Battle of Franklin

Location: Franklin, TN
Dates: November 30, 1864
Union Commander: 
       John M. Schofield, Major General
Confederate Commander:  John Bell Hood, General

Battle Summary:
On July 22, 1864 US Major General William T. Sherman, flanked CS General John Bell Hood, from the fortifications of Atlanta, Georgia.  Each commanding general devised different strategies at this point.  Sherman determined to take the war, to the people of Georgia, with his March to the Sea.  Hood determined to take back Tennessee - specifically its enemy held capitol - Nashville.  He felt that this move would bring Sherman's army north and relieve the pressure in Georgia. 

Having his plan approved by Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, John B. Hood set his Army of Tennessee, in motion.  First he would move west, to Florence, AL to set up a supply base.  From there, he would cross the Tennessee River, and invade Tennessee.  During this time period, with Jefferson Davis concerned that Hood showed a lack of initiative, he placed P.G.T. Beauregard in charge of the entire theater of operations.  While Hood would still communicate directly with Richmond, his superior was now Beauregard.

Poor John Bell Hood.  Bad luck followed him.  Due to issues with the weather, the roads, Nathan Bedford Forrest's missing cavalry, his health and his supplies, it took him close to three weeks to get his army marching into Tennessee.  On the morning of November 21, Hood started north with his army, over icy roads and freezing conditions.  His destination was Columbia, TN, along the banks of the Duck River.  His soldiers morale was high, as they were finally on the move.  It was Hood's plan, that he would catch US Major General John Schofield's Federal army off guard.  Schofield, through his use of his cavalry, commanded by US Major General James Wilson, knew that Hood's Army of Tennessee, was on the move.  Unfortunately, Wilson's cavalry was unable to provide the detailed recognizance necessary, to keep Schofield fully aware of the disposition of Hood's army.  Additionally, as Hood was working around Schofield's left flank, one of Wilson's primary tasks was to delay, or prevent Hood's crossing the Duck River at fords east of Columbia.  This caused some fairly significant skirmishing near Rally Hill, between Wilson's cavalry and Hood's cavalry, commanded by CS Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Schofield was certain now, that Hood was working around his left flank.  However, his strategy was weak in that he only planned to hold him up, north of Columbia.  Meanwhile, Hood's objective was to get around Schofield, reach Spring Hill, and block John Schofield's route of retreat.  While well devised, it would not be carried out well.  Confusion was rampant in the Confederate high command, and Hood, suffering from his injuries, was well medicated with opiates.  This would allow all of Schofield's army, to pass by the tired Confederates, at Spring Hill, in the overnight hours of November 29.

Reaching Franklin, at first light, John Schofield set to work emplacing his army.  US Brigadier General Jacob Cox's XXIII Corps would represent Schofield's left flank.  Cox's left would be on the Harpeth River, and his right would be near the Franklin Columbia Turnpike.  US Major General David Stanley's IV Corps would hold the right flank position for Schofield's entrenched army.  His left flank would connect with Cox's right flank and his right would be anchored on a bend of the Harpeth River.  This placement was very secure and would be assisted by the large batteries at Fort Granger, north of the Harpeth River.  From its position high over the river, the big guns at Fort Granger would offer plenty of support for Schofield's army.

At first light, on November 30, John Bell Hood learned that Schofield was able to sneak by his position at Spring Hill.  Hood was furious and blamed everyone except himself.  He would put his army in motion quickly, wanting to keep Schofield's army from reaching Nashville and joining with US Major General George Thomas's army.  Reaching Franklin, in the afternoon, Hood found Schofield's entrenched, and well placed army.  Moving quickly to the offensive, CS Major General Benjamin F. Cheatham's Corps would form his left wing, while CS Lieutenant General Alexander P. Stewart's Corps would represent his right wing.  Additionally, the right wing would be supported by CS Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest's Cavalry Corps.

