Hoping to force Sherman to abandon Atlanta and fall back to protect his vulnerable single-track line of communications to Chattanooga, Hood led 38,000 Confederates along the railroad into northern Georgia during October, attacking targets of opportunity. The main Union line at Franklin ran in a rough crescent around the town, both of its flanks secured on the Harpeth River. The ensuing battle was among the bloodiest in Tennessee and nearly destroyed the Army of Tennessee. The advance at Franklin was for two miles in the open, in full view of the enemy's works, and exposed to their fire. He sent half of his army twelve miles north to Spring Hill while the other half remained to cover the river crossing. All of these assaults were turned back with heavy losses. He ordered BGEN John T. Croxton's brigade to move against Forrest's flank and held COL Thomas J. Harrison's brigade in reserve. Major General Edward Walthalls battle-hardened division now advanced on Lorings left, with Brig. The Carnton Plantation, home to the McGavock family during the battle, also still stands and is likewise open to the public. Pickett's total loss at Gettysburg was 1,354 (this is not an accurate number, the number of casualties during Pickett's Charge actually exceeded 6500 in less then an hour); at Franklin the Army of Tennessee lost over 6,000 dead and wounded. The annals of war may long be searched for a parallel to the desperate valor of the charge of the Army of Tennessee at Franklin, a charge which has been called "the greatest drama in American history." By the fall of 1864, Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman had decisively achieved one of his objectives, the capture of Atlanta, but not the other, the destruction of Hoods army. Neuschwanstein Castle - Wikipedia This hill commands a view of the Franklin Battlefield terrain. The headstrong Opdycke ran out of patience. It is free visit and offers plenty of parking. Brigadier General John Adamss brigade was the next Confederate unit to mount an uncoordinated and isolated attack near the cotton gin. Wagner then returned to the safety of the Carter house where he began drinking heavily. [2], It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[1]. The historian, Jonathan Steplyk noted that the involvement of the field officers alongside their troops in the "frenzied brawl" showed the desperation with which they fought as regimental officers were normally expected to lead and inspire their men instead of getting directly involved. [62], Perhaps surprisingly, some Confederate soldiers claimed that Franklin was a victory. A frontal assault on the works south of Carters homea deep trench, earthen barriers, abatis, and log entrenchments backed by 60 well-placed cannons in fortified embrasuresappeared unlikely. But Hood countered that he would rather fight a Federal force that had had only a few hours to build defenses, instead of Nashville where "they have been strengthening themselves for three years." Beauregard requested reinforcements, but none were available. He would move north into Tennessee and try to defeat portions of Thomas's army in detail before they could concentrate, seize the important manufacturing and supply center of Nashville, and continue north into Kentucky, possibly as far as the Ohio River. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. Many of Coxs and Wagners men, having rallied and returned to the fray at the urging of their officers, joined Opdyckes brigade in and around the crowded Carter yard. Franklin - The Battle of Franklin | South & Western Theaters Artillery firing canister rounds directly down the railroad cut prevented any attempt to flank the Union position. They had about 1,000 yards to go when 3-inch rifled guns at Fort Granger opened up, followed by the roar of Reillys 12-pounder Napoleons. Ned Jilton II: Walking the bloody fields of Franklin Cleburne was killed in the attack and 14 of his brigade and regimental commanders were casualties. Stiles was located on the far left near the river and railroad cut, Casement in the center just east of the cotton gin; and Reilly between the gin and the Columbia Pike. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. City officials and historic-preservation groups have recently placed a new emphasis on saving what remains of the land over which the battle raged. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 57,000 acres in 25 states! Ignoring Wagners orders, Opdycke angrily rode on without bothering to halt. Frank Cheatham told Hood, "I do not like the looks of this fight; the enemy has an excellent position and is well fortified." Counterclockwise from the northwest were the divisions of Kimball (IV Corps), Ruger (XXIII Corps), and Reilly (XXIII Corps). After having his horse shot out from under him and taking a bullet, Arthur MacArthur ran through a Confederate major who had just shot him in the chest. Many a field-grade officer in the U.S. forces actually used their swords as weapons that day. "[2], The Carter House, which stands today and is open to visitors, was located at the center of the Union position. Opdycke was angry, as well; while Lanes and Conrads brigades had marched at relative ease on the road to Franklin, Opdyckes