Battle of Nashville & Beyond

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St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Franklin Civil War Hospital and Barracks

 

Oldest Episcopal Church in Tennessee

510 West Main Street
Franklin, TN 37064
615-790-0527

“St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was founded on August 27, 1827 in a room of the Hiram Masonic Lodge #7 in Franklin, Tennessee. The church edifice was not started until 1831 and when completed in 1834 it was called a “three-decker” building which included the nave, slave galleries, and undercroft. 

When the War Between the States commenced the church closed its doors and the rector of St. Paul’s resigned and joined the Confederate Army of Tennessee.  In February of 1862 with the fall of Ft. Donelson, Franklin became occupied by Union soldiers who used the church as a barracks.  Being winter, the pews and pipe organ were burned for firewood. The interior columns were damaged to build watering troughs for the horses and this evidence is still visible today.  The fair linen became saddlecloths for the commanders’ horses.  Fortunately, the altar silver and Parish Register were saved—but only because they had been buried across the street.

Following the bloody Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, St. Paul’s was used as a hospital for wounded troops—first by the Federals and then later by the Confederates.  When it was all over, nothing much more than the thick walls were left intact.

After the war, the church was used as a carpenter’s shop and a stable for horses!  It was rat-infested in 1869 when Reverend Bradley from Memphis made plans to restore the sacred place.  He went across the country collecting donations and returned with nearly $2,000 in gold (a small fortune for the day).  The back taxes now having been paid, the roof was lowered as they removed the slave galleries that were no longer needed and the bricks were recycled to build Founder’s Hall behind the church to be used as a rectory for the priest’s family. St. Paul’s was re-consecrated in 1871 by Bishop Charles Todd Quintard who succeeded Bishop Otey, who had died during the war.  Later, in 1902, the church won a lawsuit against the United States government for damages sustained during the Civil War and was awarded a judgment of nearly $2,000”… read more about St. Paul’s

Virtual 360º Perspective

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William Wing Loring

“Old Blizzards”

Hero of 4 wars – Fought under 3 flags:

I have been to St. Augstine, Florida dozens of times, but exploring the Plaza de la Constitución with my son last week, I stumbled across the memorial to Floridian General W.W. Loring. This site on the St. Augustine town square, is also where he is interred. 

Some amazing statistics on Floridian Loring:

  • Florida Militia 1st Seminole Indian War
  • Texas War for Independence
  • 2nd Seminole War
  • Florida bar in 1842
  • Florida House of Representatives
    Loring Pasha as a general in the Khedivate of Egypt
  • Regiment of Mounted Rifles, Oregon Territory
  • Mexican-American War
  • Comanches, Apaches, and Kiowas Skirmishes
  • Colonel at the age of 38 in December 1856, the youngest in the army.
  • American Civil War –
    • Army of the Northwest
    • Romney Expedition
    • Vicksburg Campaign
    • Battle of Champion Hill
    • Atlanta Champaign
    • Hood’s Middle Tennessee Champaign – Battle of Franklin
  • Egyptian invasion of Abyssinia – Chief of Staff
  • Egyptian Battle of Gura
  • Author – Confederate Soldier in Egypt (1884)

“He joined about fifty Union and Confederate veterans who had been recommended to the Khedive by William Tecumseh Sherman.” – more on wikipedia

360º Panorama of Loring Memorial

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#loring #civilwar

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Cotton Gin 3D Like Tour

Carter Cotton Gin Virtual Tour: 

Update: 17 JULY 2017

The new Franklin City Park completed with ADA accessible paved access path. There is no street parking, but easily accessible form the Carter House or Carter’s Court.
 

A virtual tour of the Carter Cotton Gin site and the Patrick Cleburne Monument from the American Civil War Battle of Franklin. The tour also includes the cotton-gin-image“Loring’s Advance” property on Meadowlawn Drive and Collin’s Farm on the Lewisburg Pike. The Loring’s Advance video features Eric Jacobson on the 6th tour stop (the video may take a moment to load). For a full screen view, click on the icon in the lower left of the screen. Links to the Carter House, Carnton, Fort Granger and Winstead Hill virtual tours.

Note: get the virtual tour full screen experience by clicking the icon in the lower left of the video frame. A zoom option is available also for reading the historical signage. Some markers are embedded in the floating icons.

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Suggested Reading:

If Franklin can reclaim battlefield property, so can Nashville. Please sign the petition below to support reclaiming the park property at historic Fort Negley.

