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December 15-16, 1864 Davidson County,
TN Campaign: Franklin-Nashville Campaign (1864)
Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, USA Gen. John Bell Hood, CSA
Thomas had around 50,000 men against Hood’s 23,000.
Precise losses are unknown, but Hood’s army was shattered.
Following the Battle of FRANKLIN on November 30, the Fourth andTwenty-third
Federal infantry corps, temporarily commanded byMaj. Gen. John M. SCHOFIELD,
hurried northward to join Maj. Gen.George H. THOMAS at Nashville. After an
eighteen-mile night march, they arrived there on December 1.
Though severely crippled by the loss of approximately 6,000 at FRANKLIN, the
Confederate army, commanded by General John Bell HOOD, continued its pursuit of
Federal forces, arriving at Nashville on December the 2d. Hood,
realizing the city's defenses were too strong for a direct assault with his army
of 23,000, took up a position on the heights around the southern outskirts of
the city, and close to Federal defenses.
George Thomas had been strengthening the defenses of the city, and organizing
his forces since his arrival on October 3d. On the same day that
Schofield's exhausted troops stumbled into Nashville, Federal reinforcements in
the way of A. J. Smith's XVI Corps of 10,000 arrived from Missouri.
Nonetheless, the cautious Thomas felt he was ill-prepared to give battle to the
Confederates now confronting him.
General Nathan Bedford FORREST'S Confederate cavalrymen were the first to
arrive around Nashville on the morning of the 2d, followed by an infantry corps
at 2:00 p.m. Hood's depleted ranks stretched themselves in a thin line
along a four-mile front, on a series of hills running south of
Nashville. Even after the debacle at FRANKLIN, Hood still felt he was left
with few choices of action. He felt he could not cross the Cumberland
River without reinforcements, and that he could not turn south to retreat. His
only option, in his mind, was to besiege Nashville, await reinforcements and try
to draw Thomas out for an attack. Keeping with this plan, Hood immediately
detached Maj. Gen. William B. Bate's infantry division and sent them to
MURFREESBORO to attack the 8,000-man Federal garrison, hoping Thomas would send
them reinforcements. On December 11th, Hood sent Forrest and two divisions of
cavalry to assist the infantry division at MURFREESBORO. This action severely
depleted Hood’s ability to patrol or protect his flanks
THESE ARE ARCHIVED PAGES OF THE OLD EHISTORY SITE click here for the NEW eHistory site These pages are not actively maintained and may have errors in content and functionality
December 15-16, 1864 Davidson County,
TN Campaign: Franklin-Nashville Campaign (1864)
Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, USA Gen. John Bell Hood, CSA
Thomas had around 50,000 men against Hood’s 23,000.
Precise losses are unknown, but Hood’s army was shattered.
Following the Battle of FRANKLIN on November 30, the Fourth andTwenty-third
Federal infantry corps, temporarily commanded byMaj. Gen. John M. SCHOFIELD,
hurried northward to join Maj. Gen.George H. THOMAS at Nashville. After an
eighteen-mile night march, they arrived there on December 1.
Though severely crippled by the loss of approximately 6,000 at FRANKLIN, the
Confederate army, commanded by General John Bell HOOD, continued its pursuit of
Federal forces, arriving at Nashville on December the 2d. Hood,
realizing the city's defenses were too strong for a direct assault with his army
of 23,000, took up a position on the heights around the southern outskirts of
the city, and close to Federal defenses.
George Thomas had been strengthening the defenses of the city, and organizing
his forces since his arrival on October 3d. On the same day that
Schofield's exhausted troops stumbled into Nashville, Federal reinforcements in
the way of A. J. Smith's XVI Corps of 10,000 arrived from Missouri.
Nonetheless, the cautious Thomas felt he was ill-prepared to give battle to the
Confederates now confronting him.
General Nathan Bedford FORREST'S Confederate cavalrymen were the first to
arrive around Nashville on the morning of the 2d, followed by an infantry corps
at 2:00 p.m. Hood's depleted ranks stretched themselves in a thin line
along a four-mile front, on a series of hills running south of
Nashville. Even after the debacle at FRANKLIN, Hood still felt he was left
with few choices of action. He felt he could not cross the Cumberland
River without reinforcements, and that he could not turn south to retreat. His
only option, in his mind, was to besiege Nashville, await reinforcements and try
to draw Thomas out for an attack. Keeping with this plan, Hood immediately
detached Maj. Gen. William B. Bate's infantry division and sent them to
MURFREESBORO to attack the 8,000-man Federal garrison, hoping Thomas would send
them reinforcements. On December 11th, Hood sent Forrest and two divisions of
cavalry to assist the infantry division at MURFREESBORO. This action severely
depleted H
