basics for the Battle of Franklin

www.battleoffranklin.net

Compiled by kraig mcnutt Bloghistorian battleoffranklin@Yahoo.com

Basics to know about the Battle of Franklin Page 1

So what is the Battle of Franklin, and why should you care?

The McGavock Confederate Cemetery is a real place one can visit in Franklin, TN, just a few minutes south of Nashville. It is the largest privately owned military cemetery in the United States. There are nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers resting at McGavock. Almost 150 years ago some 60,000 American Civil War soldiersNorth and Southmet close to downtown Franklin on a beautiful Indian summer evening, November 30, 1864. The carnage resulting from this late autumn clash would have a devastating impact on Franklin and the Confederacy. By late 1864, the South was in desperate need of a victory to maintain their way of life and their cause. It seemed that a Confederate victory in Nashville would revive the hopes of the Southern Confederate States, and maybe even turn the tide of a nearly four year old war. A war that had already costs hundreds of thousands of lives for both sides. Many thought that the Confederate Army of Tennessee, coming home to their native State, just might infuse the Southern cause with new energy and purpose. So when Confederate John Bell Hoods troops clashed with Union General John M. Schofields forces around the Fountain Branch Carter farm some 10,000 men became casualties of the blood-bath. The battle was fought from four to nine that day resulting in nearly 2,000 killed outright. The amazing thing is that the battle was completely unexpected because the Federal army was held up at Franklin, due to bridges being out, that delayed them from actually getting to Nashville. Most of the battle was fought after dark, and also with rare hand-to-hand combat. Historians say it was the bloodiest five hours of the American Civil War. The entire town of Franklin only had some 2,000 residents at that time. Imagine a town having to deal with battle casualties ten times its own size. The after-battle scene, caring and tending to the wounded and dying, dragged this sleepy little middle Tennessee town into a story of unimaginable horror. Every available home and business was used as a field-hospital to tend to the thousands of casualties. The most famous Franklin field-hospital was the John and Carrie McGavock residence Carnton. Carrie McGavock became famously known as the Good Samaritan of Williamson County as a result of caring for the hundreds of wounded and dying in her own home. She would later be immortalized in Robert Hickss novel as the Widow of the South. The scars would heal and the screams would subside but the memories would never fade nor the bloodstains be completely washed away from the floors of many Franklin homes. The ripple-effects of this battle can still be felt almost 150 years today. The recent story of how the preservation community in Franklin successfully reclaimed over 100 acres of original Franklin battlefield landformerly a country club is evidence that the Battle of Franklin has become the Battle FOR Franklin. The plan is to use this newly reclaimed land as the main base for the future official National Franklin Battlefield Park. This newly reclaimed land is the largest, most successful battlefield reclamation project in the history of Civil War preservation in the United States.

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What is the McGavock Confederate Cemetery and why is it important?

At least 2,000 men were killed at Franklin, in just five hours. The South suffered 60-70 percent of the casualties. About 1,750 of the killed were on the Confederate side. Around 200 Union soldiers died. The percentage of men killed at Franklin-compared to the number of total men engaged ranks as one of the highest kill-rates of any Civil War battle, far bloodier than even Gettysburg. But for now appreciate this fact. The terrified residents of Franklin woke up the next morning for those that could sleep to a ghastly sight near their beloved town. Thousands of Confederate soldiers were lying on the cold ground. Many had died in the night from bleeding to death or from the sub-zero temperatures. Making it even worse was the fact that a couple hundred of these men claimed Tennessee as their native soil. Soil that would soon serve as a blanket for eternity for these brave soldiers, some just boys. Farmers like James McNutt and Fountain Branch Carter must have been impacted for years afterwards. Their farms served as temporary cemeteries for the soldiers immediately after the battle. The Union army, whose objective was always to make it to Nashville and not fight at Franklin, evacuated during the late night of November 30th, leaving scores of their wounded and dying on the ground as well. Before they left they hastily buried as many of their own dead as they could. By the afternoon of December 1st, 1864, hundreds of wounded Confederates had already been evacuated to local field-hospitals like Carnton, and in other homes of Franklin citizens. Local churches like St. Pauls Episcopal, pictured right, were also used to care for the wounded and dying. Since John Bell Hood did not have much time, and he wanted to pursue Schofields army north, he detached some burial teams to take care of burying the hundreds of fallen Confederates at Franklin. The burial teams had much work to do and it had to be done quickly. All of the Confederate dead were identified as best they could be, by name, state, rank, and regiment. They were then placed in long rows, usually by twos, in shallow two to three foot deep graves along the main line of entrenchments. The soldiers were given wooden markers to notate their identities. A Union soldier passing by two weeks later remarked that he counted over 1,700 Confederate graves. About a year later the condition of the graves were already in poor condition. The wooden markers, now enduring their second winter, were being used for firewood and hogs and wild animals were disturbing the graves. As one might imagine, this situation was unacceptable as a permanent solution to the final resting place for the Confederate dead. So, Col. John McGavock, and his wife Carrie, graciously donated about two acres of their farm land at Carnton to be used as a permanent cemetery for the fallen Confederates at Franklin. The challenge now would be getting the hastily buried soldiers on the battlefield moved from where they were originally interred to the new cemetery at Carnton. In an ironic twist of fate, Carnton comes from the Gaelic word Cairn. It means a pile of memorial stones used to honor fallen heroes. Bids were solicited for the reburial work and a man by the name of George Cuppett, a veteran Confederate soldier with the 8th Texas Cavalry, was awarded the job to rebury the soldierdead at a price of $5.00 per man. He had a small team helping him, including his brother Marcellus. The burial team worked for about ten weeks, from April until June 1866, reburying the dead. They took great care to keep as many of the men identified as possible.

