Battle of Franklin
The Battle of Franklin was an engagement of the American Civil War fought at Franklin, Tennessee on November 30, 1864. It was one of the worst Confederate disasters of the war; while the Union army was driven off, it came at a horrible price.The Union Army arrived in Franklin at 1:00 A.M. Jacob Cox, commander of the 23rd Corp of Ohio, immediately began preparing a defensive position around breastworks constructed in 1863.
The Confederate Army of Tennessee arrived in the afternoon. John Bell Hood had recently replaced Joseph E. Johnston as commander of the Army of Tennessee. Hood, over the objections of his officers, ordered a frontal assault on the Union forces, now entrenched behind three lines of breastworks. After fierce fighting, the Confederates finally drove the Union forces from Franklin, but at a terrible cost. There were more men killed in the Confederate Army of Tennessee in a few hours at the Battle of Franklin than in two days at the Battle of Shiloh.
The Confederates suffered more than 7500 casualties. The Confederate leadership was decimated, including the death of competent generals such as Pat Cleburne. Fifteen Confederate generals died, and 65 field grade officers were lost. Union casualties totaled 2500.
The Confederate Army of Tennessee was all but destroyed by the victory at Franklin. Nevertheless, Hood advanced against the Union army at Nashville.
In his book Battle Cry of Freedom, author James M. McPherson observes,
- Having proved even to Hood's satisfaction that they could assault breastworks, the Army of Tennessee had shattered itself beyond the possibility of ever doing so again.
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