In the Shadow of My Enemy

Civil War Life in Occupied Franklin, Tennessee

Franklin resident Walter Green has written and published the first book ever produced about life in Franklin during the Civil War. The title is In the Shadow of My Enemy - Civil War Life in Occupied Franklin, Tennessee. 

When most people think of Franklin and the war, they think of the Battle of Franklin and its aftermath. However, the town’s 1,000 residents lived under Federal control for three and a half years. Their stories are important but have not been put into book form until now.  

The non-fiction book tells the stories of some of the residents - women and men, white and black residents, loyal and secessionist. It contains maps, approximately 140 pictures, information on the Civil War-era structures that are still standing, and a list of the structures known to have been used as temporary hospitals after the Battle. 

During the three-and-a-half-year occupation, the citizens suffered, especially the women who were left to defend their homes and families. The Federals gave hope to the enslaved and Unionists, and imposed military rule, making life particularly hard for White residents who refused to sign the oath of loyalty to the Union. Those stubborn secessionists could face shortages of food and firewood, travel restrictions and even expulsion from the town. Federal Fort Granger overlooked the town for most of the period of occupation, casting its shadow upon residents, literally and figuratively. Hence the title, In the Shadow of My Enemy.

Many Black residents escaped to freedom in Nashville. Some white women spied and smuggled to assist the Confederacy. It seemed the worst of the war was over but then came the horrific Battle of Franklin and the terrible suffering of the soldiers, animals and, yes, the residents, especially those who cared for the wounded. 

Mr. Green is a retired professional engineer. His other non-fiction book is The Nashville and Decatur in the Civil War - History of an Embattled Railroad. Being a sixth-generation resident of Williamson County and a graduate of Battle Ground Academy fueled his passion for researching, writing and publishing this book. 

The book is available and signed by the author, if purchased directly from him or from walterrgreenauthor.com. It is also available from local retailers like Landmark Booksellers and The Green Room, in Franklin. It is also available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers.