The Battle of Nashville

The Battle of Nashville occurred over the course of two days from December 15-16, 1864. It was part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. The commanders were John Bell Hood for the Confederates and George Thomas for the Union. After his disastrous defeat at Franklin, Hood was forced to retreat to the North to Nashville. Hood and his army were battered thanks to the losses at Franklin and in Georgia in the Atlanta Campaign. When Hood got to Nashville, he met Thomas. Thomas had been in Nashville for quite sometime and was joined by John Schofield, who had also fought at Franklin. Nathan Bedford Forrest who had been with Hood at Franklin was also at Nashville. Nashville at this time was controlled by the Union. The city had fallen early on during the war and the Confederates felt as though they needed to get it back in order to win the war. Some historians consider Nashville to be the gateway to the Confederacy, and if the Confederates were unable to get it back the the heart of the Confederacy would be vulnerable.  Thomas knew that he had to attack quick in order to prevent the Confederates from maneuvering. Even though Hood and his army were battered they could still maneuver very effectively. Both armies were slowed when a snow storm hit Nashville on December 8th. Fighting at Nashville happened on both land and water. The Confederates set up batteries at Bell's Bend which was along the Cumberland River. The Union forces were able to bring their ironclads up the river and attack the Confederates there at Bell's Bend. This Confederate battery was quickly driven off. The Confederates also set up position at the Nashville-Chattanooga Railroad. Just like at Bell's Bend, the Union army was able to drive their enemy off. Things were certainly looking up for the Union. Things however would change somewhat on December 16th. The Confederate forces set up a position at Shy's Hill. It was a very strong position, and was further strengthened when stone walls were built to protect them. The hill was also very steep, not allowing much movement for either army. The Union army wanted to attack but they never received orders too. One Union regiment however was able to get up the mountain and launch an attack. They were able to hit the Confederates while they were distracted. As a result of this attack Hood and his men were forced to retreat south. They retreated all the way to Granny White and Franklin Pike, and the Union forces pursued them. Hood and his army were able to cross the Tennessee River on a pontoon bridge train. The Union lost them because their pontoon bridge train had been misdirected. Hood and his men had reached safety, but Nashville was lost. The Battle of Nashville was a severe blow to the Confederates chances of winning the war.

Above is a picture of General John Bell Hood.

Above is a picture of General George Thomas.

The picture above illustrates how the Union forces were able to use their ironclad warships to assault the Confederate batteries at Bell's Bend along the Cumberland River.

Fort Negley was contructed by the Union army, but was never used during the Battle of Nashville. It is thought to be the largest stone fort during the Civil War. From this fort you can see the city of Nashville. There are efforts being made to rebuild the fort to its former glory.

Most of the battlefield has been taken over thanks to the growth of the city. Shy's Hill has become the most prominent site for tourists to visit. 

Link to the Civil War Trust information about the Battle of Nashville: http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/nashville.html

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