|
Virtual Tour of the
Army of Tennessee's 1864 Campaign...
(Page 1 of 4)
|
Welcome aboard our virtual tour bus. Make yourselves comfortable,
sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Middle Tennessee while I take
you on a virtual Civil War tour of the 1864 Tennessee Campaign. Our tour
will begin in the small but quaint town of Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee. We'll
be traveling on Columbia Pike, following the same route of the Confederate
army, The Army of Tennessee, in late November of 1864. Keep in mind, while
today is a picture perfect summer day, frigid temperatures and snow met
the Confederate Army when it crossed the Tennessee River in 1864.
After losing Atlanta to Sherman, General John Bell Hood's army of 32,000
planned to push into Tennessee with thoughts of recapturing the Union occupied
city of Nashville. Hood's original intentions were to draw Sherman out
of Atlanta where the Confederates could fight their enemy on ground of
their choosing. But Sherman elected to march to the sea and sent Maj. Gen.
George H. Thomas, commanding The Army of the Tennessee (not to be confused
with the CSA Army of Tenn), to organize forces in Middle Tennessee in case
Hood should attempt to invade it and to capture Forrest, who was raiding
in parts of the state. Thomas was unsuccessful in the latter, as Forrest
joined up with Hood's army in mid-November to participate in this campaign.
Thomas, who was headquartered at Nashville, ordered his subordinate, Maj.
Gen. John M. Schofield, who had 25,000 men stationed in Pulaski, Tennessee,
to stop the Confederates from advancing should they cross the Tennessee
river. On November 25th, it became a race between Schofield's army and
Hood's army to see who could reach Columbia first. Schofield made it just
a few hours ahead of Forrest's Cavalry.
We'll begin our tour at the magnificent antebellum mansion
of the Polk family, called Rattle and Snap.
 |
Rattle and Snap was named thus by William Polk after winning
the 5,000 acres this home is built on in a dice-like game called Rattle
and Snap. William Polk deeded his land to his four sons, George Polk being
the son who built this mansion in 1845. Rattle and Snap was the home of
one of the Confederacy's well known generals for a short time, General
Leonidas Polk, also known as "The Fighting Bishop." During Hood's Tennessee
Campaign, many soldiers noted the grandness of this home -- one of Cleburne's
men commenting, "the prettiest place I have ever seen in my life."
Rattle and Snap was restored recently and is now open to the public
for viewing. It is furnished with many original pieces, and furnishings
belonging to Lucius Polk, brother of George Polk.
*Note: General Leonidas Polk's home was "Ashwood Hall,"
which burned in a fire after the war.
|
|
|
St. John's Episcopal Church: Located at the intersection of
Mt. Zion and Columbia Pike, this church was built by the Polk family in
the 1840's. It is at this church that General Cleburne, on his way past
it in 1864, commented to his officer, "It is almost worth dying to be buried
in such a beautiful spot." How poignant that less than a week later his
remains should be interred here following the Battle of Franklin. Generals
Granbury and Strahl, along with Colonel Beckham (S.D.Lee's Chief of artillery)
were buried here as well. Granbury, Strahl and Cleburne were removed in
later years.
*Note: General Carter (also killed at Franklin) is still
buried in the
Rosehill Cemetery in Columbia.
|
|
Zion Presbyterian: If you turn left at the intersection of Zion Road,
you will come across the oldest church in Maury County and the Zion Cemetery.
This site is of interest in that Sam Watkins of Co. H is buried here. |
|
Hamilton Place: Traveling towards Columbia, a short distance
past St. John's Church, on the left, is Hamilton Place. This was the home
of General Lucius J. Polk, brother of the recently deceased Leonidas Polk.
It was here, on November 26th and 27th, that the local citizens entertained
officers of the Confederate Army, including Hood, Cheatham, Bate, Brown
and Walthall.
*Note: On November 27th, 1864, General Hood moved
his headquarters from Ashwood Hall
to the Amos Warfield Home on Pulaski Pike (off Columbia
Pike).
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Athenaeum: Located in town (Columbia), a short distance from President
Polk's home, this house was built in 1852 for his nephew. It was used throughout
the Civil War by Union officers who occupied Columbia, as well as serving
as General Schofield's HQ in November of 1864. |
Citizens tell how Loring's Confederate troops rushed into Columbia
on the morning of November 28th, smashing and looting the Athenaeum. It
was here that General Cheatham is said to have found a map that Schofield
inadvertently left behind.
|
 |
|
*Note: Off of the town square in Columbia, there stands an
old bank building on the corner of Hwy 31 and Columbia Pike. General Earl
Van Dorn's body was placed in the vault of this bank building overnight,
awaiting funeral services. On the opposite corner, which a flower shop
now occupies, is the building in which General Forrest was stabbed by one
of his own men.
|
Elm Springs: While traveling on Columbia Pike , coming from
Mt. Pleasant, if you were to continue your drive onto Hwy 50 to Mooresville
Pike (about 200 yards from intersection), you will find Elm Springs. This
mansion was restored and is now used as the National Headquarters for the
Sons of the Confederate Veterans. The home was built in 1837. During the
war, it was the home of Abram Looney, who served as the Colonel of Company
H, First Tennessee Infantry. He was an outspoken Southerner and this almost
resulted in the loss of Elm Springs.
In November, 1864, the Federal Army, which had occupied Maury County
for several months, was preparing defensive positions ahead of the oncoming
Confederate troops under Gen. John B. Hood. Their line of defense extended
from the Mooresville Pike to the Mt. Pleasant Pike. One of the defensive
tactics used was the destruction of important buildings along the line.
Elm Springs anchored the eastern flank of their line. Many houses were
burned during those days and Elm Springs was slated to be destroyed too.
Fires were started that might have burned the house except for the opportune
arrival of Confederate troops who extinguished the flames. You will still
find the scorch marks in the hall closet.
|
|
Greenwood Cemetery:
Turning left on Hwy. 31 from Columbia Pike, you'll find a cemetery
on your left. This cemetery was established in 1809, overlooking the Duck
River. If you'll wander among the headstones, you'll see the damage caused
to them by Cox's men, who from across the river, fired upon Stephenson's
sharpshooters in an attempt to stop S.D. Lee's men from crossing the river.
Looking down the steep embankment to the river, behind the cemetery, you'll
wonder how Lee managed to get his pontoons into the water to cross the
Duck here.
After your stop at Greenwood, continue following Highway 31, and Schofield's
harrowing night march route to Spring
Hill (next page)--->
|
