Vignettes of the Battle of Franklin
The Battle of Franklin, fought on Wednesday, November 30,
1864, is widely regarded as one of the hardest fought battles of the Western
Theater during the Civil War. The Army of Tennessee under General John Bell
Hood clashed with a retreating Federal force commanded by General John M.
Schofield as the sun set over the small Harpeth River town of Franklin,
Tennessee, and in the ensuing hours of ferocious combat inflicted more than
8,500 casualties upon each other.
The personal accounts from eight
men who fought at Franklin give us some sense of the ferocity of this struggle,
and the sense of loss felt on both sides of the battle. Reading these accounts, you'll experience the audacity of the Confederate charge as viewed from both sides of the line, ride alongside Generals Hiram Granbury and Pat Cleburne in their final moments, read an incredible story of heroism as one Tennessean recalls how he captured a Federal flag, rush forward with an Illinois veteran in Opdycke's charge that marked the turning point of the battle, and read stories detailing the horrible aftermath of the battle.
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| Frock coat of Major General Patrick R. Cleburne. This coat was donated to the Museum of the Confederacy years after the war by a friend of Cleburne's and is not the coat he was wearing at Franklin when he was killed. |
“A Bloody Affair”
Private J.C. Dean, Co. H, 3rd Mississippi Infantry, Lowrey’s Brigade, Cleburne’s Division, Cheatham’s Corps
Our entire command realized beforehand that the battle of
Franklin would be a bloody affair. We saw their formidable works surmounted by
artillery and supported by strong forces of infantry. About 3 p.m., the advance
was ordered. I distinctly recall seeing General Pat Cleburne on going into the
charge with us. He was mounted on a large light bay horse, dressed in full
uniform, and wore the magnificent sword presented to him by his old regiment
the 1st Arkansas. No knightlier soul ever lived than General
Cleburne.
As we swept
forward, the fire of the enemy’s skirmishers became hot but we brushed them
from their outside line of rifle pits and pressed onward. When we had crossed
over this first line of real breastworks there began that deadly hail of lead
and iron which made Franklin’s field a scene of unparalleled carnage. Men fell
at almost every step, but onward we pressed across line after line until our
ranks were sadly decimated and we were forced to halt. It was here that the
brave General Cleburne fell. He was about 60 yards from me when he was killed,
riddled by a volley. He had in one hand his sword and in the other a pistol.
Our line stopped against the line of works until daylight when it was found that the enemy had fallen back. Our loss was frightful. Of our company, only two men were uninjured.
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| Corps badge of the Third Division, 23rd Army Corps |
“With heads inclined like beasts striving to stem
the peltings of a storm”
First Lieutenant Joseph R. Wolfe, Co. I, 107th Illinois, Second Brigade (Moore), Second Division, 23rd Army Corps
At 4 o’clock our skirmishers began gradually to fall back
before the solid columns of the enemy and at 5 o’clock, the Rebs charged all
along our front with from three to four lines of battle. Not a gun was fired
until they had come within easy range when a murderous fire greeted them. But
on they came with heads inclined like beasts striving to stem the peltings of a
storm. But they could not withstand the volleys that our brave and good boys
poured into them and were compelled to retire, but it was only to reform and
come upon us more heavily.
About dusk they made their best and most determined charge in which they mounted our works, planted four stands of colors, crossed bayonets with and fired at us, but they could not stay with us long for they were either bayonetted, shot, or knocked down. The ditch in our immediate front was filled with dead and wounded. How many times they charged our lines it would be difficult to accurately state, doubtless not less than eleven.
