Mississippi
Confederate Graves
The Original Natchez Trace
A preserved section of the
original trace leads to this
unique historic site.
Thirteen Unknown Soldiers
No one knows for sure who
these soldiers are, other than
that they were Confederates who
never made it home.
The graves of 13 unknown Confederate
soldiers overlook a section of the old trace
in northeast Mississippi.
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The unknown Confederate soldiers overlook
a preserved section of the old Natchez Trace
just north of Tupelo. The site includes a
parking area, interpretive sign, short walking
trail and the graves.
Full facilities are located just down the
parkway at the Tupelo Visitor Center.
Rangers there can answer questions about
the graves and other Civil War sites in the
area.
No one knows for sure who these
men are, how they died, or why they
were buried here. They were
Confederate soldiers and, although
much of the Natchez Trace was
abandoned by the time of the Civil
War, this section remained in use.
The graves are on a hill overlooking a
section of the original trace, but so far
as is known there was no actual
fighting on the site. They may have
been casualties from Brices Cross
Roads or one of the other skirmishes
in the area, or they could have been
buried here after the Confederates
withdrew from Corinth early in the war.
The current gravestones were placed
here by the National Park Service to
replace earlier stones that were
vandalized and destroyed. The site is
a moving place to pause for a few
minutes and reflect on the terrible
cost of America's deadliest war.
