The McGavock Confederate Cemetery is located in Franklin, Tennessee . It was established in June 1866 as a private cemetery on land donated by the McGavock planter family.
102-640: The nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers buried there were casualties of the Battle of Franklin that took place November 30, 1864. They were first buried at the battleground, but were reinterred in 1866. While 780 of the soldiers have been identified, 558 are still unknown. Since 1905 the cemetery has been maintained by the Franklin chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy . The aftermath of
204-487: A frontal assault in the dwindling afternoon light—sunset would be at 16:34 that day—against the Union force, a decision that caused dismay among his top generals. Forrest argued unsuccessfully that if he were given a division of infantry to accompany his cavalry, he could flank Schofield out of his position "within an hour." Frank Cheatham told Hood, "I do not like the looks of this fight; the enemy has an excellent position and
306-401: A 150-yard "retrenchment" line was constructed of dirt and rails, which was intended to be a barrier to traffic, not a full-fledged defensive earthwork. (The gap was also defended by the guns of Battery A, 1st Kentucky Artillery. The men of the 44th Missouri also extended the retrenchment line to the west along their front with hastily dug trenches.) The actual earthworks in the southern portion of
408-685: A devastating effect on the Confederate line. 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. 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." Perhaps its only rival for macabre distinction would be Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. A comparison of
510-466: A fit of rage, resentful that the Federal army had slipped past his troops the night before at Spring Hill and that he wanted to discipline his army by ordering them to assault against strong odds. Recent scholarship discounts this as unlikely, as it was not only militarily foolish, but Hood was observed to be determined, not angry, by the time he arrived in Franklin. His move was very much in keeping with
612-522: A flanking march. They crossed the Duck River at Davis's Ford east of Columbia, while two divisions of Stephen D. Lee 's corps and most of the army's artillery remained on the southern bank to deceive Schofield into thinking a general assault was planned against Columbia. Now that Hood had outflanked him by noon on November 29, Schofield's army was in critical danger. His command was split at that time between his supply wagons and artillery and part of
714-523: A forced march north from Spring Hill. Brigadier General (BGEN) Jacob Cox , commander of the 3rd Division, temporarily assumed command of the XXIII Corps and immediately began preparing strong defensive positions around the deteriorated entrenchments originally constructed for a previous engagement in 1863. Schofield decided to defend at Franklin with his back to the river because he had no pontoon bridges available that would enable his men to cross
816-561: A memorial to Alexander H. Stephens at his grave at Liberty Hall . Gay reprinted her book Prose and Poetry (1858) after the war and marketed it "aggressively" in order to support her family. The book came to the attention of Mark Twain , who quoted it "with disdain" in Chapter 21 of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). He wrote that Gay's work was "after the school-girl pattern." In 1892, Gay published Life in Dixie During
918-531: A new building for the local Baptist church in Decatur. Gay also helped raise funds for the establishment of McGavock Confederate Cemetery to accommodate the reburial of the 1,750 Confederate soldiers who died at the Battle of Franklin, including her brother. The funds were enough to enclose the cemetery with an iron fence and gate, which was marked with a plaque with her name. She also successfully campaigned for
1020-455: A permanent burial ground for the soldiers. Citizens of Franklin began raising funds to exhume and re-bury nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers to the field just northwest of the Carnton house. With enough money raised to get started, the group paid George Cuppett to manage the re-burial operation. He was paid $ 5.00 for each soldier. The work was "done in order to have removed from fields exposed to
1122-464: A rally line for survivors of Strickland's and Wagner's divisions. Together they sealed the breach. 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. When they ran out of cannonballs, they began to use pine cones from the surrounding trees. For years afterward, the ferocity of
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#17327979101171224-608: A reason the combat may have stood out so vividly for veterans was because the closeness was so exceptional; many of the Army of the Ohio and the Army of Tennessee had fought since Shiloh, but this combat was the first time they saw the bayonet and musket butt used with such abandon. Firing continued around the Carter house and gardens for hours. Many in Brown's division were driven back to the Federal earthworks, where many were pinned down for
1326-678: A series of command failures along with Hood's premature confidence that he had trapped Schofield, the Confederates failed to stop or even inflict much damage to the Union forces during the night. Schofield was criticized by the Lost Cause myth for moving slowly in reaction to Hood and being only lucky to escape, but his subordinates defended his reaction as a careful balance between the safety of his army and his mission to delay Hood from striking Nashville before Thomas had amassed all his forces. Through decisive leadership and good luck, both
1428-516: A series of fast marches that covered 70 miles (110 km) in three days, Hood tried to maneuver between the two armies to destroy each in detail. But Union general Schofield, commanding Stanley's IV Corps as well as his own XXIII Corps, reacted correctly with a rapid retreat from Pulaski to Columbia , which held an important bridge over the Duck River on the turnpike north. Despite suffering losses from MGEN Nathan Bedford Forrest 's cavalry along
1530-646: A victory for the Confederate army since it held the battlefield at the end of the fighting. However, Boyce, who was wounded at Franklin, also noted “two such victories will wipe out any army.” Hood's continued pursuit of Schofield after suffering defeat at Franklin and his refusal to withdraw before the battle of Nashville caused Schofield to remark "I doubt if any soldiers in the world ever needed more cumulative evidence to convince them that they were beaten." In his Pulitzer Prize -winning book Battle Cry of Freedom , James M. McPherson wrote, "Having proved even to Hood's satisfaction that they could assault breastworks,
1632-473: A withdrawal north to Franklin. He was incorrectly expecting that Major General A. J. Smith 's XVI Corps arrival from Missouri was imminent and he wanted the combined force to defend against Hood on the line of the Harpeth River at Franklin instead of the Duck River at Columbia. Meanwhile, early on the morning of November 29, Hood sent Benjamin F. Cheatham 's and Alexander P. Stewart 's corps north on
1734-651: Is located off Lewisburg Pike just a few minutes from downtown Franklin. The graves take up a 2-acre (0.81 ha) section of the Carnton plantation property. The thirteen sections are organized by states. The two sections are separated by a 14-foot (4.3 m) pathway. On the left side, upon entering are the following sections (with the number of dead buried in parentheses): left front row one will find North Carolina (2), Kentucky (5) and Florida (4). Next section, Unknown (225). Next section, Louisiana (19). Next section, South Carolina (51). Next section, Georgia (69). Next section, Alabama (129). Next section, Tennessee (230). On
1836-545: Is well fortified." 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." Patrick Cleburne observed the enemy fortifications as being formidable, but he told the commanding general that he would either take the enemy's works or fall in the attempt. He later remarked to Brigadier General (BGEN) Daniel C. Govan , "Well, Govan, if we are to die, let us die like men." I hereupon decided, before
1938-694: The Army of the Ohio , commanded by Major General John Schofield , with a total strength of about 30,000. Another 30,000 troops under Thomas's command were in or moving toward Nashville. Rather than trying to chase Sherman in Georgia, Hood decided that he would attempt a major offensive northward, even though his invading force of 39,000 would be outnumbered by the 60,000 Union troops in Tennessee. He would move north into Tennessee and try to defeat portions of Thomas's army in detail before they could concentrate, seize
2040-506: The Army of the Ohio , led a force of about 27,000 consisting of: LTG John Bell Hood's 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 . The army consisted of the corps of: At Franklin, about 27,000 Confederates were engaged, primarily from the corps of Cheatham, Stewart, and Forrest, and Johnson's division of Lee's corps. Hood's attack initially enveloped
2142-710: The Atlanta Campaign , Hood had hoped to lure Major General William T. Sherman into battle by disrupting his railroad supply line from Chattanooga to Atlanta . After a brief period in which he pursued Hood, Sherman decided instead to cut his main army off from these lines and "live off the land" in his famed March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah . By doing so, he would avoid having to defend hundreds of miles of supply lines against constant raids, through which he predicted he would lose "a thousand men monthly and gain no result" against Hood's army. Sherman's march left
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#17327979101172244-416: The Battle of Franklin , which took place during the night of November 30, 1864, left a total of nearly 9,500 soldiers, Union and Confederate dead, wounded, captured or missing. More than 6,200 were Confederate troops. Their final losses were estimated at 1,750 dead; 3,800 wounded, and the remainder missing or captured. The population of Franklin in 1860 was just over 900. When Franklin residents awoke on
2346-562: The Battle of Nashville . More importantly, the military leadership in the West was decimated, including the loss of perhaps the best division commander of either side, Patrick Cleburne , who was killed in action. Fourteen Confederate generals (six killed, seven wounded, and one captured) and 55 regimental commanders were casualties. Five generals killed in action at Franklin were Cleburne, John Adams , Hiram B. Granbury , States Rights Gist , and Otho F. Strahl . A sixth general, John C. Carter ,
2448-525: The 11th United States Colored Troops . It was not until December 1, 1864, that burial teams identified most of the 1,750 Confederate dead near Carnton. Soldier burial teams collected and identified their comrades. They placed makeshift wooden markers at the head of the graves to identify individuals by name, rank, regiment , and company. Most of the Confederate dead were buried on properties owned by Fountain Branch Carter and James McNutt. Carter had