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George Cuppett started a book of the dead in which the names and information on each soldier were carefully recorded. The book would be handed over to Carrie McGavock who kept it for over 40 years. Many family members of the soldiers buried at McGavock would correspond with Carrie through the following decades to gain information about their loved ones. For many years after the battle, people would travel from various southern States to Franklin in order to visit their loved-ones grave and to personally meet Carrie McGavock. Some would return year after year. One of the sadder stories related to this reburial process is that George Cuppetts younger brother, Marcellus, who was helping with the reburials, mysteriously died during the reburial project. The McGavocks allowed him to be buried in the same cemetery. He was buried with the Texas soldiers. Marcellus Cuppett is the only civilian buried in McGavock Confederate Cemetery. The cemetery has remained in private hands since 1866. An annual memorial service is held the first Sunday in June to honor the brave Southern soldiers. A local Boy Scout troop places flags next to each marker to honor their sacrifice.

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The Battle of Franklin was fought mostly at night

The sun goes down early in late November in Williamson County, Tennessee. The Battle of Franklin (Nov 30, 1864) was fought mostly from 4:00 to 9:00 pm. It was a beautiful Indian Summer day around 50 degrees that day but the sun started setting around 4:30 in the late afternoon. By 5:30 it was dark. The most intense fighting on the Union line and breastworks would have taken place in the evening, from 6 til 9pm. There was close hand-to-hand fighting at Franklin, especially around the Fountain Branch Carter home and his cotton gin. One can only imagine the incredible scene of desperate carnage that could be seen only as musket fire flared, temporarily giving a brief flash of fire. Frank Leslies Illustrated has a picture of night fighting during a night attack on the Federal forces under Major Bowen, Occupying Salem, Mo., by the Confederate forces under Colonel Freeman, December 11th, 1861.

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Must-Know Facts about the Carter Cotton Gin

Many people are familiar with the name of the famous Carter Cotton Gin that stood within 150 yards south-east of the Carter family house in 1864. I thought it would be a good idea to ask David Fraley to give us a little more detail about the Cotton Gin. What size was it? It measured roughly 36 by 36 and was 2.5 stories high but were not sure who built it. Was it completely destroyed during the Battle of Franklin (30 November 1864)? It was not completely destroyed during the battle. Some weather boarding was removed, as were other portions of it, but largely, it remained intact. Obviously, the bullet damage was substantial, but apparently there was no major structural damage. Was a new version built after the war? Lint sheds were built on to either flank of the structure, but otherwise, I believe it remained largely the same. Are there any extant pieces that still remain from the original Cotton Gin? Yes. A few poplar beams remain, and they can be seen in the Carter House visitors center. How important was the action that centered around the Cotton Gin during the Battle of Franklin? It was vital. Had that portion of the Federal line not held, I believe it would have been a dramatically different battle. The 104th O.V.I., and the units supporting it, deserve alot of credit for holding against the likes of General Cleburnes division.

