Overview
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign was a Confederate offensive conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864. After evacuating Atlanta, General John Bell Hood reorganized the Army of Tennessee and planned to move north toward Chattanooga while destroying General William T. Sherman’s supply lines. Sherman chose to march toward Savannah and ordered General George H. Thomas to stop Hood’s advance.
Hood entered Tennessee hoping to defeat Thomas before General John M. Schofield could unite with him. Schofield reached Columbia shortly before the Confederates and blocked Hood’s advance for five days. Hood crossed the Duck River east of Columbia, but command mistakes at Spring Hill allowed Schofield’s army and supply train to escape toward Franklin.
Angered by the failure at Spring Hill, Hood ordered a large attack at Franklin on November 30. Confederate forces briefly broke into the center of the Union defenses, but Federal troops recovered and stopped attacks across the battlefield. Hood suffered more than 6,000 casualties, including the death of General Patrick Cleburne.
Hood continued toward Nashville despite these losses. On December 15 and 16, Thomas attacked and broke the Confederate lines. Hood retreated south, and Thomas pursued him for 10 days. The campaign ended after Union forces drove the Army of Tennessee from the state.
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: Hood’s Campaign and Hood’s Tennessee Campaign.
- Date: September 18-December 27, 1864.
- Location: Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: George H. Thomas and John M. Schofield.
- CSA Commanders: John Bell Hood.
- Who Won: The United States won the Franklin-Nashville Campaign.
- Era: Civil War, September–December, 1864.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: At least 5,800 soldiers were killed, wounded, captured, or missing.
- Forces Engaged: Army of the Cumberland and Army of the Ohio.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 60,000 soldiers.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: At least 12,700 soldiers were killed, wounded, captured, or missing.
- Forces Engaged: Army of Tennessee.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 39,000 soldiers.
Significance
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign is important to American History because it weakened the Confederate Army of Tennessee and ended its attempt to regain control in Tennessee. General John Bell Hood entered the state with more than 30,000 soldiers but left with only about 15,000 to 18,000. General George H. Thomas then defeated Hood at Nashville and pursued his retreating army for 10 days. After reaching Tupelo, Mississippi, Hood resigned his command.
History
Siege of Chattanooga
In September 1863, Confederate General Braxton Bragg and his Army of the Tennessee were attempting to recapture Chattanooga, Tennessee, from Federal forces by besieging the city. Union leaders responded by sending Major General Ulysses S. Grant and reinforcements to Chattanooga with orders to break the siege. After establishing a new supply line into the city, Grant ordered a breakout offensive in late November that successfully drove Bragg’s army back into northern Georgia. With the “Gateway to the South” secured, Union forces prepared to launch an offensive aimed at capturing Atlanta.
Grant’s Umbrella Strategy
Following the breakout at Chattanooga, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Grant to the special rank of lieutenant general and placed him in command of all Union armies. Grant moved his headquarters to Washington, DC, leaving his trusted subordinate, Major General William T. Sherman, in command of federal operations in the Western Theater. Grant’s primary military strategy was a coordinated effort to attack and defeat the two main Confederate armies in the field, the Army of Northern Virginia in the east, and the Army of Tennessee in the west. On May 5, 1864, Grant launched his Overland Campaign in Virginia. Two days later, Sherman opened his Atlanta Campaign in the West.
Atlanta Campaign
Using a series of flanking maneuvers, Sherman persistently drove the Army of Tennessee south toward Atlanta. On July 17, 1863, Confederate President Jefferson Davis replaced General Joseph E. Johnston with General John Bell Hood as commander of the Army of Tennessee.
Hood proved more willing to fight than Johnston, but the results were the same. By July, Sherman had Hood’s army bottled up in Atlanta. On July 20, Sherman ordered his artillery to begin bombarding Hood’s lines, as well as the city, which still harbored about 3,000 civilians. The shelling lasted for five weeks, but Hood continued to hold on as long as he was receiving supplies. Toward the end of August, Sherman stopped the flow of supplies into Atlanta. With his main supply line severed, Hood evacuated Atlanta on the night of September 1, burning all military stores and installations. Sherman’s forces occupied the city the next day, ending the Atlanta Campaign.