2550-404: The 3,000 men in two brigades under Lane and Conrad, which attempted to stand their ground behind inadequate fieldworks and without anchored flanks, but quickly collapsed under the pressure. As Wagner exhorted his men to stand fast, they let loose a single strong volley of rifle fire, and a two-gun section of Battery G, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, fired canister, but then many of the veteran soldiers of
2652-443: The Army of Tennessee had shattered itself beyond the possibility of ever doing so again. David J. Eicher wrote that Hood "had in effect mortally wounded his army at Franklin." The Carter House , which stands today and is open to visitors, was located at the center of the Union position. The site covers about 15 acres (61,000 m ). The house and outbuildings still show hundreds of bullet holes. The Carnton Plantation , home to
2754-470: The Brentwood Turnpike and attack Forrest from the front. He ordered BGEN John T. Croxton 's brigade to move against Forrest's flank and held COL Thomas J. Harrison's brigade in reserve. The dismounted cavalrymen of Hatch's division charged the Confederate cavalrymen, also dismounted, and drove them back across the river. Some of Croxton's men were armed with seven-shot Spencer carbines, which had
2856-404: The Carter House. Opdycke quickly repositioned his veterans into line of battle, straddling the road, and they were confronted by masses of fleeing Union soldiers, pursued by Confederates. Opdycke ordered his brigade forward to the works. At the same time, his corps commander, David Stanley, arrived on the scene. He later wrote, "I saw Opdycke near the center of his line urging his men forward. I gave
2958-564: The Colonel no orders as I saw him engaged in doing the very thing to save us, to get possession of our line again." 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. At the same time as Opdycke's counterattack west of the pike, the reserve elements of Reilly's division (the 12th Kentucky Infantry , 16th Kentucky Infantry , and 175th Ohio Infantry Regiment ) had stood their ground and served as
3060-417: The Confederates had penetrated 50 yards deep into the center of the Federal line. As the Confederates poured men into the breach, reserve regiments on both sides of the pike, the 44th Missouri and 100th Ohio stood their ground, but were in danger of being overwhelmed. At this time, Emerson Opdycke's brigade was in reserve, positioned in columns of regiments facing north in a meadow about 200 yards north of
3162-457: The Federal lines for over a minute and amazingly emerged unharmed, but the brigade made no further progress. Walthall's division, intermixed partially with Loring's division because of the confusion that resulted from the narrow space, struck Casement's and Reilly's brigades in multiple waves of brigade assaults—probably as many as six distinct attacks. All of these assaults were turned back with heavy losses. The brigade of BGEN William A. Quarles
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3264-417: The Federal works because Confederates were pinned down there on the outside. Johnson's men lost their unit alignments in the dark and had significant difficulties attacking the works just to the west of the Carter House. They were repulsed after a single assault with heavy losses. In addition to Chalmers's actions in the west, across the river to the east Confederate cavalry commander Forrest attempted to turn
3366-579: The Harpeth to watch for any flanking attempt. Schofield planned to withdraw his infantry across the river by 18:00. if Hood had not arrived by then. As Hood approached, Schofield initially assumed the Confederates were demonstrating as they had at Columbia, planning to cross the Harpeth and turn the Union position. He did not suspect that Hood would be rash enough to attack the strong defensive line. Hood's army began to arrive on Winstead Hill, two miles (3 km) south of Franklin, around 13:00 Hood ordered
3468-525: The IV Corps, which he had sent to Spring Hill nearly ten miles north of Columbia, and the rest of the IV and XXIII corps marching from Columbia to join them. In the Battle of Spring Hill that afternoon and night, Hood had a golden opportunity to intercept and destroy the Union troops and their supply wagons, as his forces had already reached the turnpike separating the Union forces by nightfall. However, because of
3570-473: The McGavock family during the battle, also still stands and is likewise open to the public. The Carnton Plantation home was one of 44 Franklin homes serving as a hospital, often with 30 wounded in each small room of the house. Confederate soldiers of Stewart's Corps swept past Carnton toward the left wing of the Union army and the house and outbuildings were converted into the largest field hospital present after
3672-576: The New York publisher. It opens in the 1840s on a Mississippi plantation owned by a man of Scots descent. Historians have explored the important role of planter and middle-class women in creating the memory and history of the American Civil War. For instance, the United Daughters of the Confederacy had organized, initially to raise funds to get the Confederate dead decently buried in cemeteries. They also raised money to erect monuments to
3774-463: The U.S. forces actually used their swords as weapons that day. 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. Opdycke riding his horse emptied his pistol at the Rebels and then dismounted to use it as club until it broke; grabbing a musket, he began clubbing the enemy with that. Steplyk writes that
3876-521: The Union army now combined under Thomas, firmly entrenched at Nashville which numbered more than 60,000. Hood and his department commander Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard requested reinforcements, but none were available. Strongly outnumbered and exposed to the elements, Hood was attacked by Thomas on December 15–16 at the Battle of Nashville , defeated decisively and pursued aggressively, retreating to Mississippi with just under 20,000 men. The Army of Tennessee never fought again as an effective force and Hood's career
