Schofield and his men were intent on getting across the Harpeth and really did not expect Hood and his army to attack; the fact that they did attack with such ferocity soon made the U.S. troops realize that they had changed from a delaying action to a desperate fight for survival. 3; however, its commander, Col. Sylvester G. Hill, was killed by Confederate artillery firing from Redoubt No. Lincoln had little patience for slow generals and remarked of the situation, "This seems like the McClellan and Rosecrans strategy of do nothing and let the rebels raid the country. Timeline of the Battle of Nashville. Gen. John B. Glen Leven: This Greek Revival home on Franklin Pike was built in 1857. In command at Nashville was Union Maj. Gen. George Thomas, the exalted Rock of Chickamauga. Miles of trenches and several forts mounted with heavy guns made Nashville the second most fortified city in North America. 5, notwithstanding the spirited resistance of the defenders of Redoubt No. Smith's troops proceeded to Redoubt No. Logan made it as far as Louisville by December 15, but on that day the Battle of Nashville had finally begun. Confederate GeneralJohn Bell Hoodparticipated in some of the most brutal and iconic actions of the Civil War, including the breakthrough atGaines Mill, the hellacious fighting at the Cornfield atAntietam, and the drive to Snodgrass Hill atChickamauga. Battle of Nashville, (December 1516, 1864), American Civil War engagement in which Confederate Lieut. Only the valiant rear-guard action of General Stephen Lee (1833-1908) prevented complete destruction of the Confederate army. Hoods right flank held; not so with his left. The remains of earthworks are faintly visible. Hood. Schofield had been tasked by Thomas with delaying Hood as much as possible, without losing his army, while Thomas pulled in his forces to concentrate at Nashville. In the shadows of the setting sun, Brig. At Spring Hill on November 29, a Rebel trap nearly snapped shut on Schofield. On April 2, 1781, during the Native American war of resistance against the occupation of Middle Tennessee by a young United States of America, a force commanded by the great Cherokee war leader Dragging Canoe attacked Fort Nashborough, the founding site of the city of Nashville, located on a bluff overlooking the Cumberland River. Federal cavalry under Brig. This movement failed, due to lack of support from Nashville's civic leaders, who as Southerners were not particularly interested in commemorating a battle that was such a profound Confederate defeat. Hood and his damaged army retreated to Mississippi, the Army of Tennessee no longer a viable offensive fighting force. [82] Forrest took charge of the rearguard, attaching an ad hoc infantry division under Brig. 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. Gen. Edward C. Walthall to his Cavalry Corps. Battle of Franklin Tennessee Civil War Franklin Battle Map With the exception of two brigades, this corps had seen no action on the previous day, and indeed had seen very little action at the bloodletting at Franklin two weeks before. A part of Lee's Corps maintained good order and covered the retreat on Franklin Pike. The Battle of Nashville | American Battlefield Trust 1. USCT troops struck a blow for the Union and their race at the Battle of Nashville. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 57,000 acres in 25 states! Schofield estimated 1,750 killed, 3,800 wounded, 702 missing/captured. Gen. James R. Chalmers was off to the southwest of the city. The trench line was extended to the west after December 1. Gen. John B. The action was inconclusive, although the Neosho sustained considerable superficial damage. November 24, 1864 The Battle of Columbia. His cavalry corps, commanded by the energetic young Brig. Help beat the odds and save more of Americas history by Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. [34] Furthermore, Thomas was not fooled by this diversion, and remained in his fortifications until he was ready to attack on his own terms. In the meantime, much of the Confederate cavalry had been dispatched to engage Union forces at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Sherman had wanted to take Thomas with him but sent him to Nashville at the insistence of the War Department. The Battle of Nashville Preservation Society has an historic easement on the remnants of this fortification, consisting of the remnants of its northern face. Grant later said of the situation, "If I had been Hood, I would have gone to Louisville and on north until I came to Chicago." Thomas reported capturing 4,561 prisoners in the battle itself, with an unknown number captured during the retreat. Thomas directed Smith to comply with this request. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. 9 Questions About the American Civil War Answered. March 22, 2011 Howard Pyle and Painting the Revolution By Patrick Browne "The Battle of Bunker Hill," by Howard Pyle, 1897 This week will mark the last session of two courses I've been teaching on the American Revolution for the past several months. [26], The Confederate line of about four miles of fortifications faced the southerly facing portion of the Union line (the part occupied by Steedman and Schofield). Rearguard actions by reinforcements from Lee's Corps kept the retreat from becoming a rout. Union Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas commanded the Federal troops stationed there. A soldier in the 18th Alabama fumed, To our disgust, they were all Negroes. Five color bearers of the 13th USCT carrying a flag emblazed with its origin: Presented by the Colored Ladies of Murfreesboro were shot down before their banner was captured. Hood relinquished his command in shame. [18][note 5]. The home and the surrounding 65 acres (26ha) were