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| A set of national colors belonging to the 57th Indiana Volunteers. The Hoosiers, part of Colonel John Q. Lane's brigade of Wagner's division, was one of the units caught out in front of the main line of Federal works at Franklin. During the 57th Indiana's retreat, William Crook of the 13th Tennessee captured a set of their national colors which he returned to the regiment years later. "It was a pathetic moment when Crook unfurled the flag at the reunion of the regiment in Indiana," Confederate Veteran reported. "Many cheeks were bathed with tears from the eyes of survivors who saw it go down at Franklin. One veteran stated that only a minute or so before its capture, it was so blowing in his face that he took hold of it and held it aside. Another who saw the color bearer fall undertook to rescue it, but Crook was too fast for him." |
“Captured the 57th Indiana’s Colors”
Private William M. Crook, Co. I, 13th Tennessee Infantry, Vaughan’s Brigade (Gordon), Brown’s Division, Cheatham’s Corps
Cleburne’s division was on the right of the Columbia Pike and
Cheatham’s on the left so that our regiment was just on the left of the pike.
In advancing upon the Federal main line of works, both commands bore to the
pike, making our force much stronger at that point. We crossed these works just
before sunset.
When I had gotten
over their last line by the pike, I saw their colors fall a few paces in my
front. I leaped forward and grasped them. Not being able to handle my gun and
save the flag, I returned with it to the works when, to my surprise, I found
that many of the enemy had never left the ditch and were still firing at our
men who had stopped at the embankment. The flag that I captured was that of the
57th Indiana regiment near where their main and last line of works
crossed the Columbia Pike.
It was at the
left of the pike opposite the old gin-house on the right where General Adams’
horse fell with his head on their works. General Granbury also fell near this gin-house.
I never shall forget an incident which occurred a few minutes before the color
sergeant fell and I thought was dead. I had just shot my gun and was reloading
when a Federal captain within ten feet of me with his pistol shot one of my
comrades and another one of them raised his gun to shoot this Federal captain
when he threw up his hands to surrender. A Southern lieutenant, not seeing the
captain shoot our man and thinking his man ought not to shoot an enemy with his
hands up, knocked the gun down and pointed the Federal to the rear.
I was in every battle that the Army of Tennessee fought from Shiloh to Bentonville, but Franklin was by far the closest quarters I was every in. Near and around this spot of which I speak the dead and dying were actually in heaps. Gods only knows how any of us ever escaped.
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| Major General Jacob D. Cox |
“General Cox Under Fire”
Account from an unidentified officer on Cox’s
staff
The retreat of Wagner’s two brigades was not understood by
some new regiments which were on the left of the Second Division, 23rd
Army Corps and as they rushed back from the front, these broke, too. The enemy
was close after them and came over the works immediately. It looked squally for
a while.
General Cox
ordered Opdycke’s brigade on the charge while he and his staff with most of the
brigade and regimental commanders exerted themselves to rally the broken
regiments. I saw General Cox with his hat off under a most terrific fire
rallying the stampeders and as Opdycke’s brigade came up, the whole went back
with a rush driving the Rebels back again over the parapet. General Stanley
came upon the field at this juncture but was almost immediately wounded but
remained until the close of the fight. Meanwhile, General Schofield was in a
fort on the north side of the river where he could see the whole field but did
not find it necessary to interfere with General Cox’s plans and the battle was
fought out under his orders.
Colonel Opdycke’s charge saved the day for although the rest of the line stood firm, if the enemy had succeeded at penetrating there, we would not have held the place. Again and again, they came on but were felled every time. It was nearly 11 o’clock before they gave up the attacks; it was nearly midnight when we were withdrawn as originally intended since the enemy could easily pass around the position.
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| Brigadier General Hiram Bronson Granbury reportedly said "Forward men, never let it be said that Texans lag in a fight" moments before a Federal Minie ball struck him in the cheek and instantly killed the Texan. |
“Never let it be said that Texans lag in a fight”
Lieutenant Leonard H. Mangum, aide-de-camp to
General Patrick R. Cleburne
The space between the enemy’s first line and the main line
was about 200 yards. The ground was level and I don’t think there was a tree or
bush between them. The fire and destruction were beyond description. I went up
to the works with Granbury’s brigade; Granbury, Govan, and their staffs were on
foot. About halfway between the first and main lines General Granbury was
killed. I was within ten feet of him and remember well the last words he spoke:
‘Forward men, never let it be said that Texans lag in a fight.’ As he spoke
these words, a ball struck him in the cheek and passed through his brain.
