Battle of Franklin

In late 1864, the United States was deeply entrenched in the Civil War, with over 600,000 dead and the nation's survival at stake. On November 30, 1864, nearly 60,000 soldiers descended on the small town of Franklin, Tennessee, transforming it into the site of one of the war’s most brutal battles. Approximately 40,000 troops engaged in fierce combat, resulting in nearly 10,000 casualties, including 2,500 deaths.

The battle was ignited when Confederate General John Bell Hood attacked Union forces, led by General John Schofield, as they attempted to retreat to Nashville. Hood’s 20,000 troops charged across open fields at 4pm, plunging into a violent clash that lasted until nightfall. Though Confederate forces briefly appeared poised to break the Union line, the tide turned, and by midnight, Union forces withdrew toward Nashville, leaving behind a devastated Confederate army.

The next morning revealed the battle's horror, with the Carter farm and Carnton plantation overflowing with wounded soldiers. The Battle of Franklin marked the destruction of the Confederate Army of Tennessee and symbolized the death of the old South, as the war slowly drew to a close.