Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

PARK OVERVIEW

Located west of Baldwyn, Mississippi, Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site commemorates the Battle of Brices Cross Roads, which was fought on June 10, 1864, between the armies of Union General Samuel Sturgis and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Sturgis was tasked with hunting down and destroying Forrest and his cavalry, as they posed a legitimate threat to General William T. Sherman’s supply line that fueled his campaign against Atlanta. Forrest, outnumbered two to one, managed to wage two battles against split Union forces, thus evening the playing field. He first attacked the Union Cavalry, which had been marching three hours ahead of the infantry and artillery. He outnumbered these troops by nearly 1,000 men. When the infantry and artillery were notified of the fighting, they were forced to march double-time to provide reinforcement. By the time they reached the crossroads to where the beaten cavalry had already fallen back, they were exhausted. After a series of attacks, Sturgis’s men began a panicked retreat back to Memphis.

The Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site is exactly the same as the nearby Tupelo National Battlefield—a one-acre memorial with a monument, a couple of cannon, and two wayside exhibits (though no graves like at Tupelo). In fact, even the monument is the same, with only the wording changed. It takes all of ten minutes to visit the park.

Battle of Brices Cross Roads Memorial

For those wanting something more do, unlike the battlefield in Tupelo, of which nothing remains due to the city’s expansion, there is plenty of preserved battlefield to explore at Brice’s Crossroads, it’s just that the National Park Service has nothing to do with it. The state of Mississippi, the Civil War Preservation Trust, and the Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield Commission have all put together some type of battlefield tour, from roadside monuments and wayside exhibits to short interpretive trails. There is even a visitor center, Mississippi’s Finals Stands Interpretive Center, where you can get information, see a movie on the battle, and browse through a museum.

Though National Park Planner does not normally review non-National Park related activities, an exception is made in this case because many people who have traveled to the battlefield site will certainly want to learn and see more than the National Park Service has to offer. If you plan to visit both the Tupelo and Brices Cross Roads battlefields, which aren’t but a half hour drive apart from each other, start at Brices Cross Roads, for not only did this battle come first in the hunt for Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forest, Mississippi’s Final Stands Interpretive Center is the only place where you can get information on both battles.

As for the name, you will see the battle spelled in a number of ways: Brices Cross Roads, Brice’s Crossroads, Brice’s Cross Roads. The legislation that created the National Park omitted the apostrophe and spelled Cross Roads as two words, so that is how the National Park Service must spell the battlefield name. However, Brice’s is obviously a possessive noun, so the use of the apostrophe is undoubtedly correct. The Civil War Preservation Trust uses the spelling “Brice’s Cross Roads,” while the state of Mississippi and the Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield Commission use “Brice’s Crossroads.”

OPERATING HOURS

Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site is a one-acre memorial located at an intersection west of Baldwyn, Mississippi, known as Brice’s Crossroads. There is nothing to stop you from visiting 24 hours a day, but it is in a rural area, so there are no lights to illuminate it at night.

The Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center in Tupelo serves as the official National Park Service visitor center for the battlefield site. It is open daily from 9 AM to 4:30 PM except when closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. However, Mississippi’s Final Stands Interpretive Center, a non-National Park Service facility, is really the best place to get information on the battle. It is typically open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 AM to 5 PM .

FEES

There is no fee to see the one-acre memorial or to visit the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, but there is a fee for the Mississippi’s Final Stands Interpretive Center. Check out the Mississippi’s Final Stands Interpretive Center web page for the latest prices.

SCHEDULING YOUR VISIT

Visitor Center
allow 1 hour

Battlefield Driving Tour
allow 3-4 hours

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