Throwing both hands to his face, he sunk down on his knees and remained in that
position until his body was taken off the field after the battle.
When I last saw
General Cleburne, he was going up toward the enemy’s works mounted on a brown
mare belonging to Lieutenant Tip Stanton of his escort. This mare was killed 75
or 100 yards from the works. Young Brandon, a member of Cleburne’s escort,
dismounted and offered his horse to Cleburne. While Cleburne was in the act of
dismounting, the horse was shot dead by many bullets. Then Cleburne rushed on
foot for the works. He must have been killed between where his last horse was
shot and the works.
One not in the battle of Franklin might think it strange that such a conspicuous character as General Cleburne should be killed and his death not witnessed by anyone, but the fire was so terrific and the smoke so dense that one could not distinguish an object at 20 feet distant. The morning after the battle, information came to our headquarters that General Cleburne’s body was found. I immediately went in search of it and found it laid out on the gallery of the McGavock brick house- boots, pocketbook, diary, and sword belt gone. He received but one wound and that was from a Minie ball which passed through his body. His face was covered with a lady’s handkerchief.
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| Officers of the 36th Illinois pose in June 1865, their work completed. The Illinoisans had seen service from Missouri to Pea Ridge, Perryville to Stones River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and throughout the Atlanta campaign. The battles at Franklin and Nashville were their last. |
“It was forward, straight forward”
Unknown veteran of Co. H, 36th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry, First Brigade (Opdycke), Second Division, 4th Army Corps
Our brigade, being the rear guard, was allowed to form in the
rear and make coffee and rest ere the struggle commenced, and we had hardly finished
our coffee when the entire line was enveloped in the blaze of battle. But the weight
of the assault fell upon the center of our line where there were a large number
of conscripts who broke and fled after fighting a few minutes and left the
works in possession of the Rebs.
Oh, what a crisis!
What a time and place for a rout! Had it continued but a few minutes longer,
not a regiment could have been saved and it was at this critical point that
General Stanley rushed up to Colonel Opdycke commanding our brigade and called
upon him to charge, retake the works, and save the army. I tell you that every
officer and man seemed to realize the fate of the nation rested upon him for
there was no wavering, but it was forward, straight forward.
It seemed as though the struggle of years was crowded into that short hour. But the day was ours and every Reb was killed or captured who had entered the works and although the battle lasted far into the night, they did not again possess any part of the line.
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| Captain Norman K. Brown of the 64th Ohio ventured out between the lines that evening and unexpectedly ran into a line of Confederates. Through a bit of sly-talking and Yankee trickery, Brown managed to return to Federal lines with an unsuspecting officer of the 49th Tennessee. |
“A Damned Mean Yankee Trick”
Captain Norman K. Brown of the 64th Ohio was just
after the first lull in the engagement on the left of the line near the cotton
gin and was requested by Major Coulter to take charge of a volunteer skirmish
party and advance over the works to see and learn the condition of things in
front of the works which the Rebels had until that moment been assailing so
violently.
It was now
quite dark. He sprang on top of the parapet and called for the men, whom he
soon obtained, and advanced over Rebel dead for nearly 400 yards when he halted
the detachment and advanced forward himself a few rods to see the condition of
things and determine if the enemy was yet behind the works which the regiment had
evacuated earlier that day.
He had not
gone far before he learned that they were lying behind them and when he turned
to leave, he was stopped by a large Rebel captain who approached him and said, ‘Good
evening.’ He replied the same and asked if the Rebel was wounded; the Rebel
replied no but that he was very tired and such charging was enough to kill
anybody and that they had been nearly annihilated. Captain Brown answered, ‘Yes,
we were awfully used up.’ Then the Rebel captain asked him if he knew where his
regiment was reforming; Brown asked which regiment and the Rebel replied “the
49th Tennessee.”
Captain Brown replied that he did and told him if he wished to go to it, he would show him to it as he was going directly past it. The Rebel assented and went along into the Yankee lines when Captain Brown informed him that the larger part of his regiment was forming behind Yankee bayonets. He spoke up quickly: ‘What? Are you a Yankee?’ Captain Brown told him he was and the Rebel became very angry saying it was a damned mean Yankee trick.
