Who was Doctor Burrus?
Census records provide information on the identity of Doctor Burrus. William Lafayette Burrus was born in 1825, the second child and oldest boy of Lafayette “Fayette” Burrus and Eliza Ready Burrus. They lived on about 500 acres along Asbury Lane. [Note: Currently, this portion of Asbury Lane is now named Asbury Road.] Fayette Burrus listed his occupation as “farmer”. In 1830, the census shows 7 slaves as his property. By 1850, the number of slaves increased to 49.
Fayette Burrus died sometime in the 1850’s and his wife Eliza took over the farm operations. By 1860, William Burrus is shown living in his own residence on the Burrus property and his occupation was “physician”. Census and Agricultural records show that the 500 acres was divided with William as the oldest son receiving about half. The farm was mostly used for various livestock with areas set aside for growing feed corn and hay.
Doctor Burris never married and remained a physician with his home and office near Asbury Lane. There are no records indicating what he did during the Civil War. As a young physician, it is assumed he would be in high demand in the Confederate Army. There is one record of a 28-year-old William Burrus from Tennessee residing in St. Louis in 1863 but there is no evidence to prove this is the same person. Although he lists his occupation as a practicing physician, he is not included in a historical book discussing physicians in Rutherford County. By 1890, he is living with one of his sisters. Burrus died before 1910.
In the 1870's, Eliza Burrus donated an acre of her land along the Nashville Pike to have a school built for the Cemetery Community for the children of the former slaves in the local Freedman's community.
What happened on the Burrus property during the war?
(Note: All Civil War era maps of the Stones River battlefield show the house occupied by Eliza Burrus but it is called the “Widow Burris” house. Since all of the property records and the family names spell the last name as “Burrus”, the correct spelling is used in this article.)
As the Union right flank totally collapsed at the beginning of the Battle of Stones River, General William Rosecrans needed to desperately keep the Confederates from capturing the Nashville Pike. Losing the Nashville Pike would basically surround the entire Union army and pin them against the Stones River. By 10:00AM, Rosecrans moved the brigades of Harker, Fyffe and Beatty to take position on the south side of Asbury Lane. Harker was on the right of Fyffe with his right side anchored to the Widow Burrus property.
In the meantime, hordes of retreating soldiers from the earlier action streamed through the Burrus property as they made their way to the Nashville Pike. The homes in the area were put to use by the Union as field hospitals, including the Widow Burrus house. The Confederate brigades under Major General John McCown, that were haphazardly chasing the Union retreat, eventually pulled themselves back to the main lines and set up to attack the Union troops on Asbury Lane.
The fighting was fierce with the Union artillery pounding away at the Confederates. For several hours, the Burrus house had the fight in their front yard. Eventually, the Union forces were pushed back closer to the Nashville Pike but a mid-afternoon counter-offensive moved the Confederates back across Asbury Lane. The bloody fight saved the Union army from an embarrassing defeat.
Undoubtedly, there were many Union and Confederate soldiers killed in the area of the Widow Burrus and William Burrus houses on December 31, 1862. Every home at the time was pressed into duty as a field hospital for the injured. This included the Widow Burrus' house. Recent accounts stated the floor of the house was still stained by blood. Undoubtedly, Dr. Burrus' house would also serve as a medical facility. Soldiers who were mortally wounded would be buried near the houses where they were treated. Since the Confederates advanced beyond the Burrus' homes, it's expected that the wounded were cared for at these houses and the dead buried near the field hospitals.
By the end of the first day of battle, Asbury Lane was a no-man’s land as the Union troops took a solid position along the Nashville Pike and the Confederate retreated back to create their lines further south. It is not known whether efforts were taken to bury the dead in this area during the lull on January 1st by the armies. If not, the Union army was not given permission to identify and bury their dead until almost a week later. Due to the Confederate retreat, burials of their dead were probably left to the local residents.
In Part Three, we will explore the evidence found in the grave as Superintendent Frame tried to determine what to do with the bodies.
