The Landscapes of the Battlefield of Franklin, Tennessee, Franklin, Williamson County, TN
Summary
Significance: The historical significance of these three sites is intertwined with the story of the Civil War Battle of Franklin, 30 November, 1864. Following General William T. Sherman's Union victory in Atlanta, Confederate Lt. General John Bell Hood decided to pursue an aggressive offensive northward. Leading his Army of Tennessee from Alabama, Hood met Union forces that were entrenched at Franklin on their retreat towards Nashville ("The Carter House…"). In the afternoon of 30 November, the Union and Confederate armies clashed in what would be a seventeen hour engagement. Some historians refer to the climax of the battle as the "bloodiest five hours of the Civil War" (McDonough) because of the intense and brutal hand-to-hand combat that ensued. The front line of this battle ran just 100 yards south of the Carter House and Lotz House. Following the end of the Battle of Franklin, Carnton Plantation was converted into a large field hospital serving the Confederate casualties. In 1866, John McGavock, owner of Carnton, dedicated two acres of his land to serve as the McGavock Confederate Cemetery, the final resting place for nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers who died in combat (For Cause…, 83).
Survey number: HALS TN-7
Building/structure dates: ca. 1864 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: ca. 1826 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: ca. 1830 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: ca. 1858 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 66000734
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