Source: David Fraley, Director of the Carter House, Franklin, TN

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The Carter Cotton Gin

Plantation negroes working at the site of a cotton gin during the civil war.

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Marker near present-day site of Cotton Gin Assault

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Actions in middle Tennessee in November 1864?

What important engagements and actions did the middle Tennessee region see during the Civil War in November 1864? The Official Records list the following actions by the day of the month for November 1864. Each action has an entry in the Official Records detailing what happened.

1-30 Tennessee/transfer of the First and Third Divisions, Sixteenth Army Corps, from Missouri to 1 Union Station/skirmishes 2-3 Davidsons Ferry, Tennessee River/attack on gunboats 4-17 Breckinridges/advance 4-5 Johnsonville/action 4 Tawah, U.S.S., U.S.S. Key West, and U.S.S. Elfin/destruction 5-6 Big Pigeon River/skirmishes 9-13 Moscow/expedition to 10 Memphis/scout near 11-13 Bulls Gap/action 11 Russellville/skirmish 14-Jan. 23, 1865 Tennessee, Middle/campaign in 14 Russellville/action near 15 Collierville/skirmish near 16-17 Strawberry Plains/skirmishes 17 FlatCreek/skirmish 22 Lawrenceburg/action 23 Fouche Springs/skirmish 23 Henryville/skirmish 23 Mount Pleasant/action 24-27 Columbia/skirmishes in front 24 Campbellsville/action 24 Lynnville/skirmish 28 Duck River/skirmishes at crossings 28 Shelbyville/skirmish 29 Columbia Ford/action 29 Mount Carmel/skirmish 29 Rally Hill/skirmish near 29 Spring Hill/engagement 29 Thompsons Station/affair 30 Thompsons Station/skirmish 30 Franklin/battle

Source: A Guide-Index to the Official Records Of The Union And Confederate Armies, 18611865. Volume IV, Main Western Theater Ops. except Gulf Approach (1861-63). Section N Checklist by State/DateTENNESSEE.

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What was the size of John Bell Hoods Confederate Army of Tennessee when it arrived in middle Tennessee in late 1864?
According to historian Eric Jacobson, the Army of Tennessee had 28,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry when it arrived in middle Tennessee in late 1864. Hood took over the Army of Tennessee in July from Johnston. There were8,000 Federals garrisoned at Nashville at the time. Hood would lose at least 7,500 at Franklin (30 Nov 1864) and another 6,600 at Nashville, two weeks later. When the Army of Tennessee retreated back to Pulaski in mid December 1864, the army was reduced to but a shadow of its former self. Confederate General, John Bell Hood (right) Hood was the fifth commander of the Army of Tennessee. He commanded the army from July 17, 1864, until January 15, 1865. Many historians say his recklessness destroyed the Army of Tennessee. In just six months (July 1864 December 1864) Hood lost at least 30,000 men* at a time when the Confederate army, and especially the Army of Tennessee, was in desperate need of men. *Casualty estimates are based on the conservative figures as reported by the National Park Service. Here are the major engagements Hood was involved in from the time he became commander of the Army of Tennessee. July 20 Peachtree Creek 4,796 July 22 Atlanta 8,499 July 28 Ezra Church 3,000 Aug 31 Sept 1 Jonesborough 2,000 Nov 30 Franklin 6,261 Dec 15 Nashville 4,462

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Contemporary accounts of Hood at Franklin and Nashville

