War of 1812 Memorial

Read the memorial inscription, which describes volunteers marching hundreds of miles, often in severe weather with little food and inadequate equipment, and notes that inns along the Trace served as hospitals for the sick and injured. Historical exhibits fill in the background, and there is a hitching post and corral for those traveling with horses. A picnic table makes it easy to linger a while before continuing.

The memorial honors the volunteers who marched the Natchez Trace during the war, especially the soldiers buried in unmarked graves along the Old Trace. Andrew Jackson's command marched south in January 1813 and returned that April, with detachments marching again in 1814. After the Battle of New Orleans, most Americans who fought made their way home on the Trace, which means this ground carried both the outbound hope and the exhausted return.

A two-mile section of the Old Trace runs from here as part of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, and the site serves as a trailhead. The walking is relatively flat through shaded forest before it descends toward the Garrison Creek trailhead. From this point you can pick up the Highland Rim Trail heading either north or south, so you can choose a direction, walk as far as suits you, and turn back the way you came.

This is a modest site, not a large visitor destination. Some travelers find it a peaceful and worthwhile piece of history; others feel it amounts to little more than a pull-off with a marker. If you are not planning to walk any of the Old Trace, expect a brief pause rather than a full outing.