BATTLE OF FRANKLIN

Battle of Franklin

Only a day after the horror at Sand Creek, another grim chapter unfolded in Tennessee when Confederate General John Bell Hood hurled his Army of Tennessee against fortified Union lines near Franklin. Union troops under John Schofield had prepared strong defenses, including earthworks and obstacles that forced attacking infantry into deadly fields of fire. Over several hours, wave after wave of Confederate formations pressed forward and were shattered at close range, leaving the ground in front of the Union works carpeted with casualties. Several Confederate generals were killed or mortally wounded in the assaults, and the army’s offensive power was badly crippled. Although the Union force would continue its withdrawal toward Nashville, the Battle of Franklin marked a devastating check to Confederate hopes in the Western Theater and foreshadowed final defeat in the region.