Hood Reorganizes
After evacuating Atlanta, Hood reorganized his forces at Lovejoy’s Station, south of Atlanta, and Sherman chose not to pursue. On September 21, 1864, Hood moved north to Palmetto, Georgia, where he met with President Davis on September 25. Davis and Hood devised a plan to have Hood’s 39,000 soldiers move north toward Chattanooga and destroy Sherman’s supply lines back to Tennessee along the way. Sherman learned of Hood’s intentions when Davis foolishly revealed the plan in a series of speeches on his way back to the Confederate capital at Richmond. Sherman responded by sending Major General George H. Thomas to Nashville on September 29, 1864, to organize all the Union troops in Tennessee. Sherman also sent troops to reinforce the garrison at Chattanooga.
During October, Hood’s infantry and Major General Joseph Wheeler and his cavalry conducted a series of raids along the Western & Atlantic Railroad, Sherman’s main supply line from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Sherman’s soldiers quickly repaired the damage, but they could not keep pace with the faster-moving Confederates.
William T. Sherman Divides His Forces
By late October, Sherman convinced Grant to let him “make Georgia howl” by allowing him to march to Savannah rather than chasing Hood around the South. Grant agreed, and Sherman turned the pursuit of Hood over to Thomas and about 60,000 soldiers, 30,000 of whom were in the Nashville area. The other 30,000, commanded by Major General John M. Schofield, moved north from Georgia to join Thomas.
Battle of Columbia
Meanwhile, Hood moved into northern Alabama and aimed for Tennessee. He hoped to defeat Thomas near Nashville before he could join forces with Schofield.
After waiting to join forces with cavalry led by Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest, Hood left Alabama on November 21, 1864. His goal was Columbia, Tennessee, about midway between Thomas’s army in Nashville and Schofield’s army at Pulaski, about 75 miles south of Nashville. Anticipating Hood’s intentions, Schofield raced to Columbia, arriving just hours ahead of the Confederates on November 24. There, the Federals blocked Hood’s advance for five days by controlling an important bridge over the Duck River.
Battle of Spring Hill
On November 28, Hood found a way across the Duck River east of Columbia, and the Battle of Spring Hill took place. In danger of being outflanked, Schofield began to fall back toward Franklin. Hood’s army attacked Schofield’s forces at Spring Hill, ten miles north of Columbia, as the Northerners withdrew. After a series of command blunders, Hood ended the attack after dark. During the night, Schofield safely moved his entire army and supply train along the main turnpike past the sleeping Confederates. The movement did not go entirely undetected, but inexplicably, neither Hood nor any subordinate officers took any action to stop the Federal evacuation. By the morning of November 30, Schofield had escaped Hood’s grasp.
Battle of Franklin
The wait was not long. Enraged that the Federals had slipped past him at Spring Hill, Hood berated his subordinate officers and then ordered his army to resume its pursuit. Hood’s army began to arrive outside of Franklin at about 1:00 p.m. on November 30, 1864. Once in position, Hood ordered an all-out attack that began approximately at 4:00 p.m. Initially, the Confederates exploited a weakness in the center of the Union defenses, but the Federals recovered. Confederate attacks on both flanks were also unsuccessful. Repulsed on all fronts, Hood called off the assault after darkness descended. By 11:00 p.m. that night, Schofield’s army began crossing the Harpeth River and was on its way to Nashville.
The Battle of Franklin was a devastating loss for the Confederacy. The Confederates suffered over 6,000 casualties, including 1,750 killed, compared to fewer than 2,500 Union casualties, including 189 killed. In addition, Hood lost fourteen generals (six killed, seven wounded, and one captured), plus fifty-five regimental commanders. Most importantly, Schofield had once more escaped and was on his way to uniting his army with Thomas’s army in Nashville.
John Bell Hood Advances Against Nashville
Although the Battle of Franklin decimated the Army of Tennessee, Hood continued his pursuit and advanced against the combined Union armies firmly entrenched at Nashville. On December 5-6, 1864, Hood ordered Nathan Bedford Forrest on a cavalry raid against Murfreesboro, which destroyed a few miles of railroad track but accomplished little else.