donated by the Thompson family to the. After that engagement, army commander John Bell Hood faced limited options. Each of these redoubts had been designed to hold from two to four guns supported by infantry. Meanwhile, Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, commanding the Trans-Mississippi Department, declined to send any hoped-for reinforcements to Middle Tennessee. Control of rivers, railroads, farms, factories, and population centers gave the U.S. Army and Navy the avenues to project power into the heart of the Confederacy. On that day alone, McArthurs men claimed several flags and artillery pieces, plus some 1,600 prisoners. However, when the ever-confident Sherman disappeared into the heart of Georgia, Grant once again became concerned about an invasion of Kentucky or Ohio. Gen. Thomas Woods corps in support. Battle of Nashville - HISTORY The battle of Nashville, fought December 15-16, 1864, continued the destruction of the Confederate Army of Tennessee that had begun when it suffered devastating casualties at Franklin. Stewart's Corps, decimated by heavy casualties at Franklin and in the December 15 actions, occupied the Confederate center. The Battle of Atlanta was the forerunner of the Battle of Nashville. Abraham Lincoln and General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant sent letter after letter urging Thomas to crush the Army of Tennessee with haste. The Confederate line was supposed to lie on Montgomery Hill on the north side of Brown's Creek. By the eve of the Battle of Nashville, the Confederate manpower barrel had run dry. Redoubt No. While the Confederates had originally established their line there, they had withdrawn to equally strong positions on the south side of Brown's Creek, as the original positions were exposed to artillery fire from the Nashville forts. The attack on Peach Orchard Hill had the desired effect. On the left, Steedmans troops assaulted the nearest Confederates on Monday morning, 5 December. Facing a larger Union force (42,000 Union soldiers to 35,000 Confederates), Bragg launched an attack in. Harpeth River The Union troops overran the Confederate trenches and drove the rebels back more than a mile. This page was last edited on 29 June 2023, at 02:44. But on the morning of December 15, not all were finished due to lack of time, shallow bedrock and the still-frozen ground. Union forces advanced on both hills. Battle of Nashville - Civil War - ThoughtCo When Thomas informed them that he was hampered by terrible winter weather, Grant was not convinced. Mike Talplacido Dr. B. Franklin Cooling Major General George H. Thomas Library of Congress Was the battle of Nashville, December 15 and 16, 1864, the decisive battle of the Civil War? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. A commercial, industrial and social centerpiece of the region, its loss took with it all of the upper South, especially resource-rich Middle Tennessee, with the rest of the state following by the end of 1863. First Battle of Franklin Map 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 apart at Pulaski, Tennessee, and Nashville. Updated: August 21, 2018 | Original: November 9, 2009. Hood attempted to retake Nashville, Tennessee, from an occupying Federal army, despite having a significant numerical disadvantage. The Last Stand of the Confederates at the Battle of Nashville Their depleted artillery feebly held the line, short 19 guns lost to the Federals that day. This time the diversion was more successful. Thomas delayed the attack for nearly two weeks, citing freezing temperatures, full-blown ice storms, and limited cavalry support, but his superiors were unimpressed. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Over the next two years, Rebels failed to regain lost ground. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Played an important role in repelling the Union attack on the Confederate right on the first day of the battle. Soon, Union troopers from the 2nd Iowa Cavalry gained the position, forcing the defenders to leave their four guns behind. With the coming darkness, fighting died off, and the rest of Hoods army now fell back to this second line, which actually constituted a stronger defense than the mornings position. Yet, this force performed its job and struck the Confederate right, although the action failed to draw Hoods attention for long. Battle Of Nashville 1864 | Encyclopedia.com However, he would not be deterred. What is. Despite the severe beating it had suffered at Franklin, Hood's Army of Tennessee presented a threat by its mere presence and ability to maneuver. The Confederates retreated to the south by the Franklin Pike and a gap in the Overton Hills through the Otter Creek bottom. American Civil War - American Civil War - Secession, Battles, Armies: Although the Union had many things working in its favor going into the war, the Confederacy was not predestined to defeat, as the Southern cause had its own advantages. Seizing the moment, Federal troopers executed a classic envelopment and rampaged well to the south behind Confederate lines. The troops were pieced together from undersized units of the Army of Georgia, Army of the Tennessee, United States Colored Troops, and other seemingly homeless units. Battle of Stones River [79], At this point, the pursuit slowed because Thomas had sent his pontoon bridge train towards Murfreesboro rather than Franklin and Columbia, and his artillery and supply trains could not cross the Harpeth River until the pontoon train arrived. Two brigades from Beatty's division of Wood's IV Corps and two brigades from Steedman's Provisional Division made the attack at about 3 p.m. Alabama soldier Edgar Jones wrote that while he enjoyed the warmth of his new home it gave him "a sort of graveyard feeling" since