- by Thomas Zei
Census records provide information on the identity of Doctor Burrus. William Lafayette Burrus was born in 1825, the second child and oldest boy of Lafayette “Fayette” Burrus and Eliza Ready Burrus. They lived on about 500 acres along Asbury Lane. [Note: Currently, this portion of Asbury Lane is now named Asbury Road.] Fayette Burrus listed his occupation as “farmer”. In 1830, the census shows 7 slaves as his property. By 1850, the number of slaves increased to 49.
Fayette Burrus died sometime in the 1850’s and his wife Eliza took over the farm operations. By 1860, William Burrus is shown living in his own residence on the Burrus property and his occupation was “physician”. Census and Agricultural records show that the 500 acres was divided with William as the oldest son receiving about half. The farm was mostly used for various livestock with areas set aside for growing feed corn and hay.
Doctor Burris never married and remained a physician with his home and office near Asbury Lane. There are no records indicating what he did during the Civil War. As a young physician, it is assumed he would be in high demand in the Confederate Army. There is one record of a 28-year-old William Burrus from Tennessee residing in St. Louis in 1863 but there is no evidence to prove this is the same person. Although he lists his occupation as a practicing physician, he is not included in a historical book discussing physicians in Rutherford County. By 1890, he is living with one of his sisters. Burrus died before 1910.
In the 1870's, Eliza Burrus donated an acre of her land along the Nashville Pike to have a school built for the Cemetery Community for the children of the former slaves in the local Freedman's community.
What happened on the Burrus property during the war?
(Note: All Civil War era maps of the Stones River battlefield show the house occupied by Eliza Burrus but it is called the “Widow Burris” house. Since all of the property records and the family names spell the last name as “Burrus”, the correct spelling is used in this article.)
As the Union right flank totally collapsed at the beginning of the Battle of Stones River, General William Rosecrans needed to desperately keep the Confederates from capturing the Nashville Pike. Losing the Nashville Pike would basically surround the entire Union army and pin them against the Stones River. By 10:00AM, Rosecrans moved the brigades of Harker, Fyffe and Beatty to take position on the south side of Asbury Lane. Harker was on the right of Fyffe with his right side anchored to the Widow Burrus property.
In the meantime, hordes of retreating soldiers from the earlier action streamed through the Burrus property as they made their way to the Nashville Pike. The homes in the area were put to use by the Union as field hospitals, including the Widow Burrus house. The Confederate brigades under Major General John McCown, that were haphazardly chasing the Union retreat, eventually pulled themselves back to the main lines and set up to attack the Union troops on Asbury Lane.
The fighting was fierce with the Union artillery pounding away at the Confederates. For several hours, the Burrus house had the fight in their front yard. Eventually, the Union forces were pushed back closer to the Nashville Pike but a mid-afternoon counter-offensive moved the Confederates back across Asbury Lane. The bloody fight saved the Union army from an embarrassing defeat.
Undoubtedly, there were many Union and Confederate soldiers killed in the area of the Widow Burrus and William Burrus houses on December 31, 1862. Every home at the time was pressed into duty as a field hospital for the injured. This included the Widow Burrus' house. Recent accounts stated the floor of the house was still stained by blood. Undoubtedly, Dr. Burrus' house would also serve as a medical facility. Soldiers who were mortally wounded would be buried near the houses where they were treated. Since the Confederates advanced beyond the Burrus' homes, it's expected that the wounded were cared for at these houses and the dead buried near the field hospitals.
By the end of the first day of battle, Asbury Lane was a no-man’s land as the Union troops took a solid position along the Nashville Pike and the Confederate retreated back to create their lines further south. It is not known whether efforts were taken to bury the dead in this area during the lull on January 1st by the armies. If not, the Union army was not given permission to identify and bury their dead until almost a week later. Due to the Confederate retreat, burials of their dead were probably left to the local residents.
In Part Three, we will explore the evidence found in the grave as Superintendent Frame tried to determine what to do with the bodies.
- by Thomas Zei