The Battle of Franklin

The Battle of Franklin took place on November 30, 1864 in Franklin, Tennessee. The battle was part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. The two main generals were John Bell Hood for the Confederacy, and John M. Schofield. This battle is often called the Pickett's Charge of the west. The Confederates had been fighting down in Florence, Alabama. The Union army had been in Nashville. Hood's goal in this battle was to defeat the Union army and take Nashville back for the Confederacy. Along the way Hood and his army engaged in many skirmishes. These skirmishes took place in Columbia, Tennessee. This got the attention of Schofield and the Union officials. The Union armies' plan was to march down from Nashville and set up a defensive position at the Carter House. Troops were also stationed at the Carnton Plantation. The Carnton Mansion served as a hospital for the soldiers. When Hood got to Franklin he ordered an all out frontal assault. His goal was to destroy Schofield and the Union army. The Union army was able to bust through the Confederate center however. The Confederate army had a difficult time breaking through the Union lines. Hood then ordered an all out charge on the Union center. The Confederate army charged across the Carter farm right into Union fire. The Army of Tennessee was destroyed in this attack, and Hood was forced to retreat. Nathan Bedford Forrest meanwhile was leading his cavalry in an assault at the Brentwood Turnpike. He was turned back by James H. Wilson. This battle was a blow to any hope that the Confederates had of winning the Civil War.

Above is a picture of Gen. John Bell Hood

Above is a picture of Gen. John M. Schofield (check out that facial hair)

Above is Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest

Above is Gen. James H. Wilson

Above is the Carter House as it appears today

Above is the Carnton Mansion as it appears today

Here is the link to the Battle of Franklin on the Civil War Trust website: http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/franklin.html

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.

Geronimo

Geronimo was a leader of the Apache Indians. He led the Apaches in the fight against Texas and Spain after they tried to encroach on their land. He was given the nickname Geronimo by Mexican soldiers. Geronimo was a warrior who fought to protect his land and people. He had been raised based on Apache tradition. His dad died early in his life, and his mom was left to raise him. Geronimo eventually married and had a daughter. On March 6, 1851 Mexican soldiers attacked the camp where Geronimo and his family were living. His wife and daughter were killed in the attack. This is widely accepted by historians as being the reason that Geronimo had such a strong dislike for the Mexicans. Geronimo was encouraged to fight by the chief of his tribe Mangas Coloradas. Geronimo saw his first real action during the raids on Sonora and Chihuahua. The goal for the Apaches was to destroy as many Mexican villages as possible. These raids introduced Geronimo to guerrilla warfare. These raids continued until long after the Civil War. One of the most notable skirmishes was at Casa Grande. The Apaches and the Mexicans had spent many months fighting in the mountains. The Apaches finally decided to make a peace treaty with the Mexicans. The Mexicans however, attacked the Apaches killing many Apache Indians. This skirmish is known as the Casa Grande Massacre. This marked the end of Geronimo's military career. Not long after Geronimo gathered a group of men together and went about Mexico and Texas with the goal of killing all the Mexicans. This was the beginning of the guerrilla war among the Indians. Many Apaches disapproved of what Geronimo was doing and decided to join the army as scouts. The U.S. army wanted Geronimo dead or alive. Captain Henry Lawton led the search for Geronimo. Meanwhile Geronimo and his men were continuing to roam the Mexican and Texas wilderness terrorizing citizens. On March 27, 1886 Geronimo surrendered to Capt. Lawton. Geronimo and his men were taken as prisoners of war to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. After awhile Geronimo was released and became a celebrity. He and his family moved to Pensacola, Florida where he told his story at wild west shows. He became the subject of many books and newspaper articles. Geronimo died on February 17, 1909 of pneumonia after being thrown off his horse. He is buried in the Apache Prisoner of War Cemetery in Fort Still, Oklahoma. Geronimo was truly an American tragedy.

Above is a picture of Geronimo and his Apache guerrilla fighters.

Above is a picture of Geronimo and some other Apache Indians showing off Geronimo's car. Geronimo was the first Indian to own a car.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.

The Battle of Stones River

I want to apologize to all of my readers for not posting in a while. I have been swamped with school work. I will try to post more frequently.

The Battle of Stones River took place in Murfreesboro, Tennessee from December 31, 1862- January 2, 1863. The battle was part of the Stones River Campaign. The two leading generals were Braxton Bragg for the Confederacy, and William Rosecrans for the Union. They had come to Tennessee from Kentucky, after the invasion into Kentucky had failed. The Confederate army had retreated all the way through the Cumberland Gap, settling at Murfreesboro. Rosecrans and his army were stationed in Nashville. When he and his army got word that Bragg had set up a position at Murfreesboro they marched to meet the threat. Bragg meanwhile had sent John Hunt Morgan to break up Rosecrans' supply lines. When Rosecrans reached Stones River he set up a position on the other side of the river away from Bragg (as you can see above and below). At 6 a.m. on December 31st fighting began. William Hardee of the Confederate army attacked first. The attack happened so early and fast that the Union troops were still having breakfast. Hardee was able to drive the Union back three miles to the railroad. The first day of fighting was a success for the Confederates. Bragg was sure he had won the battle. Bragg's goal now was to take the Nashville Turnpike and Rosecrans and his troops would be forced to surrender. The next three days would be a different story however as Rosecrans was able to gain the momentum. Bragg had lost a number of men, and this played into the hands of Rosecrans. Rosecrans also was able to continue fighting since Bragg decided to sit back and wait for him to retreat. In other words Rosecrans went on the offensive. On January 3rd a supply train led by James Spears reached Rosecrans. This proved fatal for the Confederate army, as they were now outnumbered. Bragg knew he was beat and decided to retreat to Tullahoma, Tennessee. This battle further solidified the hold that the Union had on Tennessee, and would ruin the career of Braxton Bragg. For more information on the Battle of Stones River, I highly recommend that you check out the article on the Civil War Trust's website (see the link below).

Above is a picture of the action at Stones River from Gen. Rosecrans' position.

Above is the battlefield as it appears today.

Above is a picture of an old abandoned, broken cannon at the battlefield.

Above is a picture of Gen. William S. Rosecrans

Above is a picture of Gen. Braxton Bragg

As promised here is the link to the Civil War Trust page about the Battle of Stones River: http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/stones-river.html

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.