 

© Bob Henderson | Athens-South

#battleoffranklin #cottongin #civilwar #virtualtour #collinsfarm #loringsadvance

 

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Carter House Virtual Tour

Battle of Franklincarter-house-image

 1140 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN 37064

Revised: 30 November 2016 – New reclaimed battlefield on the north and south side of the house.

 

Take a virtual tour of the historic American Civil War sites in Franklin, Tennessee. Shot on location at The Carter House, Cotton Gin, Fort Granger, Winstead Hill and Carnton Plantation. There are links to more in-depth tours. More sites to be added soon.

 

Note: get the full screen mode by clicking the icon in the lower left of the video frame. A zoom option is available also for reading the historical signage. Some markers are embedded in the floating icons.

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#virtualtour #franklin #carterhouse

Wikipedia

 

 

© Bob Henderson | Athens-South

 

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General’s Night Fight

Rear Guard Action at the West Harpeth River

December 17, 1864

Updated: 8 JUN 2017

John B. Hood’s 100 mile running rear guard, led for the most part by Lt. General Bedford Forrest*, is one of the most amazing feats of the war. Although it is some of the most daring fighting of the Army of Tennessee, it may never be fully appreciated as real estate worthy of preservation. It is that fear, that led me into Virtual Reality photography for battlefield preservation.

Given the fact that the actions at the West Harpeth River are so close to the relatively new I-840 corridor, this land will more than likely be lost in the next decade. As of June, 2017 core battlefield property is for sale.

To categorize these heroic clashes as delaying actions, is a disservice to the men that fought on both sides.

From ‘In the Lions Mouth’:

“In the gathering darkness, the Confederates at first were unsure if the approaching horsemen were friend or foe since so many Southern cavalrymen, like the rest of Hood’s army, wore captured Union clothing. ‘This was a critical moment, and I felt great anxiety as to its effect upon the men, who, fewer in numbers, had just had the shameful example of the cavalry added to the terrible trial of the day before, Stevenson [Major General Carter Stevenson] noted.”

“… the gray cavalry was immersed in some of the toughest combat in this phase of the retreat, with their generals just as – or more – involved in actual fighting than their infantry counterparts. Abraham Buford was assailed by a Union trooper, who twice slashed at him over the shoulder with a saber. General Chalmers quickly came to Buford’s aid, killing the Federal with two revolver shots. Chalmers also captured another Union soldier amid the engagement. Apparently in the same encounter, another bluecoat swung his saber at Buford, but the blade was diverted by a Confederate trooper using the barrel of his empty carbine. Buford, a big man, weighing about 300 pounds, then grabbed his assailant and yanked him from his horse. Squeezing him so tightly that the Federal later said it, was like being ‘hugged by a bear,’ Buford spurred to safety, with his prisoner.”

From the Official Record:

“HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Three Miles North of Thompson’s Station, on West Harpeth, December 17, 1864-6 p. m.

Brigadier General W. D. WHIPPLE,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: We have “bust up” Stevenson’s division of infantry, a brigade of cavalry, and taken three guns. The Fourth Cavalry and Hatch’s division, supported by Knipe, made several beautiful charges, breaking the rebel infantry in all directions. There has been a great deal of night firing, volleys and cannonading from our guns – the rebels have none. It is very dark, and our men are considerably scattered, but I’ll collect them on this bank of the stream – West Harpeth. Hatch is a brick!

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. H. WILSON,

Brevet Major-General, Commanding.”

Tennessee 3D 17 – Hood’s Retreat – December 17, 1864

Columbia Pike

“Moving rapidly south through Franklin, Stephen D. Lee’s Corps with Chalmers’ Cavalry Division attached, took up a delaying position in this area about 1:00 PM They beat off attacks by Wood’s IV Corps & Wilson’s Cavalry. Here, Gen. Lee was wounded; command passed to Maj. Gen. Carter L. Stevenson. The Army of Tennessee bivouacked that night around Spring Hill.”

Location: North Side of the West Harpeth River:

4443-4479 Columbia Pike
Franklin, TN 37064

Highly Recommended Reading:

 

*Forrest was in route to join up with Hood’s Army when the Battle at the West Harpeth River occurred. Coming from Murfreesboro, he would catch up at the Duck River, in Columbia a few days later. Major General Carter Stevenson, was in command of Lee’s Corp here after Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee was wounded. Lee was hit in the foot by shell fragments here December 17.

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#hoodsretreat #battleofnashville

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