New effort to preserve more of the Battlefield at Franklin.

[semperpietas]

Got this in my email. Made a donation. I make an appeal to other members here to do so as well if they can.

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields...franklin-2012/

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields...ttlefield.html

[Zouave]

Chase,

This is your reward for preserving a piece of your nation's history.

General Patrick R. Cleburne by Don Troiani



LARGER IMAGE: http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/362...ckcleburne.jpg

[Zouave]

Btw... About the image above...

November 30,1864 - General Cleburne, the gallant leader is pictured here leading his troops in their headlong frontal assault on the entrenched Northerners at Franklin, Tennessee.

[semperpietas]

Originally Posted by Zouave

Btw... About the image above...

November 30,1864 - General Cleburne, the gallant leader is pictured here leading his troops in their headlong frontal assault on the entrenched Northerners at Franklin, Tennessee.

One of the more tragic stories of the Civil War. As Hood finished the council of war on which he gave the orders for his army to launch that fateful assault at the Harrison House, he approached Cleburne as the latter mounted his horse.

Hood told Cleburne:

General, form your division to the right of the pike, letting your left overlap the same. General Brown will form on the left with his right overlapping you left. I wish you to move on the enemy. Give orders to your men not to fire a gun until you run the Yankee skirmish line from behind te first line of works in your front, then press them and sott them in their backs as they run to their main line: then charge the enemy's works. Franklin is the key to Nashville, and Nashville is the key to Indepedence.

Cleburne replied:

General, I will take the works or fall in the effort.

After another meeting with with the ranking officers and Hood, Cleburne rode to brief his brigade commanders. His senior commander, Brigadier General Daniel C. Govan, a fellow Arkansan, remarked after observing the strength of the Federal works:

Well General, there will not be many of us to get back to Arkansas.

Cleburne returned:

Well Govan, if we are to die, let us die like men.

Cleburne's division formed the center of the Confederate assault. As Cheatham's right most division, he connected to French's division of Stewart's Corps and his division would move right up the Columbia turnpike. Brown Division, also of Cheatham's Corps, was on Cleburne's left. As did the rest of the Confederate divisions, Cleburne deployed into two lines, an assault line and a supporting line, even though he appealed directly to Hood to form his assault in column of brigades and was over-ruled.
On his front line, Hiram Granbury's Texas Brigade formed the left, and Govan's Arkansans formed the right. Mark Lowrey's Alabamians and Mississippians formed the support line.

As the assault began, Cleburne's Division moved forward. They overwhelmed George Wagner's outer Federals and drove towards the center of the Federal works. They came under galling fire. The division began to take heavy casualties. Hiram Granbury was killed. Cleburne was un-horsed twice by the fire. Undeterred, he waved his kepi, drew his sword, and plunged ahead of his men. A single musket ball struck Cleburne in his his chest near the heart, and in all likely hood, Cleburne died before he fell to the ground.

[Nickuru]

John Bell Hood was a brave soldier, a great inspirer of his troops. But he did not have the patience to work out a strategic plan. It should have been clear that frontal assaults on prepared enemy defenses were wasteful of one's troops. Like the Europeans would learn in WWI.

[semperpietas]

Originally Posted by Nickuru

John Bell Hood was a brave soldier, a great inspirer of his troops. But he did not have the patience to work out a strategic plan. It should have been clear that frontal assaults on prepared enemy defenses were wasteful of one's troops. Like the Europeans would learn in WWI.

Franklin was a great blunder on Hood's part. That said, Schofield had slipped through Hood's trap at Spring Hill (which was a flanking maneuver) and if Hood did nothing, Schofield would escape to Nashville. Hood gambled that if the attack would work, it would hurt Schofield before he could get to Nashville. There was not time for a flanking maneuver, nor would the terrain (which was open for miles) allow it. It was either sit at Winstead Hill and watch Schofield retreat across the Harpeth unmolested, or try to "drive him into the river by Bayonet point".

[Zouave]

Originally Posted by semperpietas

One of the more tragic stories of the Civil War. As Hood finished the council of war on which he gave the orders for his army to launch that fateful assault at the Harrison House, he approached Cleburne as the latter mounted his horse.

Hood told Cleburne:



Cleburne replied:



After another meeting with with the ranking officers and Hood, Cleburne rode to brief his brigade commanders. His senior commander, Brigadier General Daniel C. Govan, a fellow Arkansan, remarked after observing the strength of the Federal works:



Cleburne returned:



Cleburne's division formed the center of the Confederate assault. As Cheatham's right most division, he connected to French's division of Stewart's Corps and his division would move right up the Columbia turnpike. Brown Division, also of Cheatham's Corps, was on Cleburne's left. As did the rest of the Confederate divisions, Cleburne deployed into two lines, an assault line and a supporting line, even though he appealed directly to Hood to form his assault in column of brigades and was over-ruled.
On his front line, Hiram Granbury's Texas Brigade formed the left, and Govan's Arkansans formed the right. Mark Lowrey's Alabamians and Mississippians formed the support line.

As the assault began, Cleburne's Division moved forward. They overwhelmed George Wagner's outer Federals and drove towards the center of the Federal works. They came under galling fire. The division began to take heavy casualties. Hiram Granbury was killed. Cleburne was un-horsed twice by the fire. Undeterred, he waved his kepi, drew his sword, and plunged ahead of his men. A single musket ball struck Cleburne in his his chest near the heart, and in all likely hood, Cleburne died before he fell to the ground.

Thanks for that, Chase. Gave me goosebumps. History comes alive through your words.

[semperpietas]

Originally Posted by Zouave

Thanks for that, Chase. Gave me goosebumps. History comes alive through your words.

Eric Jacobson, in his book for Cause & for Country tells it far better than I can.

[RuselUpsomegrub]

About a month ago, I received the same appeal letter. I filled it out and made a donation, I was told I would get a Cap and some more info, but still nothing.