Battle of Nashville
Bad weather deterred further action from either side, despite the pressure that Ulysses S. Grant was exerting on Thomas to advance from Nashville and destroy Hood’s debilitated army. On December 13, Grant ordered Major General John A. Logan to travel to Nashville and assume command of the Union army if Thomas had not engaged Hood by the time of his arrival. Logan was in Louisville on December 15, when Thomas left his fortifications in Nashville and attacked Hood’s army.
Enjoying a numerical advantage in manpower of nearly two-to-one and facing a demoralized army bereft of senior commanders, Thomas’ victory at the Battle of Nashville was no surprise. On December 15, 1864, the Federals successfully attacked Hood’s army on both flanks. When the fighting stopped because of darkness, Hood re-established his lines during the night but to no avail.
Outcome
The outcome of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign was that John Bell Hood was forced to evacuate Tennessee. Following another wave of Union assaults the next day, the Confederate line crumbled, and Hood’s army fled. Thomas pursued Hood for ten more days, driving the Confederate army out of Tennessee. The retreat ended at Tupelo, Mississippi, where Hood resigned his command on January 23, 1865.
Timeline
- 1863, September — Braxton Bragg and the Army of Tennessee besieged Union forces in Chattanooga.
- 1863, November — Ulysses S. Grant launched an offensive that drove Bragg’s army into northern Georgia.
- 1863, July 17 — Confederate President Jefferson Davis replaced Joseph E. Johnston with John Bell Hood as Commander of the Army of Tennessee.
- 1864, May 5 — Grant launched the Overland Campaign in Virginia.
- 1864, May 7 — William T. Sherman opened the Atlanta Campaign.
- 1864, July 20 — Sherman ordered Union artillery to bombard Atlanta and Hood’s defenses.
- 1864, September 1 — Hood evacuated Atlanta and burned Confederate military supplies and facilities.
- 1864, September 2 — Sherman’s forces occupied Atlanta, ending the Atlanta Campaign.
- 1864, September 21 — Hood moved north to Palmetto, Georgia.
- 1864, September 25 — Hood met with Jefferson Davis and planned an advance toward Chattanooga.
- 1864, September 29 — Sherman sent George H. Thomas to Nashville to organize Union forces in Tennessee.
- 1864, October — Hood’s infantry and Joseph Wheeler’s cavalry raided the Western & Atlantic Railroad.
- 1864, October — Sherman received permission from Grant to march toward Savannah and placed Thomas in charge of operations against Hood.
- 1864, November 21 — Hood left Alabama and advanced toward Columbia, Tennessee.
- 1864, November 24–29 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Columbia.
- 1864, November 29 — Union forces won the Battle of Spring Hill.
- 1864, November 30 — Union forces won the Battle of Franklin.
- 1864, December 1 — Schofield’s soldiers started arriving at Nashville by noon.
- 1864, December 2 — Hood reached the outskirts of Nashville and built defensive positions.
- 1864, December 13 — Grant sent John A. Logan to replace Thomas if Thomas failed to attack.
- 1864, December 15 — Thomas left Nashville’s defenses and attacked Hood’s army.
- 1864, December 15-16 — Union forces won the Battle of Nashville.
- 1864, December 27 — The Franklin-Nashville Campaign ended after Union forces drove Hood’s army from Tennessee.
- 1865, January 23 — Hood resigned as Commander of the Army of Tennessee.
AP US History
Definition
Franklin-Nashville Campaign (1864) — The Franklin-Nashville Campaign was a Confederate offensive led by General John Bell Hood through Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Hood raided Union General William T. Sherman’s supply lines before moving into Tennessee. General John M. Schofield blocked Hood at Columbia, escaped at Spring Hill, and survived a major Confederate attack at Franklin. General George H. Thomas then defeated Hood at Nashville and drove the Army of Tennessee from the state.
Alignment
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign is part of the following AP US History sections:
