It doesn’t take long to visit Tupelo National Battlefield, but this one-acre site along Main Street preserves the story of a pivotal Civil War battle fought in and around Tupelo, Mississippi.

The Battle of Tupelo, also known as the Battle of Harrisburg, was fought July 14–15, 1864. Federal troops under Major General Andrew J. Smith had marched into the area with an important objective: keep Confederate forces under Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest away from vital Union railroads and supply lines in Tennessee.

While neither side could claim a decisive battlefield victory, the Union accomplished its strategic goal.

Two Days of Fighting

The battle began around 7:30 a.m. on July 14 when Confederate troops charged the fortified Federal position. The attack was repelled with heavy losses. Additional assaults on the Federal right flank and another attack after dark also failed to break the Union line.

By the next day, Federal troops were running low on ammunition and surviving on quarter rations. Around 2 p.m. on July 15, Smith began moving his army north. The fighting wasn’t over.

Near Old Town Creek, Confederate artillery and infantry surprised Smith’s troops. The Federal soldiers quickly formed a defensive line and pushed the Confederates back. The fight at Old Town Creek effectively ended the Battle of Tupelo. Forrest was among the wounded and was kept out of action for several weeks.

The battle severely weakened Confederate forces in the area and helped protect the supply lines supporting Major General William T. Sherman’s campaign toward Atlanta.

United States Colored Troops at Tupelo

One of the most interesting pieces of the battlefield’s history is the role of the United States Colored Troops. Nearly 1,900 men from the 59th, 61st and 68th USCT, along with a battery of black artillerymen, helped defend the rear of the Federal column.

Visiting Tupelo National Battlefield

This is a quick stop. Tupelo National Battlefield is a one-acre memorial site with a monument, interpretive signs, cannons and a couple of historic grave markers.

That small footprint is also what makes it interesting. You’re standing along modern-day Main Street trying to imagine thousands of soldiers fighting across a landscape that has largely disappeared beneath present-day Tupelo.

I’d allow about 15–30 minutes to walk around, read the signs and take in the history.

Pair this stop with Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield about 15 miles north. The battles occurred just over a month apart and together tell a much fuller story of the fighting over Union supply lines in Mississippi and Tennessee.