| Battle Of Nashville |
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| battles of the franklin-nashville campaign of the american civil war | |
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| tennessee in the american civil war | |
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The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting in the Western Theater of the American Civil War . It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee , on December 15 and December 16 , 1864 . PRELUDE Following the Battle Of Franklin on November 30 , the forces of Union Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield left Franklin, Tennessee , and concentrated within the defensive works of Nashville alongside the Army Of The Cumberland , commanded by Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas . Thomas, the ''Rock of Chickamauga '', was in command of the overall force, numbering approximately 49,000 men. The Union defensive line was quite similar to the one at Franklin. A semicircular line surrounded Nashville from the west to the east, dipping a mile (1,600 m) to the south; the remainder of the circle, to the north, was the Cumberland River . Clockwise around the line was the division of Maj. Gen. James B. Steedman on the Union left, Schofield's XXIII Corps , Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Wood 's IV Corps , and Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith 's XVI Corps . Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson 's Cavalry Corps was stationed just north of the river. The Confederate Army Of Tennessee under Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood arrived south of the city on December 2 and took up positions facing the Union forces within the city. Not nearly strong enough to assault the Federal fortifications, Hood opted for the defensive. Rather than repeating his suicidal attack at Franklin, he entrenched and waited, hoping that Thomas would attack him. Then, after Thomas smashed his army against the Confederate entrenchments, Hood could counterattack and take Nashville. (Assuming that worked, Hood's longer-term plan was to recruit additional soldiers in central Tennessee and Kentucky and then push through the Cumberland Gap to relieve Robert E. Lee in Petersburg .) The Confederate line opposed the southeasterly facing portion of the Union line (the part occupied by Steedman and Schofield). From right to left were the corps of Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham , Maj. Gen. Stephen D. Lee , and Maj. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart . Cavalry commander Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest was off to the southwest of the city. Although Thomas's forces were stronger, he could not ignore Hood's army. Despite the severe beating it suffered at Franklin, by its mere presence and ability to maneuver, the Army of Tennessee presented a threat. He knew he had to attack, but he prepared cautiously. In particular, he concentrated on outfitting his cavalry, commanded by the energetic young Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson . It took Thomas over two weeks to move, causing great anxiety in President Abraham Lincoln and Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant , who anticipated that Hood was poised for an invasion of the North. Grant later said of the situation, "If I had been Hood, I would have gone to Louisville and on north until I came to Chicago ." Lincoln had little patience for slow generals and remarked of the situation, "This seems like the McClellan and Rosecrans strategy of do nothing and let the rebels raid the country."Sword, p. 278. Grant pressured Thomas to move, despite a bitter ice storm that struck on December 8 and stopped much fortification on both sides. A few days later, Grant sent an aide to relieve Thomas of command, believing that Hood would slip through his fingers. On December 13 , Maj. Gen. John A. Logan was directed to proceed to Nashville and assume command if, upon his arrival, Thomas had not yet initiated operations. He made it as far as Louisville by December 15 , but on that day the Battle of Nashville had finally begun. BATTLE |
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