Sergeant Major Sumner A. Cunningham wrote of the demeanor of Hoods troops in Confederate Veteran magazine in April, 1893, the march to Spring Hill, where the Federal retreat was so nearly cut off, a failure for which it was understood General Hood was not to blame, created an enthusiasm for him equal to that entertained for Stonewall Jackson after his extraordinary achievements. The soldiers were full of ardor, and confident of success. They had unbounded faith in General Hood, whom they believed would achieve a victory that would give us Nashville. The next (Nov 30) morning, as we marched in quick time toward Franklin, we were confirmed in our impressions of federal alarm. I counted on the way thirty-four wagons that had been abandoned on the smooth turnpike. In some instances whole teams of mules had been killed to prevent their capture. Arriving at Winstead Hill, two miles south of Franklin, at about 2:00 P.M., Hood observed the situation. Sergeant Major S. A. Cunningham, standing near to Hood on the hill as Hood contemplated the attack, recalled, The enemy were greatly excited. We could see them running to and fro. Wagon trains were being pressed across the Harpeth River, and on toward Nashvillebut I was absorbed in the one man whose mind was deciding the fate of thousands. With an arm and a leg in the grave, and with the consciousness that he had not until within a couple of days won the confidence which his army had in his predecessor, he had now a very trying ordeal to pass through. Battle of Franklin veteran L.A. Simmons wrote in his 1866 work, The History of the 84th Regiment Illinois Volunteers, In speaking of this battle, very many are inclined to wonder at the terrible pertinacity of the rebel General Hood, in dashing column after column with such tremendous force and energy upon our center involving their decimation, almost their annihilation? Yet this we have considered a most brilliant design, and the brightest record of his generalship, that will be preserved in history. He was playing a stupendous game, for enormous stakes. Could he have succeeded in breaking the center, our whole army was at his mercy. In our rear was a deep and rapid river, swollen by recent rains only fordable by infantry at one or two places and to retreat across it an utter impossibility. To break the center was to defeat our army; and defeat inevitably involved a surrender. If this army surrendered to him, Nashville, with all its fortifications, all its vast accumulation of army stores, was at his mercy, and could be taken in a day. Hence, with heavy odds a vastly superior force in his hands, he made the impetuous attack upon our center, and lost in the momentous game. His army well understood that they were fighting for the possession of Nashville. Ours knew they were fighting to preserve that valuable city, and to avoid annihilation. Hood pondered the critical dilemma that Nashville lay unprotected, and with only three hours of daylight remaining, decided to order an immediate frontal assault. As Cunningham later wrote,

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While making ready for the charge, General Hood rode up to our lines, having left his escort and staff in the rear. He remained at the front in plain view of the enemy for, perhaps, half an hour making a most careful survey of their lines. It was all-important to act, if at all, at once. He (Hood) rode to Stephen D. Lee, the nearest of his subordinate generals, and, shaking hands with him cordially, announced his decision to make an immediate charge.

Burial of the soldiers right after the Battle of Franklin?

Most of the Confederate (and Union dead) were buried near and along the length of the Federal breastworks, which spanned the Southern edge of what was then Franklin, according to Jacobson; The McGavock Confederate Cemetery, p. 21. Union dead were placed by twos in shallow grave 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 or buried at the Stones River National Cemetery in Murfreesboro, TN. The Union soldiers interred at Stones River were placed there by the 11th United States Color Troops, according to Jacobson: McGavock, p. 22. However, the identities of the Confederate dead at Franklin, some 1,750, were mostly identified by burial teams the next day (December 1st). They were not buried in mass graves. Rather, soldier burial teams took great care to collect and identify their fallen comrades placing makeshift wooden markers at the head of the graves, identifying the men by name, rank, Regiment and the Company they served in. Most of the Confederate dead found initial rest on the property of Fountain Branch Carter and James McNutt. Carter had the largest section of land with killed. He also lost his own son, Todd Carter, in the Battle of Franklin. The Carter-McNutt land would be but a temporary rest until the bodies were transferred to their permanent home some eighteen months later, in June 1866. Source: excerpted from the Wikipedia article (authored by Tellinghistory, the owner of this blog site)

This image is a stereoview of citizens burying their dead after the battle of Fredericksburg

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The View of Fort Granger looking south?

The Federal army, under Schofield, had the huge advantage of Ft. Granger, which sat just south of the Harpeth River, and east of Columbia Pike. The picture below (click on to enlarge) shows the view from Granger. From the yellow pin designating Ft. Granger one can see Carnton at 12 oclock (about a mile away), the Carter House at 2 oclock (about a half mile away), and Winstead Hill at 1 oclock (about 2 1/2 miles away. Granger had several large guns in position during the Battle of Franklin. Lorings and Wathalls Divisions came from the southwest, crossing Carnton plantation. These Granger guns decimated these divisions from nearly a mile away.

The next map (click to enlarge) shows the Confederate Army of Tennessee as it approached the Federal lines at Franklin. Notice how the Federal position leveraged several geographic features. (1) Using the Harpeth River and the Nashville-Decatur Railroad as a natural barrier for their far left flank. (2) Position of Ft. Granger to protect that left flank. (3) The osage orange abatis also protected the far left flank, making it nearly impossible to penetrate.