US Brigadier General George Wagner, positioned south of Franklin, effectively the rear guard for the army, detached two brigades, not as skirmishers, but to hold an advance line in between the two armies.  Leaving Breezy Hill and marching north, toward Privet Knob were the brigades of colonels, John Lane and Joseph Conrad.  Wagner positioned Lane's brigade on the south slopes of Privet Knob, while Conrad's brigade was positioned further north, in a unprotected field.  At this point, riding back toward their lines, in Franklin, Wagner ordered Colonel Emerson Opdycke to extend Conrad's line.  Having been in the rear guard of Schofield's quickly moving army, the fiery Opdycke exchanged heated words with Wagner, claiming the ground was untenable, and unprotected and kept riding towards Franklin, where his brigade would perform valiant service near the Carter house.  Wagner's positioning of Lane, and Conrad's brigades would lengthen the list of Federal casualties, at Franklin, and would prove to be of no strategic importance to the battle.  Their brigades, effectively sacrificed, would offer no serious resistance to Hood's advancing army.  In a futile effort to avoid being flanked, Lane would pull his brigade back, from Privet Knob, to Conrad's position.  There they set about building some small earthworks to protect them from the advancing Rebels.  They would not have to wait long, as CS Major General Patrick Cleburne's division arrived, firing, from point blank range into Conrad's brigade.  Lane, seeing this ordered his men into the fray, but their position would become untenable, being flanked, on the left by CS Lieutenant General A.P. Stewart's entire corps.  It would quickly become a rout, with Lane, and Conrad's brigades rushing pell-mell towards the main Union lines.  Unfortunately, Wagner's advanced placement of these two brigades, would prove problematic for the massed Union artillery.  Some artillery positions held their fire, waiting for the two lone Union brigades to pass from the field of fire, but there were plenty of Union soldiers hit by the Federal artillery.

On came Hood's two army corps - Cheatham's on the left, and A.P. Stewarts on the right.  Cheatham's Corps, had three divisions, commanded by Cleburne, Major General John Brown and Major General William Bate.  Cleburne, and Brown's divisions would attack repeatedly near Carter homestead and cotton gin, while Bate on the far left, would attack the Union right flank, commanded by US Brigadier General Nathan Kimball's IV Corps division.  Cleburne and Brown's divisions suffered the most, being opposed by US Brigadier General James Reilly's division, of Jacob Cox's Corps, and portions of Wagner's Division - specifically Emerson Opdycke's brigade.  The fighting would rage in this sector for several hours.

On the Confederate right, A.P. Stewart's corps would approach three, well entrenched Union brigades, anchored along the Harpeth River - James Reilly's brigade at the cotton gin, Colonel John Casement's brigade in the center and Colonel Israel Stiles brigade anchored on the Harpeth River.  Crossing John McGavock's beautiful plantation, Carnton, they would come under heavy fire from Fort Granger.  A.P. Stewart's leading division, commanded by Major Generals William Loring, on the right, and Edward Walthall, on the left charged the entrenched Federal brigades, from Carter's cotton gin, on the west, to the Harpeth River, on the east.  Stewart's third division, commanded by Major General Samuel French, followed Walthall's division.  Stewart's corps quickly covered the 1,000 yards, and were within yards of the Union line, when they ran into a formidable osage orange hedge.  This hedge caused the Rebels much grief as they tried to assault Reilly's Union division.  After several attempts to take the Union position, within an hour A.P. Stewart's attack fell apart.  Sporadic firing along the line, would continue until well after dark.  The terrible battle of Franklin was over.

Campaign: Franklin-Nashville Campaign

Outcome: Union Victory

Troop Strengths
Union: 27,000
Confederate: 20,000

Casualties (estimated):
Union: 2,326 (killed, wounded or missing/captured)
Confederate: 6,261 (killed, wounded or missing/captured)

Battle Aftermath:
The battle of Franklin was one of the bloodiest battles fought, in the Civil War.  With the Confederate casualty rate being over 30%, the battle of Franklin would severely weaken General John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee.  Fortunately, only one division of CS Lieutenant General Stephen D. Lee's infantry would arrive in time to fight at Franklin.  Lee's fresh troops would be essential at the upcoming battles around Nashville - allowing Hood to extricate himself from the vise George Thomas would squeeze him in.  The infantry casualties only tell part of the ill fated saga of John Bell Hood, at Franklin.  Often compared to CS Major General George Pickett's charge at Gettysburg, the attack at Franklin would cover significantly more open ground, with no artillery support, and instead of one charge, Hood would send his infantry into the Union lines five times.  The Confederate general officer ranks would be decimated at Franklin.  Killed would be Brigadier General John Adams, Brigadier General Hiram B. Granbury, Brigadier General States Rights Gist, Brigadier General John C. Carter and Brigadier General Otho F. Strahl.  The most grievous loss for the Confederate army, was that of Major General Patrick Cleburne.  Cleburne would be killed while leading his men towards the Carter residence.  Cleburne was undoubtedly one of the best division commanders in any Confederate army.  His death would severely weaken the Confederate armies, in the West, for the remainder of the war.

US Major General John Schofield would successfully unite his army with that of Major General George Thomas.  Thomas's steady leadership and determined offensive would push John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee from its namesake state, for the remainder of the war.   Close Window