Ohioans hadnt been relieved during the entire 10-mile march. These casualties include the bloody battle of Franklin, Tenn., fought, November 30, 1864.". The 72nd Illinois gave way, but Gists brigade didnt have the strength to do more than hold its position. Wagner rode to the Carter house, where he was ordered to serve under Cox, the overall commander of the main defensive line. By lantern-light, Smith and the Carters spent hours searching the corpse-strewn battlefield for the young captain. In 2012, the Civil War Trust and its partners secured the strip mall, another acre and a half, and thus scored another major victory in the historic journey to reclaim the heart of a battlefield that was once considered lost forever. [58], Historian Andrew Bledsoe writes that the "wastage" of the officer corps "irreparably harmed [Hood's] army's morale, disrupted its command structure, and deprived it of talented and experienced commanders. United States. [2], In the battle, Confederate troops under General Hood attacked from Winstead Hill. On the eve of the Battle of Franklin, a friend described Carter as in a perfect ecstasy of joy to be seeing his family the next day. Fact#2: Missed opportunities at Spring Hill played a significant role in the Battle of Franklin. Although by now the issue had long been decided, Hood wasnt ready to give up the fight. The Union army began entering the breastworks at Nashville at noon on December 1, with Hood's damaged army in pursuit.[56]. Our first stop was Winstead Hill. At Gettysburg, 12,000 Confederates attacked over a mile of open ground following a 150-gun bombardment of a Union line protected by a low stone wall. The thorny, shrub-like trees had been chopped off about four feet above the ground by Coxs men, opening a clear field of fire above while preserving an almost impassable barrier below. Opdycke considered Wagner's order to be ridiculous and had already been directed by Stanley to retire within the works;[24] he marched his brigade through the Union line and into a reserve position behind the gap through which the Columbia Pike passed. The Union defenders stampeded back towards the main line after firing a single volley, the charging Southerners hot on their heels. Wagner's division was a mix of veterans and green troops who had been recruited six to eight weeks beforehnd. Save for a small tract preserving the Carter House, Franklin was the scene of many disturbing developments, including a Pizza Hut parking lot and a strip mall on top of the site of some of the days bloodiest fighting near the Carter Cotton Gin. Arriving on the scene, Stanley saw so many gray-clad prisoners moving to the rear that he thought for an instant that the enemy had broken through and routed Opdyckes brigade. Every purchase supports the mission. Having brought the enemy to bay, Hood announced, We will make the fight. When Lt. Gen. Alexander Stewarts corps began arriving around noon, Hood sent them and Forrests men on a flanking march east toward the Lewisburg Pike; he had decided to use Cheathams corps as his shock troops. There was a gap in the line where the Columbia Pike (present day U.S. Route 31) entered the outskirts of the town, left open to allow passage of the wagons. When Shelleys men were just feet from the Union line, Baldwins gunners opened up with double charges of canister into their massed ranks. The Army of Tennessee arrived on the Franklin battlefield from the south, in the shadow of Winstead Hill. About a half mile from Coxs main line, Wagner halted his leading brigade, Conrads, and ordered that commander to take position along a gentle rise of ground east of the pike in a cleared cotton field. Chalmers's troopers had actually engaged the Federal right by this time (the brigades of COL Isaac M. Kirby and BGEN Walter C. Whitaker of Kimball's division), fighting dismounted, but Bate was unaware of it because the two forces were separated by rolling ground and orchards. Across the Columbia Pike, on the longer western flank from the Carter house to Carters Creek Pike and a bit beyond, Hood deployed two infantry divisions and a single cavalry division. In 2008 the property behind this location and where the Federal line crossed Columbia Ave. was purchased and in May 2010 the property east of the Gin location and where part of the Gin may have stood was also purchased. East of the road, two Ohio regiments, the 100th and 104th, had been posted to support a Kentucky batterys four rifled guns. On December 15 and 16, Thomas counterattacked and routed Hoods depleted forces, using all his combat armsinfantry, artillery, cavalry with repeating riflesto win one of the most decisive battles ever fought in North America. Hugh A. Garland Jr., the son of slavery advocate and Andrew Jackson supporter Hugh A. Garland was a Confederate casualty in the battle. After the purchase, a house, out-buildings, and a swimming pool were removed. The other half of the circle was the Harpeth River. When he tried to move several of his regiments to the east side of the pike, many of Opdyckes men misconstrued the movement as an order to advance and rushed forward directly into the confused mob to their front. Today, well over a hundred acres of battlefield land have been reclaimed