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Heres a schematic of the design and layout of Fort Granger.

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Prominent homes in Franklin and Williamson County in 1864?

How many homes or structures exist in Franklin today that were here in 1864? I count 28 or 29 in downtown Franklin and add two more if you include the Truett House and Jasmine Grove. then you could add Wyatt hall and Creekside inside the Mack Hatcher. Your favorite antebellum home in Franklin or Williamson County: no longer standing? Still standing? Everbright , Westview and the McNutt House are no longer standing. Clouston Hall and Carter House in Franklin. Sources: Rick Warwick, Williamson County Historical Society

Click to see larger map

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What was the size of Franklin during the Civil War?

Franklin had a population of 2,000 in 1860, while Williamson Countys was 23,467, with 11,315 white and 12,152 slaves. Williamson County was also one of the few counties in Tennessee that had a majority of slaves. There were a couple more in West Tennessee. Franklin was smaller than Columbia or Murfreesboro in 1860. The population of Rutherford County in 1860 was 27,918. There were 14, 934 whites, 12, 984 slaves, and 190 freed blacks. Sources: Rick Warwick, Williamson County Historical Society; Fisher Library at the University of Virginia

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From mystery to history: the story of Gen. Patrick R. Cleburnes once-lost pistol
By Kraig W. McNutt
Unless youre a real Civil War buff, meaning, youre fairly knowledgeable about Civil War-era small arms, youre not likely to have much interest in the news that Confederate General Patrick R. Cleburne .36 caliber Colt revolver is coming to Franklin, Tennessee. The revolver will be displayed with his Kepi, or hat, that he was wearing on the evening he was killed in the Battle of Franklin on 30 November 1864. But you dont have to be a Civil War afficionado to appreciate a great story, and the story of how Cleburnes pistol is making its way back to Franklin, after more than 143 years, is quite amazing. The story behind how the Cleburne pistol ended up in the worthy possession of the Layland Museum in Cleburne, Texas, has all the intrigue of a mystery-novel and the hoopla, at times, of a story right out of Ripleys Believe-It-Or-Not.

Photo courtesy of the Layland Museum, Cleburne, Texas The last time the Kepi and pistol were together: early December 1864 The story starts 30 November 1864, when CSA General Patrick R. Cleburne, himself an Irishborn immigrant, was killed by a single-shot to the chest. Gen. Cleburne was carrying a .36 caliber Colt revolver during the Confederate assault upon the Yankee breastworks near the Carter farm in Franklin, Tennessee.

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The next morning, Cleburnes body was removed to the local field hospital, the McGavock residence, also known as Carnton. What is clear is what was missing on his person when his body arrived that morning: his boots, diary and sword belt. Later in the day, Cleburnes aide, Lt. Leonard Mangum, found the sword belt with another soldier. What is unclear is just what immediately happened to the pistol. There is no record of it being stated as missing, but then there is also no record stating positively what had happened to it. Carnton historian Eric Jacobson believes that the McGavocks never had the pistol. The pistol finally shows up in Texas much later. How it got there may likely always be a mystery.

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The bodies of four Confederate Generals were placed on the back porch at Carnton on Thursday morning, December 1st, 1864. Besides Patrick Cleburne, it is believed that Generals Strahl, Granbury and Adamss bodies were placed on the porch, beneath the windows on the right. What happened with the pistol between 1864 and 1900 is a real mystery. The next 30 years roughly 1870s to 1900 were murky history at best. Were really not sure what exactly happened with the pistol during that period of time. The story can be fairly confidently picked up in the mid 1890s, though with some reliance upon the veracity of oral tradition. It seems that a Texas man, perhaps a veteran Confederate soldier or descendant, had found himself as owner of the precious. However, in the mid 1890s he found himself down on his luck and decided to sell the pistol to improve his lot. So the pistol transferred into the hands about this time to a man named Seakrats. Seakrats, circa 1900, apparently recognized the inscription on the weapon enough to decide that a local Confederate Veterans Camp Pat Cleburne Camp #88 might be the right home for the revolver. So Seakrats turned the precious relic over to the Pat Cleburne Camp #88 around the turn of the twentieth century. Does the story end there? Not even close. What happened to the pistol from 1900 to roughly 1913? The Captain of Camp #88 was O.T. Plummer. In an effort to verify the pistol as having originally been owned by Cleburne, he had the Camp Adjutant, Matthew Kahle, take the gun to Helena, Arkansas. Cleburne lived in Helena prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Post-war veterans and colleagues of Cleburne still lived there and were able to attest to its authenticity. The Helena group verified it as unequivocally having belonged to Patrick Cleburne. However they thought the best home for it would be Helena. But, not feeling he was authorized to give it to them, Kahle returned to Cleburne, Texas named after the General with said-treasure in stow.