3978-419: The Union infantry and supply train managed to pass Spring Hill unscathed by dawn on November 29, and soon occupied the town of Franklin 12 miles (19 km) to the north. That morning, Hood was surprised and furious to discover Schofield's unexpected escape. Hood ordered his army to resume its pursuit north to Franklin. Schofield's advance guard arrived in Franklin at about 4:30 a.m. on November 30, after
4080-448: The Union left. His two divisions on Stewart's right (BGENs Abraham Buford II and William H. Jackson ) engaged some Federal cavalry pickets and pushed them back. They crossed the Harpeth at Hughes Ford, about 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream from Franklin. 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
4182-538: The War based on her memories, her half-sister Missouria's journal, and letters from her half-brother Thomas. Covering the years from 1861 through 1865, it became her best-known work. It influenced Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone With the Wind (1936), with some scenes being drawn "directly from Gay's memoir". Gay also wrote a novel, The Transplanted: A Story of Dixie Before the War (1907), with an introduction by Walter Neale,
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4284-501: The advance, but provided only a single line to attack the Union fortifications, leaving no reserve. 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. Neither Bate nor Chalmers made any progress and they withdrew. Hood, who remained at his headquarters on Winstead Hill,
4386-570: The aggressive Hood unoccupied, and his Army of Tennessee had several options in attacking Sherman or falling upon his rear lines. The task of defending Tennessee and the rearguard against Hood fell to Major General George H. Thomas , commander of the Army of the Cumberland . The principal forces available in Middle Tennessee were IV Corps of the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Major General David S. Stanley , and XXIII Corps of
4488-465: The area. Gen. Kenner Garrard occupied her house at one point, and his troops camped in her yard. Her only brother, Thomas Stokes, served under Gen. John Bell Hood in the Confederate Army and died in the Battle of Franklin in late 1864. After the war, Gay worked to preserve Confederate battlefields and erect Confederate monuments . She also helped raise funds for the construction of
4590-591: The battle. Adjacent to Carnton is the McGavock Confederate Cemetery , where 1,481 Southern soldiers killed in the battle are buried. Adjacent to the 48 acres (19 ha) surrounding Carnton is another 110 acres (45 ha) of battlefield, formerly the Franklin Country Club golf course, which is currently being converted to a city park. Mary Ann Harris Gay Mary Ann Harris Gay (March 18, 1829 – November 21, 1918)
4692-459: The battle. She raised $ 5,000 to fund the iron fence and gate, which is marked with a plaque bearing her name. George Cuppett wrote the names and information related to the identity of each soldier in a cemetery book. After he finished the re-burials in mid-1866, he turned over the care of the book to the McGavocks. In 1896, the "John McEweb Bivouac" veterans organization raised funds to replace
4794-419: The behavior of Lee and his subordinates in the Army of Northern Virginia in that aggressive action frequently gains one the initiative in combat. Regardless of Hood's personal motivations, his specific objective was to try to crush Schofield before he and his troops could escape to Nashville. He was concerned that if he attempted to turn Schofield by crossing the Harpeth and getting between him and Nashville,
4896-463: The brave & noble Confederate dead who fell whilst battling for their writes (sic) and Libertys (sic)." (Jacobson: McGavock, p. 25) Soldiers from every Southern state in the Confederacy, except Virginia, are represented in the cemetery. Wooden headboards with the soldier's personal identification were installed. Footboards were added in 1867. The fence was added with the assistance of Georgia author Mary Ann Harris Gay , whose brother had died in
4998-526: The breastworks had to hold their fire to avoid hitting their comrades. The Union's momentary inability to defend the opening in the works caused a weak spot in its line at the Columbia Pike from the Carter House to the cotton gin. The Confederate divisions of Cleburne, Brown, and French converged on this front and a number of their troops broke through the now not-so-solid Federal defenses on either side. The 100th Ohio Infantry , of Reilly's brigade,
5100-449: The breastworks, to part of which they clung until the enemy retired. Pickett, once repelled, retired from the field. The Army of Tennessee renewed their charge, time after time. Pickett survived his charge unscathed. Cleburne was killed, and eleven other general officers were killed, wounded or captured. "Pickett's charge at Gettysburg" has come to be a synonym for unflinching courage in the raw. The slaughter-pen at Franklin even more deserves
5202-480: The center of the Union line, the Confederates of Stewart's corps also advanced against the Union left. Because the Harpeth River flowed in that area from southeast to northwest, the brigade found itself moving through a space getting progressively narrower, squeezing brigades together into a compressed front, delaying their movements and reducing their unit cohesion. Walthall's division was pressured so much from
