Wilderness Stones


	WILDERNESS STONES The crunch of the gravel path. The crackle of fallen, dry leaves. The cool silence of the deep forest, And there they are. Thirteen identical headstones. Simple, bearing only three words: "Unknown Confederate Soldier." Who were you? What were your names? Where were your homes? What were you fighting for? When did you die? What took your lives – enemy bullets? disease germs? exhaustion? lack of food? despair? lack of hope? Did your families ever learn of your fate? Questions without answers, the kind always raised by war. Unanswerable questions because those with answers are killed first. 16 Sept 2007 - mshr


	You may click on a thumbnail to enlarge the photo. Then click BACK to return to this page. Photos © Bruce Rosenberger
The Natchez Trace Parkway, operated by the National Park Service, is a beautiful scenic two-lane road which follows the Old Natchez Trace, a trail for persons traveling on foot or on horseback from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, until its demise in about 1820. Near Tupelo along the Old Natchez Trace are buried thirteen unknown Confederate soldiers. The stones face the Old Natchez Trace to be seen by all who pass by.
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