and preserved, often one acre at a time over a span of many years. Many in Brown's division were driven back to the Federal earthworks, where many were pinned down for the remainder of the evening, unable to either advance or flee. Eastern Flank Battlefield Park | American Battlefield Trust As he rode forward, Stanley had his horse shot out from under him and a bullet passed through the back of his neck, putting him temporarily out of action. Restrooms too! Loring's division launched two attacks against the Union brigade of COL Israel N. Stiles and both were repulsed with heavy losses. Embrasures for two 12-pounder Napoleons of the 6th Ohio Light Battery, commanded by Lieutenant A.P. Winstead Hill Park A Strategic Site in the Battle of Franklin Although he was mainly looking for a good place to cook breakfast, from this spot he could also quickly reinforce any threatened point in the Union center. Fact#6: The course of World War II could have been greatly altered at the Battle of Franklin. About Us / Homepage - Williamson County Schools MGEN John M. Schofield, commander of the Army of the Ohio, led a force of about 27,000 consisting of: LTG John Bell Hood's[37] [note 9] Army of Tennessee, at 39,000 men, constituted the second-largest remaining army of the Confederacy, ranking in strength only after Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Gen. George Wagners division providing the rear guard, most of Schofields army made it to the environs of Franklin by noon and immediately began working on the defenses. Before he could act to remedy the situation, Brown was seriously wounded, and after he was carried from the field little was done to get the stalled attack going again. Although he had briefly come close to breaking through in the vicinity of the Columbia Turnpike, Hood was unable to destroy Schofield or prevent his withdrawal to link up with Thomas in Nashville. He was a member of the House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrcken, a branch of the House of Wittelsbach. The Battle of Franklin saw the Confederate Army of Tennessee frontally assault two Union corps under Maj. Gen. John Schofield. The brigade of BGEN William A. Quarles was able to push through the abatis and reached the Federal earthworks, where it was pinned down by murderous crossfire. Hand-to-hand fighting around the Carter House and the pike was furious and desperate, employing such weapons as bayonets, rifle butts, entrenching tools, axes, and picks. The battle of Franklin was responsible for as many as 9500 men killed, wounded, missing or captured. Stewarts front. The blue columns swarming the town belonged to Maj. Gen. John Schofields Army of the Ohio, consisting of Schofields XXIII Corps and Brig. States Rights Gist and John Carter. "Pickett's charge at Gettysburg" has come to be a synonym for unflinching courage in the raw. The overlook features a large military map and memorials to the Confederate generals who died in the battle in 1864. Saturday in the Park - Winstead HillWelcome to another Saturday in the Park, this week we look at pivotal site at the Battle of Franklin, Winstead Hill located. They were all subjected to fierce artillery fire not only from the main Union line, but also from the batteries across the river at Fort Granger. Hoods bold but risky plan to destroy Schofields army and retake Nashville was backed by Davis and his principal advisers, Generals Braxton Bragg and P.G.T. The Battle of Franklin Confederate Position - Review of Winstead Hill Upon his arrival at Winstead Hill, two miles south of Franklin, at the head of six of his armys nine divisions, Hood dismissed the concerns of his stunned subordinates and ordered a frontal assault to be launched within the hour. Every purchase supports the mission. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. I gave the Colonel no orders as I saw him engaged in doing the very thing to save us, to get possession of our line again." After a costly three-week delay, Hoods army reached the Tennessee border on November 21 to a fulsome welcome from exiled Governor Isham Harris. After first colliding with the mass of Union fugitives hurtling northward, Opdyckes men crowded and bayoneted their way into the Carter yard, pressing for the retrenched line west of the pike. On the afternoon of November 29, 1864, the Army of Tennessee managed to get between Schofield's command and the federal stronghold at Nashville at the town of Spring Hill. When Union cavalry commander BGEN James H. Wilson learned at 15:00 that Forrest was crossing the river, he ordered his division under BGEN Edward Hatch to move south from his position on the Brentwood Turnpike and attack Forrest from the front. In the southeast portion of the line, Osage-orange shrubs formed an almost impenetrable abatis. The Army of Tennessee pierced the center of this line and held their position for over three hours, resulting in over 2,000 combined fatalities. From the woods near the McGavock mansion close to the Lewisburg Pike, three brigades under Maj. Gen. William Loring now emerged from the trees and attacked the Union left. Not expecting to fight, Conrads men rested without entrenching. Gens. Still others simply dropped their weapons and surrendered. The