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#17327979101175304-719: The center of the line stood the Carter House , appropriated as Cox's headquarters. Just east of the pike was the Carter cotton gin building, around which a minor salient occurred in the Union earthworks. Schofield established his headquarters in the Alpheus Truett House, a half mile north of the Harpeth on the Nashville Pike, although he would spend most of his time during the battle in Fort Granger , built in 1863 as an artillery position northeast of
5406-417: The combat at extremely close quarters made the battle stand out in many of the veterans' memories. 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. Many a field-grade officer in
5508-466: The confusion during his army's hasty nighttime evacuation of Franklin. The Union wounded were left behind in Franklin. Many of the prisoners, including all captured wounded and medical personnel, were recovered on December 18 when Union forces re-entered Franklin in pursuit of Hood. The Army of Tennessee was badly damaged at Franklin. Nevertheless, rather than retreat and risk the army dissolving through desertions, Hood advanced his 26,500 man force against
5610-428: The east of the pike. Their attack near the cotton gin was driven back from the breastworks and was then subjected to devastating cross fire from Reilly's brigade to their front and the brigade of COL John S. Casement , on Reilly's right. Cleburne was killed in the attack and 14 of his brigade and regimental commanders were casualties. That some Union troops were armed with Spencer and Henry repeating rifles added to
5712-478: The efforts, supervising the logistics, and ordering her enslaved African-American workers to assist. She donated food, clothing and supplies to care for the wounded and dying. Carrie's two surviving children, Hattie (age nine) and Winder (age seven), served as medical aides throughout the evening as well. At least 150 Confederate soldiers died the first night at Carnton. Most of the Confederate (and Union dead) were buried by soldiers and enslaved workers "near and along
5814-621: The enemy would be able to reach his stronghold at Nashville, to make that same afternoon another and final effort to overtake and rout him, and drive him in the Big Harpeth river at Franklin, since I could no longer hope to get between him and Nashville, by reason of the short distance from Franklin to that city, and the advantage which the Federals enjoyed in the possession of the direct road. LTG John Bell Hood, Advance and Retreat Some popular histories assert that Hood acted rashly in
5916-411: The first time since then, only to be wounded in battle just a few hundred yards away from his own house. He was found by his family after the battle, and died early in the next day. 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."" He further cites
6018-466: The flat ground. Stanley had earlier ordered Wagner to hold Winstead Hill with two brigades and relieve Opdycke (who had been the tail end of the rear guard) until dark unless he was pressed, and it is possible that Wagner somehow translated these orders into the notion that he was supposed to hold a line south of the main position with all his division. Opdycke considered Wagner's order to be ridiculous and had already been directed by Stanley to retire within
6120-533: The gory honor. Stanley F. Horn, The Army of Tennessee Following the failure of Johnson's assault, Hood decided to end offensive actions for the evening and began to plan for a resumed series of attacks in the morning. Schofield ordered his infantry to cross the river, starting at 23:00, despite objections from Cox that withdrawal was no longer necessary and that Hood was weakened and should be counter-attacked. Schofield had received orders from Thomas to evacuate earlier that day—before Hood's attack began—and he
6222-898: The house of Mary Gay's grandfather, Thomas Stevens, a planter and slave owner . He was criticized in the slave narrative A Slave Life in Georgia (1854) by John Brown , a man who had been enslaved by Stevens before escaping and settling in England. Stevens also owned property around the state, including in DeKalb County , where he became active in politics by 1829. In the 1830s, Gay and her mother moved to Decatur. There, Gay's mother married lawyer Joseph Stokes, whose clients included Gay's father and brothers. The family moved out to Cassville, Georgia , and Mary Stokes had two more children with Joseph: Thomas (Thomie) J. Stokes (b. 1837) and Missouria Horton Stokes (b. 1838). Mary Stokes' father Thomas Stevens lived with them. By his bequest, Mary Gay
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#17327979101176324-524: The important manufacturing and supply center of Nashville , and continue north into Kentucky , possibly as far as the Ohio River . Hood even expected to pick up 20,000 recruits from Tennessee and Kentucky in his path of victory and then join up with Robert E. Lee 's army in Virginia, a plan that historian James M. McPherson describes as "scripted in never-never land." Hood had recovered from but
6426-625: The largest section of land occupied with interments. He lost his own son, Todd Carter, in the Battle of Franklin. The Carter-McNutt land was considered in temporary use as a cemetery. By the spring of 1866, the condition of the graves and markers on the Carter-McNutt lands were worsening. Many of the wooden markers were beginning to be hard to read, and some had been used as firewood at a time of shortages. The full identities of these men were at risk of being lost. The McGavocks of Carnton donated 2 acres (8,100 m) of their property to be used as