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| Bullet-scarred buildings of the Carter House at Franklin |
Chief Musician William J. Worsham, 19th
Tennessee Infantry, Strahl’s Brigade, Brown’s Division, Cheatham’s Corps
It makes us sick now as we think of that bloody scene that
beautiful November evening and it almost drives the frozen current of life back
upon the chilled heart. We stand aghast as we now think of the battlefield of
Franklin. The angel of death certainly held high carnival that sorrowful night
in the Army of Tennessee. This one scene of butchery will go down the ages in
history as a black page in the memory of our lost cause.
The firing
ceased about 10 o’clock at night and the army bivouacked on the field. As soon
as it was ascertained that the enemy had left Franklin, the infirmary and
relief corps were on every part of the field with torches hunting up and rendering
assistance to the thousands of wounded and suffering whose agonizing appeals
that cold bitter night were enough to melt with sympathy the hardest heart.
General
Cheatham as he walked over the field of carnage that night and looked by the
glare of the torchlight into the hundreds of pale faces silent in death, in
many places the dead lying in heaps, and upon the thousands of wounded covered
with blood appealing for water and help, he wept, the great big tears ran down
his cheeks and he sobbed like a child. Before him lay not only his boys, as he
called them, but his generals, all dead. That noble, kind, big-hearted brave
general who was loved by all, wept.
A veteran army
was wrecked on this field of battle, a bloody holocaust to the Moloch of war.
The dead and wounded were numbered in the thousands; the regimental and brigade
organizations were broken up, guns and equipment broken and scattered, colors
lying here and there stained with the lifeblood of those who bore them. All
these showed plainly the magnitude of the disaster. The dead and wounded marked
the field over which the divisions charged. In front of the entrenched lines
were strewn the bodies of slaughtered heroes, officers and men proving clearly
the intense fury of the assaults.
In the entrenchments, captured and held by Strahl’s and Carter’s brigades of Brown’s division, the dead lay in heaps and in some places in the ditches were piled seven deep. On the dead body of General Otho Strahl fell that of Captain Johnson and Lieutenant Marsh, and others fell on them. Regimental and company officers were seen supported in an almost upright position by the dead who had fallen first.
To learn more about the battle of Franklin, check out my other posts concerning the battle:
10 Days to Franklin: The 183rd Ohio Goes to War
A Buckeye Surgeon Behind the Lines at Franklin
Awful Scenes of Carnage: A Buckeye Recalls Franklin
Awful to the Extreme: Voice from the 125th Ohio at Franklin
At the Center of Hell: The 100th Ohio at Franklin
Fighting with Axes, Picks and Sponges with the 6th Ohio Battery
Pandemonium Reigned Supreme: A Buckeye Captured at Franklin
Sources:
“The Battle of Franklin,” Private J.C. Dean, Co. H, 3rd Mississippi Infantry, Confederate Veteran, January 1899, pg. 27
Letter from First Lieutenant Joseph R. Wolfe, Co. I, 107th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Clinton Public (Illinois), December 15, 1864, pg. 2
“W.M. Crook’s Heroism at Franklin,” Private W.M. Crook, Co. I, 13th Tennessee Infantry, Confederate Veteran, June 1897, pg. 30
“General Cox at the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee,” Cleveland Morning Leader (Ohio), December 20, 1864, pg. 2
Head, Thomas A. Campaigns and Battles of the Sixteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers in the War Between the States. Nashville: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1885. pgs. 377-379 (Lt. Leonard H. Mangum account)
Letter from Veteran, Co. H, 36th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry, Woodstock Sentinel (Illinois), December 21, 1864, pg. 2
“Incident of the Fight at Franklin,” (Captain Norman K. Brown story), Sidney Weekly Journal (Ohio), December 30, 1864, pg. 1
Worsham, William J. The Old Nineteenth Tennessee Regiment,
C.S.A. June 1861-April 1865. Knoxville: Press of the Paragon Printing Co.,
1902, pgs. 146-147
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