The December 2025 edition of our newsletter highlights one of the most significant preservation milestones in the Trust’s history. This month’s issue features President Bobby Whitson’s update on the Trust’s acquisition of the summit of Shy’s Hill—securing the ground where the decisive action of the Battle of Nashville occurred. The newsletter also covers our earlier acquisition and restoration of property on the northeast slope of the hill, as well as recent clearing work at Redoubt No. 1 that has reopened historic views toward downtown.
Other highlights include announcements for our upcoming events, such as the Annual Members Celebration at Travellers Rest on December 13, the 161st Anniversary Gathering on the summit on December 16, and the Philip Duer art exhibition at Vanderbilt later that evening. You’ll also find Nashville Civil War Roundtable updates (the next meeting of the Nashville Civil War Roundtable will be held at the Belmont Mansion on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 6 pm. Guest speaker Ross Hudgins will speak on “Maggie Vaulx and the Great Panic in Nashville”. There is no December meeting) , a story about a rediscovered 1939 Vanderbilt battlefield plaque, an article of the month by John Banks on Brig. Gen. Thomas Benton Smith, and an archival aerial view of the Redoubt No. 4 area.
Click link to read the full newsletter: Battle of Nashville Trust Newsletter December 2025