6528-597: The length of the Federal breastworks, which spanned the southern edge of what was then Franklin.". Union dead were placed by twos in shallow graves in long rows by their comrades without marking the identities. Many of the Union dead were later removed either by family or loved ones, or by the military and relocated in graves at home. The Stones River National Cemetery was established in 1864 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee . The remains of Union soldiers from Franklin and other battlefields were reinterred here from 1865 to 1867 by
6630-456: The line were formidable. Attacking infantry would be confronted by a ditch about four feet wide and two to three feet deep, then a wall of earth and wooden fence rails four feet above normal ground level, and finally a trench three to four feet deep in which the defenders stood, aiming their weapons through narrow "head gaps" formed by logs. In the southeast portion of the line, Osage-orange shrubs formed an almost impenetrable abatis . Just behind
6732-412: The maneuver would be time-consuming and the open terrain of the area would reveal his movements prematurely, causing Schofield to simply withdraw again. The Confederates began moving forward at 16:00, with Cheatham's corps on the left of the assault and Stewart's on the right. Bate's division, on the left, was delayed in reaching its starting point as it marched around Winstead Hill, a movement that delayed
6834-465: The morning of December 1, their concern was how to bury thousands of soldiers and care for the wounded. Colonel John and Carrie McGavock's plantation house , Carnton , was situated less than one mile (1.6 km) from the center of the action on the Union eastern flank at Franklin. Due to its geographical proximity, Carnton served as the largest field hospital in the area for hundreds of wounded and dying Confederate soldiers. Carrie Winder McGavock led
6936-493: The otherwise considerable advantages of the defenders. Near the Carter House, 350 men of the 12th Kentucky and 65th Illinois fired 16-shot, lever-action Henry rifles, the predecessors to the Winchester repeating rifle . These rifles were capable of at least 15 to 30 shots per minute, which gave these men several times more firepower than typical infantrymen with more common muzzle-loading rifle-muskets. While fighting raged at
7038-506: The plow-share, the remains of all those who were buried," according to Col. John McGavock. Cuppett was assisted by his brother Marcellus and two others. The entire operation took ten weeks and was completed in June 1866. Marcellus, 25 years old, fell ill during the process and died. He was buried at the head of the Texas section in the cemetery. George Cuppett wrote, "My hole (sic) heart is with
7140-540: The railroad cut prevented any attempt to flank the Union position. BGEN John Adams attempted to rally his brigade by galloping his horse directly onto the earthworks. As he attempted to seize the flag of the 65th Illinois, he and his horse were both shot and killed. The brigade of BGEN Winfield S. Featherston began falling back under heavy fire when its division commander, MGEN William W. Loring , confronted them, shouting, "Great God. Do I command cowards?" He attempted to inspire his men by sitting on his horse in full view of
7242-439: The remainder of the evening, unable to either advance or flee. Each side fired through embrasures or over the top of the parapets at close range in an attempt to dislodge the other. Brown's division suffered significant losses, including Brown, who was wounded, and all four of his brigade commanders were casualties. Brown's brigade under BGEN George W. Gordon had angled to the right during the advance, joining Cleburne's division to
7344-659: The right side, upon entering are the following sections (with the number of dead buried in parentheses): Mississippi (424), the State with the largest number of men who died at Franklin. Next section, Arkansas (104). Next section, Missouri (130). Next section, Texas (89). 35°54′15″N 86°51′33″W / 35.9042240°N 86.8591626°W / 35.9042240; -86.8591626 Battle of Franklin II Schofield's estimate: 6,252 (1,750 killed, 3,800 wounded, 702 missing/captured) The Battle of Franklin
7446-482: The right that it temporarily fell in front of Cleburne's advance. 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. They also had significant difficulty pushing through the strong osage-orange abatis . Loring's division launched two attacks against the Union brigade of COL Israel N. Stiles and both were repulsed with heavy losses. Artillery firing canister rounds directly down
7548-543: The river. The bridges had been left behind in his retreat from Columbia because they lacked wagons to transport them, and pontoons requested from Thomas in Nashville had not arrived. Schofield needed time to repair the permanent bridges spanning the river—a burned wagon bridge and an intact railroad bridge. He ordered his engineers to rebuild the wagon bridge and to lay planking over the undamaged railroad bridge to enable it to carry wagons and troops. His supply train parked in
7650-446: The side streets to keep the main pike open, while wagons continued to cross the river, first via a ford next to the burned-out pike bridge, and later in the afternoon by the two makeshift bridges. By the beginning of the assault, nearly all the supply wagons were across the Harpeth and on the road to Nashville. By noon, the Union works were ready. The line, based on the prior year's fortifications, formed an approximate semicircle around
7752-568: The start of the entire army. Hood divided Forrest's cavalry—Chalmer's division on the far left, beyond Bate, and Buford and Jackson with Forrest, covering Stewart and facing the fords on the Harpeth. Lee's corps, and almost all of the army's artillery, had not yet arrived from Columbia. Hood's attacking force, about 19–20,000 men, was arguably understrength for the mission he assigned—traversing two miles (3 km) of open ground with only two batteries of artillery support and then assaulting prepared fortifications. MGEN John M. Schofield , commander of