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So, from 1900 1913, the much-coveted relic was in the possession of a man named James Voluntine Hampton in Cleburne, Texas. The story continues and the twists and turns got even wilder. What happened between 1913 and 1944? Possibly stolen. Mr. Hampton walked into the new Cleburne county courthouse in 1913 and revealed he had the pistol. Apparently, he handed over the revolver where it promptly was placed into a deskdrawer where it was kept for years; how many were not sure. There is some belief that the pistol may have even been stolen during the Great Depression era and was possibly missing for at least a decade, leading up to 1944. The next chapter is incredible. A couple boys found the gun on the banks of the Nolan River in 1944. They sold it to a scrap dealer for the princely sum of $5 dollars. By now, it was in fairly poor condition. The dealer noticed an inscription, and after confirming with the town Sheriff that it appeared to be Cleburnes name on it, they contacted the President of the local United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) chapter, who just happened to be the daughter of . . . . O.T. Plummer. She agreed it was authentic and bought it for $5 bucks. Thus the proud owner of the precious in 1944 is now the UDC. End of story? Nope. Mystery again between 1955 to 1970. From 1944 until 1955, its not altogether clear where exactly the gun was stored. But in 1955, it resurfaced again when a gun-restorer offered to restore it, which he did. He apparently was not the best restorer of small-arms weapons at least not this one. The attempt to restore it saw the degradation of some of the engravings on the barrel, frame and cylinder. However, the inscription of P. R. Cleburne on the backstrap largely avoided any damage and remained intact and clearly legible. In 1960, the gun was moved to the National Guard Armory a former WWII United States Government-leased property for utilization as a German prisoner of war camp. After the armory was closed in the late 1960s, the pistol wound up in Austin, Texas. Around 1970, it was put on display in the State Capitol in their Civil War room. What happened to the pistol from 1971 to 1978? Still looking for a permanent resting place, the revolver was returned back to Cleburne, Texas, in 1971, where it was superintended by the Chamber of Commerce . . . . who ended up giving it back to the UDC. The UDC allowed the pistol to become part of the Layland Museum in Cleburne, Texas, in 1978, where it has been ever since. Where is the pistol now? And finally . . . in March, 2007, the UDC chapter that owned it, donated it to the Layland Museum. End of story? Sort of . . . The story will turn full circle on June 20th, 2008, at Carnton Plantation in Franklin, Tennessee, when for the first time since December 1st, 1864, the original Cleburne pistol is reunited with the original Cleburne Kepi, or hat, that the General Stonewall of the West wore into battle the fateful Indian summer evening on Wednesday, 30 November 1864. As Cleburne strode into battle that evening, a fellow General had commented to the Irish commander that the prospect of the forthcoming assault of John Bell Hoods Army of Tennessee did not look promising at all, to which Patrick Cleburne replied, Well Govan, if we are going to die, let us die like men.

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General Cleburne, sir. To you, we tip your hat this day, as we celebrate the reunion of your Kepi and pistol, on the very ground you shed your blood upon, for a cause you deemed worthy, paying the last full measure of devotion. Rest in peace, General. Your Humble, Obedient Servants . . . . The Franklin, Tennessee, community

Note: The above article was written by Kraig McNutt, Director of The Center for the Study of the American Civil War, and fellow member of The Franklin Civil War Roundtable. Assistance with research was provided by Carnton historian Eric A. Jacobson; Carnton Curator Manager, Joanna Stephens; and Curator of The Layland Museum, Ben Hammons.