Union force was divided and in grave danger. Over the years, the island has served as the backdrop for a number of historic events. On the Confederate right, Forrests cavalry had been repulsed as well, north of the Harpeth. Some of Croxton's men were armed with seven-shot Spencer carbines, which had a devastating effect on the Confederate line. To Hoods fury, however, Schofield still managed to escape. Not only that, the position he was told to occupy was untenable, being exposed and without natural cover. After an angry conference with his subordinate commanders in which he blamed everyone but himself for the mistakes, Hood ordered his army to resume its pursuit north to Franklin. Finding the area to the rear of the Union line overcrowded, Opdycke continued north along the pike to the first available open space, located 200 yards beyond the Carter home, where at 2:30 pm his men stacked their arms. Wilson was proud of his men's accomplishment because this was the first time that Forrest had been defeated by a smaller force in a standup fight during the war.[54]. In close pursuit, Hood's columns reached Winstead Hill, two miles south of Franklin, around 1:00 PM. To protect the flank, Bate ordered the Florida Brigade, temporarily commanded by COL Robert Bullock, to move from its reserve position to his left flank. BGEN John Adams attempted to rally his brigade by galloping his horse directly onto the earthworks. When Opdycke arrived, Wagner ordered him to deploy his brigade on the west side of the pike, adjacent to Conrad, to present a two-brigade front. Something bad was comingand it was coming soon. On Nov. 30, 1864, Confederate General Hood stood here to observe the Union troops two miles away. He died the next day, just one of the nearly ten thousand family tragedies that the battle wrought. Brigadier General Thomas Rugers division of XXIII Corps constituted the main infantry force defending the Union right west of the Columbia Pike, where the cut branches and snarled treetops of a large locust grove south of the Carter house hill provided a crude abatis. After its defeat against MGEN George H. Thomas in the subsequent Battle of Nashville, the Army of Tennessee retreated with barely half the men with which it had begun the short offensive, and was effectively destroyed as a fighting force for the remainder of the war. Finally, to avoid encirclement, Hood abandoned the city on September 1. Patrick Cleburne and John Brown. Gen. David Stanleys IV Corps. Fought primarily in November of 1864, the Battle of Fran. Our Ten Facts page will help expand your appreciation for this 1864 battle in Tennessee. His men had been on arduous rearguard duty since before dawn, he complained, and hadnt eaten or had coffee all day. To this day, Arthur and Douglas are the only father and son pair besides Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. to have won the Medal of Honor. As the ferocity of the Confederate attacks ebbed, a new factor in the fighting emerged: the southern location of the Carter cotton gin had become a salient in the main line. The spot where Gen. Cleburne fell, for instance, was covered until late 2005 by a Pizza Hut restaurant. Join us online July 24-26! Winstead Hill Marker Inscription. George D. Wagner's division[note 4] had been the last to arrive from Spring Hill, and after briefly stopping at Winstead Hill before Hood arrived, he ordered his brigades under COLs Emerson Opdycke, John Q. At the eastern end of Perdido Key is an area once used by the U.S. Walthall's division was pressured so much from the right that it temporarily fell in front of Cleburne's advance. The site covers about 15 acres (61,000m2). Several elements of the ensuing battle are worthy of comparison with Lees assault on July 3, 1863. Elevated to command after his predecessor, General Joseph E. Johnston, retreated 90 miles from Dalton literally to the outskirts of Atlanta, Hood did what President Jefferson Davis and his advisers wanted him to dofight. He was found by his family after the battle, and died early in the next day. First contact with the enemy came around the Everbright Mansion, the home of Rebecca Bostick, and the Confederates pushed aside Union sharpshooters and swept past the house. General John Schofield, commanding Shermans rearguard, parried Hoods thrusts in a series of small engagements as both forces raced towards Nashville. It, too, was abruptly halted 50 feet from Casements position by the abatis of hedge tops. Schofield planned to withdraw his infantry across the river by 18:00. if Hood had not arrived by then. Trusted Writing on History, Travel, and American Culture Since 1949, Wrights Chance/Queen Annes County Historical Society, Fort McHenry National Monument And Historic Shrine, Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site. After the days carnage had ended, the Carter family emerged from their cellar only to be greeted by General Smith with the news of Tods wounding. Fact#7: Franklin resident Tod Carter was mortally wounded five hundred feet from his boyhood home. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, The dismounted cavalrymen of Hatch's division charged the Confederate cavalrymen, also dismounted, and drove them back across the river.