7854-487: 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. The 1864 Battle of Franklin was the second military action in the vicinity; a battle fought there on April 10, 1863 , was a minor action associated with a reconnaissance in force by Confederate cavalry under Major General Earl Van Dorn . Following his defeat in
7956-400: The timing of the attack, just before twilight, as a key factor combined with the fact that most officers were mounted to preserve their command and control in the fading light, a "result of logical, and terrible, deliberation". Union losses were reported as only 189 killed, 1,033 wounded, and 1,104 missing. It is possible that the number of casualties was under-reported by Schofield because of
8058-418: The town from northwest to southeast. The other half of the circle was the Harpeth River. Counterclockwise from the northwest were the divisions of Kimball (IV Corps), Ruger (XXIII Corps), and Reilly (XXIII Corps). 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. About 200 feet (61 m) behind this gap,
8160-444: The town. Two Union brigades were positioned about a half mile forward of the main line. George D. Wagner 's division 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. Lane, and Joseph Conrad (who had replaced Luther Bradley, wounded at Spring Hill) to stop halfway to the Union line and dig in as best they could on
8262-407: The two brigades stampeded back on the Columbia Pike to the main breastworks , while some untried replacements were reluctant to move under fire and were captured. Nearly 700 of Wagner's men were taken prisoner. The fleeing troops were closely pursued by the Confederates, and a cry was repeated along the line, "Go into the works with them." The pursued and pursuers were so intermingled that defenders in
8364-441: The two may be of interest. 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 than an hour); at Franklin the Army of Tennessee lost over 6,000 dead and wounded. Pickett's charge was made after a volcanic artillery preparation of two hours had battered the defending line. Hood's army charged without any preparation. Pickett's charge
8466-526: The vicinity of the Columbia Turnpike, Hood was unable to destroy Schofield or prevent his withdrawal to link up with Thomas in Nashville. And his unsuccessful result came with a frightful cost. The Union commanding general claimed that the Confederates suffered 6,252 casualties, including 1,750 killed and 3,800 wounded, but this is not corroborated by Confederate reports. An estimated 2,000 others suffered less serious wounds and returned to duty before
8568-492: The war and their dead. In addition, by the late 19th century, its leaders encouraged Southern women such as Gay to publish their memoirs and other writings about the war, in order to perpetuate the myth of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy , which denies that slavery was a central cause of the Civil War. Gay never married. After the death of her sister Missouria in 1910, Gay began to suffer from dementia in her old age. She
8670-423: The way, the Federals were able to reach Columbia and erect fortifications just hours before the Confederates arrived on November 24. From November 24 to 29, Schofield managed to block Hood at this crossing, and the " Battle of Columbia " was a series of mostly bloodless skirmishes and artillery bombardments while both sides re-gathered their armies. On November 28, Thomas directed Schofield to begin preparations for
8772-577: The wooden headboards with granite markers. Carrie McGavock managed the maintenance of the cemetery with African-American workers until her death in 1905. The original cemetery book is on display upstairs in the Carnton great house. After 1905, the Franklin Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy took over financial responsibility to maintain the cemetery. Today 780 Confederate soldiers’ identities are positively identified, leaving some 558 as officially listed as unknown. The cemetery
8874-451: The works; he marched his brigade through the Union line and into a reserve position behind the gap through which the Columbia Pike passed. At 12:00, when the other U.S. forces had finished their fortifications, these two brigades had not even started digging in. Conrad's and Lane's brigades had few entrenching tools and used mainly bayonets, cups, and their hands. Wood's division of IV Corps and all of Wilson's cavalry were posted north of
8976-509: Was a support of the Confederacy, and after the end of the war, was active in efforts to preserve Confederate battlefields and construct Confederate monuments and cemeteries. Gay raised thousands of dollars to pay for a fence and gate at the newly established McGavock Confederate Cemetery in 1866 in Franklin, Tennessee . Her brother was among the nearly 2,000 Confederate soldiers reinterred there from temporary battlefield graves. In 1997, Gay
9078-415: Was able to push through the abatis and reached the Federal earthworks, where it was pinned down by murderous crossfire. Quarles was wounded in the left arm and at the end of the battle the highest-ranking officer standing in his brigade was a captain. MGEN William B. Bate 's division had a long distance to march to reach its assigned objective on the Union right and when he gave the final order to attack it
