Bethesda Presbyterian Church

Bethesda Presbyterian Church, completed 1835, is a powerful reminder of the effect of the Civil War on the Tennessee home front. As the war clouds gathered, conflicting sympathies divided the congregation, and the church closed its doors. After the Battle of Bean's Station on December 14, 1863, Confederate Gen. James Longstreet arrived here with 25,000 ill-clad soldiers who remained until late in February 1864. Bethesda Church served as a hospital. Soldiers of both armies rest in the cemetery, including 80 unknown dead, most believed to be Confederate soldiers.