THE BATTLEFIELD TODAY

Few of the various sites fought over during Hood’s invasion of Tennessee survive. The explosive growth of Nashville in the 20th century resulted in most of that battlefield yielding place to urban expansion. Homes, offices, industrial buildings, and shopping centers occupy most of the ground over which the armies led by Thomas and Hood fought. Perhaps that is unsurprising. Nashville, despite its strategic significance, was fought late in the war and was largely forgotten afterwards. Additionally, although the Union cause was roughly as popular as the Confederate cause in Tennessee during the Civil War, Confederate popularity eclipsed that of the Union postwar, and the Confederates lost Nashville, badly. While there is no battlefield park at Nashville, a few sites related to the battle have survived. These include Fort Negley, a massive masonry fort built in 1862. Allowed to decay, it was restored in the 1930s, lapsed into decay again, and was restored in the 21st century.

Other battlefield sites still remaining include Shy’s Hill, redoubts nos. 1, 3, and 4, and Granbury’s Lunette. The state capitol, fortified during the battle, also remains. In addition, the site at Bell’s Bend, where Confederate artillery battled with the United States Navy immediately preceding and during the battle of Nashville, is part of Brookmeade Park at a location now known as Kelley’s Battery.

More remains of the Franklin Battlefield. The Carter House and the Gin Mill, where the Confederates broke through the Union center, are still there, and open to the public. Much of the land around that area was developed in the 20th century, but the Civil War Trust purchased some of the acreage around the breakthrough area and is restoring it as a battlefield park. This includes the spot where Patrick Cleburne died. The Pizza Hut previously there was purchased and torn down. Franklin also contains the Eastern Flank Battlefield Park, 117 acres of the area occupied by the Union works on the Union left, anchored by the Harpeth River. Across the river, Fort Granger now forms part of Pinkerton Park; the fort provided artillery support during the battle, enfilading the Confederates as they advanced. The 14.5 acres in Fort Granger include trenches dug by the Union and preserved since the battle.

Relatively little of the critical parts of either the Franklin or Nashville battlefields have been preserved. One exception is the Carter House, purchased by the State of Tennessee in 1951 and now open to the public. (Hal Jesperson, via Wikimedia)

Other sites of interest to those tracing the progress of this campaign include Johnsonville, Spring Hill, and Decatur. While most of the Johnsonville depot was flooded in 1940 by a Tennessee Valley Authority dam, what remains is part of the Johnsonville Historic State Park, on the shore of Lake Kentucky. This includes two large earthen fortifications, Union breastworks, and remnants of the railroad bed and railroad turntable. Spring Hill contains a preserved section of battlefield where Forrest clashed with Union soldiers, and Rippavilla Plantation, briefly Hood’s headquarters during the battle. An interpretive trail was recently opened there. Decatur hosts an annual re-enactment of the battle of Decatur at Point Mallard Park. Stevenson Alabama has turned the site of Fort Harker, the Union fortification at that critical rail junction, into a park. Re-enactments are held there, too.

FURTHER READING

It is said if you want a new idea, read an old book. This certainly applies to Hood’s 1864 invasion of Tennessee. It is an oft-overlooked campaign, overshadowed by the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea, with relatively few books on this. While some excellent modern books have been written about it, for a full understanding you need to go back to the 19th century and the memories of the participants. Making any research more amusing is that many senior leaders, including Hood and Schofield, had narratives they wished to advance. The researcher needs to set the baloney-detector to high gain, but there is a wealth of information to be harvested. Even better, many long out-of-print books are now available in digital form at various online archives. (These are marked with an “*”.) The one shortcoming is the leader whose views would be most interesting, George Thomas, is absent. He died in 1870, leaving no papers or memoirs. His voice can be found only in his official reports, published in the Official Records. The most useful sources are the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, and Battles and Leaders of the Civil War.

Works consulted for this book include:

Clark Jr., John Elwood, Railroads in the Civil War: The Impact of Management on Victory and Defeat, Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2001

Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, 3 Vols., The Dyer Publishing Co., Des Moines, Iowa, 1908

Grant, Ulysses S., Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, Charles Webster, New York, 1885*

Hayes, Philip C., Journal-History of the Hundred & Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Bryan, Ohio, 1872*

Johnson, Robert Underwood, and Buel, Clarence Clough, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Vol. 4, The Century Company, New York, 1887*

Ludlow, William, The Battle of Allatoona, October 5th, 1864, Winn & Hammond, Printers and Binders, Detroit, Michigan, 1891*

Scofield, Levi T., The Retreat from Pulaski to Nashville, Tenn., Press of The Caxton Co., Cleveland, Ohio, 1909*

Shellenberger John K., The Battle of Spring Hill, Tennessee, Commandery of the State of Missouri Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Cleveland, Ohio, 1907*

Stewart, Charles W., Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Vol. 26: Naval Forces on Western Waters (March 1, 1864–December 31, 1864), GPO, Washington, DC, 1914*

US War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 39, Parts I, II and III; Vol. 45, Parts I and II, GPO, Washington, DC, 1892–94*

Watkins, Samuel R, “Co. Aytch”, Times Printing Company, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1900*

Wyeth, John Allan, Life of Lieutenant-General Nathan Bedford Forrest, Harper & Brothers, New York, NY, 1899*

The cover page and frontispiece to the second edition of Company Aytch. Written by a veteran of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign, it is one of the best accounts of the life as a private soldier in the American Civil War. (Author’s collection)