towards the end of May, Sherman was moving further into Georgia. He became concerned that Confederate Gen. Forrest would attack his supply line.

To ensure the success of his Atlanta Campaign, Gen. Sherman ordered Gen. Sturgis to march from Memphis, Tennessee, with over 8000 men. The objective was to keep Forrest occupied and, if possible, destroy his army.

As it happened, Sherman was right about Forrest’s intentions. Forrest had to turn back from his march towards Middle Tennessee, to engage with the Union and protect Northern Mississippi.

Sturgis made his way into Northern Mississippi, intending to destroy Confederate supply lines and Forrest's forces.

Sturgis targeted the Mobile and Ohio railroad first. The railroad ran through Tupelo, Mississippi, so Sturgis went there. Forrest confronted him just 20 miles out of Tupelo at Brice’s Cross Roads on June 10th, 1864.

The Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads

On the morning of June 10th, Forrest and his Cavalry of 2000 men were confronted by the first Union division, and the Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads began.

Forrest sent one division to engage the first Union column while the rest of his forces made their way to the battle.

Despite being outmanned by the Union, Forrest used his men to his advantage, managing to push the first Union Division back.

Sturgis sent in more men. Forrest simultaneously attacked the Union line from the left and the right while focusing his artillery fire on the middle.

Forrest attacked the Union defenses on the Tishimongo Creek bridge to Sturgis's rear that afternoon.

This confused and panicked the Union forces and forced Sturgis to retreat. Forrest continued his pursuit of the retreating Union forces and pushed them back to Memphis.

Outcome

The Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads was a tactical triumph for Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest. His 2000 strong infantry had beaten back over 8000 Union soldiers, successfully defending Northern Mississippi from the Union advance.

An estimated 1600 of the retreating Union soldiers were taken prisoner by the Confederates and over 2000 were wounded or killed during the battle.

Speculation on why Sturgis failed at the Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads ranges from Sturgis being drunk during the conflict, to the conditions of the field, to the Union soldiers lacking strength due to hunger.

The Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads, although a Confederate victory, had in essence, done what Gen. Sherman needed it to do.

It had occupied Forrest while Sherman continued his push to Atlanta. However, after his abject failure to defeat Forrest despite having superior numbers, Sturgis was relieved of his command.

Brices Cross Roads is an excellent example of winning the battle but losing the war.

Today the site of the battle has been preserved at The Brice’s Cross Road’s National Battlefield Park. The battlefield is one of the most well-preserved battlefields from the Civil War.

Things to know before your visit to Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

Entrance fee

$0.00, there is no entrance fee to visit the park.

Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.

Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.

Time Zone

Central Time Zone

Pets

Pets need to be on a leash less than 6 feet in length.

Cell Service

We had very little cell service at the park. If you are using GPS on your phone make sure you have your next stop loaded before you lose service.

We had to make a gut decision and head down a road in hopes that it took us to the main road.

Park Hours

Open sunrise to sunset daily

Wi-Fi

There is no WiFi available in the park.

Insect Repellent

Insect repellent is always a great idea when outdoors, especially if you are around any body of water.

We use Permethrin Spray on our clothes before our park trips.

Water Bottle

Make sure to bring your own water bottle and plenty of water with you. Plastic water bottles are not sold in the park.

Parking

There is parking near the monument.

Food/Restaurants

There are no restaurants available within the park.

Gas

There is no gas station available within the park.

Drones

Drones are not permitted within National Park Sites.

National Park Passport Stamps

National Park Passport stamps can be found in the visitor center.

Make sure to bring your National Park Passport Book with you or we like to pack these circle stickers so we don't have to bring our entire book with us.

Electric Vehicle Charging

There are 5 EV Charging stations within 30 miles of Guntown, MS.

Details about Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

Size - 1 acre

Check out how the park compares to other National Parks by Size.

Date Established

February 21, 1929, by the War Department.

On August 10, 1933, the park was transferred to the National Park Service.

Visitation

The park does not have visitor statistics available.

Learn more about the most visited and least visited National Parks in the US

National Park Address

The National Park Service administers the national battlefield site through the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Address -260 Bethany Rd, Guntown, MS 38849, United States

National Park Map

Credit - National Park Service

Where is Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site?

Brices Cross Roads NBS is located in northeastern Mississippi near the border with Tennessee.

Estimated distance from major cities nearby

Memphis, TN - 110 miles

Birmingham, AL - 149 miles

Nashville, TN - 204 miles

Atlanta, GA - 295 miles

Baton Rouge, LA - 382 miles

New Orleans, LA - 360 miles

St. Louis, MO - 356 miles

Louisville, KY - 376 miles

Estimated Distance from nearby National Park

Hot Springs National Park - 294 miles

Mammoth Cave National Park - 295 miles

Congaree National Park - 526 miles

Gateway Arch National Park - 356 miles

Indiana Dunes National Park - 609 miles

New River Gorge National Park - 630 miles

Where is the National Park Visitor Center?

The Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center is open every day from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (Central Time) except December 25.

Brices Cross Roads NB is administered from this visitor center.

Getting to Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

Closest Airports

Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP)

International Airports

Memphis International Airport (MEM)

Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)

Nashville International Airport (BNA)

Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Regional Airports

Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR)

Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL)

McKellar Sipes Regional Airport (MKL)

Driving Directions

Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site can be found 15 miles north of Tupelo, Mississippi.

Exit U.S. Highway 45 onto Mississippi highway 370, in Baldwyn, Mississippi. The battlefield is located 6 miles west of Baldwyn, on Mississippi 370.

Best time to visit Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

The best time to visit Brices Cross Roads NB is Spring and Fall when the weather should be comfortable.

Weather and Seasons

Tupelo, Mississippi experiences hot and muggy summers. Winters are short, cold, and wet.

The hottest weather is from May 25 to September 22 with an average daily high above 83 degrees.

The coldest weather lasts from November 28 to February 24th with an average daily high temperature below 60 degrees.

December receives the most rain with 5.2 inches of rain. January receives an average of 1.3 inches of snowfall.

The muggiest weather is from May 12 to October 2nd.

Best Things to do in Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

We suggest planning a couple hours to visit Brices Cross Roads NBS especially if you are heading to the visitor center.

The actual park site does not take that long outside of the drive to get there.

Brices Cross Roads Battlefield

The battlefield site is a 1-acre area preserved to commemorate the battle.

Since this 1-acre area has been preserved the Brice's Crossroads National Battlefield Commission has purchased an additional 1600 acres.

Junior Ranger Program

The Natchez Trace Parkway visitor center has a junior ranger program available.

Mississippi Final Stands Interpretive Center

The Mississippi Final Stand Interpretive Center in Baldwyn shares exhibits and films about the Battle of Brice's Crossroads and the Battle of Harrisburg/Old Town Creek.

It is $5 for adults and free for children. The center is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm.

Address - 607 Grisham St., Baldwyn, MS 38824

The interpretive center is not a National Park Service site but does have a lot of information about the Battle of Brice's Crossroads.