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Maps of the battle of franklin

Far left Union flank

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Troop placement with modern streets

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Fieldworks at franklin Schofield map

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Merrill map

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Stewarts corps

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Fieldworks map

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Fort granger

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Modern day satellite map

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West Harpeth map

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Approach of confederate army

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Key sites in Franklin area

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Kraig w. mcnutt

Kraig McNutt is the Director of The Center for the Study of the American Civil War (CSACW), which houses his extensive personal Civil War collection. The CSACW was founded in 1995. McNutt has been a serious student of the American Civil War since the early 1980s and has been publishing Civil War related content on the Web since 1995. He publishes two major Civil War blogs; combined they respectively receive tens of thousands of views a month. The Civil War Gazette is a blog of a more general nature, though it tends to focus on the socalled Western Theater of the Civil War. He also maintains and produces the most comprehensive and most visited blog on the Battle of Franklin (www.BattleofFranklin.net). Both of these web sites result in many inquiries each month from his blog readers who are looking for more information on Civil War ancestors, relatives, and research questions on the Civil War. McNutt is related to several Union (Kentucky) Civil War veterans. His children (and wife) are direct descendants of a Union veteran of Franklin. His wife is also related to more than 50 Civil War veterans from both sides, including five Confederate Generals. McNutt is known for his creative use of new media technology. He launched the first Civil War Internet-podcast called Grapevine Dispatches (currently not active). Two of the more technologically creative applications he has created are (1) The Civil War Gazette search engine, and (2) The Battle of Franklin interactive Google map. McNutt is active in historic preservation in his community (Williamson County, TN) and is proud to be a member of the Civil War Preservation Trust. He has lived in Franklin, Tennessee with his family since 2000.

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He has degrees from Indiana University, the University of Kentucky, and Grace Theological Seminary. Mr. McNutt is available for speaking at schools, Civil War round-tables, charitable events, conferences, programs, symposiums, etc. To contact him email him at tellinghistory[at]yahoo.com Recommendations on behalf of Mr. McNutt Long forgotten and seldom understood, the breathtaking events which swirled around Franklin, Tennessee in late 1864 are regaining their appropriate place in history. Many claim to be interested in telling and preserving this vital American story, but few do it with the passion of Kraig McNutt. His knowledge and integrity may only be exceeded by his energy, all of which make a respected member of the Civil War community in Middle Tennessee. My earnest hope is that his contributions last for many years to come. Eric Jacobson, author and historian Kraig McNutt, a lifelong student of the Civil War, has quickly become one of the pre-eminent Civil War bloggers on the web. His various offerings, many focused on the Civil War in Tennessee, are filled with great stories, historical insights, and modern-day Civil War developments. In a world of ever expanding content offerings, Kraigs blogs remain as a must read for anyone interested in the American Civil War. Rob Shenk, Civil War Preservation Trust, Director of Internet Strategy and Development Kraig McNutt is a dedicated student of the American Civil War who shares his knowledge of the Civil War and his passion for keeping alive the memory of those who served in this horrific conflict through his interesting websites as well as in his engaging presentations. He is also an active historic preservationist who lends his expertise to a number of Battle of Franklin preservation groups. This area is fortunate to have Kraig McNutt as a member of its community of Civil War scholars. Sam C. Gant, Ph.D. Professor of History, emeritus, Nashville State Community College Kraig McNutt is a scholar and storyteller of such passion that he can do what very few can. Mr. McNutt can breathe life into stories almost forgotten and can make the spirit burn at both the heinous atrocities and heart-breaking courage shown by all who were touched by this unforgettable time in history. It is a joy and honor to hear him speak and read his educated interpretations. Michelle Place, best-selling author, historian and historical interpreter Kraig McNutt brings with him not only years of study and understanding, but the necessary passion to make the cold facts of history come alive. Driven by that passion, Kraig has honed his studies into scholarship and his scholarship into understanding. As the Civil War slips further and further into a dimpast, we are fortunate to have Kraig breathing life back into the story. Robert Hicks, best-selling author of The Widow of the South Kraig McNutt is an enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and passionate student of the Civil War. He has for a number of years maintained one of the finest websites on the conflict and possesses, along with a wealth of knowledge, a deep inner appreciation of what the war meant for those

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who lived through it and for us their descendants. I highly recommend him to groups seeking a top-flight Civil War speaker. Steven E. Woodworth, Professor of History, Texas Christian University The study of the American Civil War has recently come into its own in Franklin [Tennessee] is fortunate to have Kraig McNutt living, collecting and sharing his knowledge with us. His interaction and contributions to the Williamson County Historical Society has been substantial. Having Kraig in a discussion group raises the bar and broadens the horizon for everyone. Rick Warwick, Historian The Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County

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