9180-404: Was across an open space of perhaps a mile. The advance at Franklin was for two miles in the open, in full view of the enemy's works, and exposed to their fire. The defenders at Gettysburg were protected only by a stone wall. Schofield's men at Franklin had carefully constructed works, with trench and parapet. Pickett's charge was totally repulsed. The charge of Brown and Cleburne penetrated deep into
9282-501: Was affected by a couple of serious physical battle wounds to a leg and arm, which caused him pain and limited his mobility . Hood spent the first three weeks of November quietly supplying the Army of Tennessee in northern Alabama in preparation for his offensive. The Army of Tennessee marched north from Florence, Alabama , on November 21, and indeed managed to surprise the Union forces, the two halves of which were 75 miles (121 km) apart at Pulaski, Tennessee and at Nashville. With
9384-633: Was almost dark. 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. However, Bate's left flank was not being protected as he expected by Chalmers's cavalry division, and they received enfilade fire. 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. This not only delayed
9486-483: Was an American writer and poet from Decatur, Georgia , known for her memoir Life in Dixie During the War (1897) about her life in Atlanta during the American Civil War . Author Margaret Mitchell said Gay's memoir inspired some passages in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936). Gay also published a book of poetry in 1858, which she republished after the war to raise money to help support her mother and sister. Gay
9588-406: Was driven back from its position to the east of the pike and Colonel (COL) Silas A. Strickland 's brigade (Ruger's division) was forced to withdraw back to the Carter House. The left wing of the 72nd Illinois Infantry was swept away and rallied on the 183rd Ohio Infantry , in reserve at the retrenchment, which prompted the remainder of the 72nd to withdraw back to that line. In a matter of minutes,
9690-438: Was educated at a girls' school in Nashville. When Stokes died in 1850, Gay's newly widowed mother moved with her three children to a house on Marshall Street in Decatur, Georgia. Gay lived in this house throughout Civil War. She published her first poetry collection anonymously in 1858, at age 29. During the Civil War, Mary Gay was a supporter of the Confederacy and refused to leave her house when Union Army soldiers took over
9792-687: Was fought on November 30, 1864, in Franklin, Tennessee , as part of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War . It was one of the worst disasters of the war for the Confederate States Army . Confederate Lieutenant General John Bell Hood 's Army of Tennessee conducted numerous frontal assaults against fortified positions occupied by the Union forces under Major General John Schofield and
9894-521: Was happy to take advantage of them despite the changed circumstances. Although there was a period in which the Union army was vulnerable, outside its works and straddling the river, Hood did not attempt to take advantage of it during the night. The Union army began entering the breastworks at Nashville at noon on December 1, with Hood's damaged army in pursuit. The damaged Confederate force was left in control of Franklin, but its enemy had escaped again. Although he had briefly come close to breaking through in
9996-434: Was mortally wounded and died later on December 10. The wounded generals were John C. Brown , Francis M. Cockrell , Zachariah C. Deas , Arthur M. Manigault , Thomas M. Scott , and Jacob H. Sharp . One general, BGEN George W. Gordon , was captured. Also among the dead was Tod Carter, the middle child of the Carter family. Having enlisted in the Confederate army three years earlier, Carter had returned to his hometown for
10098-602: Was named a Georgia Woman of Achievement . The Mary Gay House , her home during and after the Civil War, has been preserved in downtown Decatur. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Mary Ann Gay was born to William and Mary (Stevens) Gay on March 18, 1829, in Jones County, Georgia . Shortly after Mary Ann was born, her father died. Her newly widowed mother moved with her children back to her family near Milledgeville, Georgia . They lived in
10200-438: Was ruined. Perhaps surprisingly, some Confederate soldiers claimed that Franklin was a victory. James Lanning of the 25th Alabama Infantry wrote in his diary, “victory is ours but very dearly bought.” Confederate artilleryman William Ritter believed, “the charge was a brilliant one and was successful, as part of the enemy’s line was captured.” Joseph Boyce of the 1st Missouri Infantry acknowledged that many men considered Franklin
10302-533: Was still convinced that he could pierce the Federal line. At about 19:00, he deployed the only division of Stephen D. Lee's corps that had arrived, commanded by MGEN Edward "Allegheny" Johnson , to assist Cheatham's effort. They moved north on the west side of the Columbia Turnpike and passed around Privet Knob, Cheatham's headquarters, but were unfamiliar with the terrain in the dark and Cheatham told Lee he had no staff officer left who could guide them. Both Bate and Cheatham warned Lee not to fire indiscriminately against
10404-535: Was unable to prevent Schofield from executing a planned, orderly withdrawal to Nashville . The Confederate assault of six infantry divisions containing eighteen brigades with 100 regiments numbering almost 20,000 men, sometimes called the " Pickett's Charge of the West", resulted in devastating losses to the men and the leadership of the Army of Tennessee—fourteen Confederate generals (six killed, seven wounded, and one captured) and 55 regimental commanders were casualties. After its defeat against George H. Thomas in
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