the shelters were remarkably similar to graves. They stopped to reorganize, and at about the same time that Smith's Detachment was rolling up the Confederate redoubts, they advanced on the main Confederate line. By the afternoon, the men in blue were making inroads on Peach Orchard Hill, particularly a brigade that included the 12th, 13th and 100th USCT, which gamely moved up the slope into the Rebel guns. [5][note 2], Hood followed up his defeat in the Atlanta Campaign by moving northwest to disrupt the supply lines of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman from Chattanooga, hoping to challenge Sherman into a battle that could be fought to Hood's advantage. On the Confederate left, Thomas swung the bulk of his forces out of the defensive of Nashville in a grand-wheeling offensive. As Hoods weary and depleted army marched the more than 15 long miles from Franklin to the Tennessee capital, their misery was only beginning. At Nashville, a large force of Yankees faced a rebel force estimated at around half its size, and historians have questioned why Hood even approached the strongly fortified city with the odds so stacked against him. Battle of Nashville Facts, APUSH, Civil War, 1864 Hood ordered a mass retreat south to Franklin. Battle of Shiloh - Wikipedia Battle of Shiloh Coordinates: 350819N 882032W The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6-7, 1862. This list shows the main battles and events that took place before and after the Battle of Nashville, and how it fits into the chronological order of the Frankin-Nashville Campaign. Lee's rearguard held off the attacks. Gen. John McArthur was a fiery Scotsman and a solid combat commander. [73], The three brigade attack began on McArthur's timetable. When Schofield moved north to Nashville to join General George Thomas, Hood followed him and dug his army in outside of Nashvilles formidable defenses. In November, Sherman took the remainder of his army on his march across Georgia. The effort weakened other parts of his line, but the risk had to be made. [64], The Confederates' new line was much stronger and more compact than the first day's line. Owned by the Joseph E. Johnston Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans. Gen. Benjamin Grierson dismantled the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, shutting off supplies. [72] The thin Confederate line on Shy's Hill and the surrounding heights got thinner. In response, Cheatham stretched his corps further and further to the south. When the brigades passed Granbury's Lunette, they were struck by very heavy close range enfilading fire. [80] This did not stop Wilson's cavalry from aggressively pursuing the Confederates as they retreated to Columbia. 7 Critical Civil War Battles These battles were among the most pivotal in America's bloodiest conflict. [73], Sunset was rapidly approaching, and if no attack was made before then Hood would be in a position to either strengthen his position overnight or safely retreat south. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Hood and his staff officers tried to rally their men along a new line about a mile to the south along the Granny White Pike. Thomas saw his chance to deal a decisive blow to Hood. [11], Furious at his failure at Spring Hill, Hood pursued Schofield to the north and encountered the Union at Franklin behind strong fortifications. In reserve and holding the city were thousands of men who worked in the quartermaster warehouses. [81], On December 19 the Confederate infantry and artillery crossed the Duck River at Columbia, destroying the bridges behind them. After waiting to join forces with Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry, Hood left Alabama on November 21, 1864. Two corps under Maj. Gens. Granbury's lunette was well masked by trees and brush. [98] It was dedicated by members of the Minnesota Civil War Commemoration Task Force and the Battle of Nashville Preservation Society on November 16, 2014. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. In due time a renewed assault on Overtons Hill caused a complete rout of the Confederates. Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! After shelling the redoubt for a time, the Federal troopers charged, supported by Brig. The Battle of Nashville (15-16 December 1864) was a dramatic winter conflict in which Gen. George H. Thomas, with a hastily organized army of heterogeneous troops, moved out of Nashville and fell upon the Confederate forces of Gen. John B. The Decisive Battle of Nashville | American Battlefield Trust of the Cumberland), Western Theater of the American Civil War, Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation, List of National Historic Landmarks in Tennessee, National Register of Historic Places listings in Tennessee, Troop engagements of the American Civil War, 1864, List of costliest American Civil War land battles, "Story of an African-American Civil War regiment", "Report of Surgeon A. J. Foard, Medical Director, Army of Tennessee", "Civil War Battlefield Preservation in Tennessee: A Nashville National Military Park Case Study", "Killing at Franklin: Anatomy of Slaughter", "The Decisive Battle of Nashville: December 15-16, 1864", "Battle of Nashville: Enemies Front and Rear", "Civil War anniversary: An unlikely hero: Col. Lewis Johnson of the 44th USCT", "Minnesota Civil War 150: Battle of Nashville", "New Civil War monument honors Minnesotans who fought at Nashville", Battle of Nashville In-Depth Academic description, Animated History of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign, Battle of Nashville Tour of Historic Homes, General Thomas, the "sledge of Nashville", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Nashville&oldid=1162425739.
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