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Battle of Nashville

The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign[3][4] that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lieutenant General John Bell Hood and the Union Army of the Cumberland (Dept. of the Cumberland) (AoC) under Major General George H. Thomas. In one of the largest victories achieved by the Union Army during the war, Thomas attacked and routed Hood's army, largely destroying it as an effective fighting force.[5][note 2]

commanded by Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Wood, with divisions commanded by Brig. Gens. Nathan Kimball, Washington Lafayette Elliott, and Samuel Beatty;

IV Corps

commanded by Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield, with divisions commanded by Maj. Gen. Darius N. Couch and Brig. Gen. Jacob D. Cox;

Army of the Ohio

"Detachment of the Army of the Tennessee" (former Right Wing, ), commanded by Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith, with divisions commanded by Brig. Gens. John McArthur and Kenner Garrard and Col Jonathan B. Moore;

XVI Corps

Provisional Detachment (District of the Etowah), commanded by Maj. Gen. , with a division (named "Provisional Division") commanded by Brig. Gen. Charles Cruft, two brigades of U.S.C.T. reporting directly to Steedman,[note 8] and the Post of Nashville commanded by Brig. Gen. John F. Miller.[note 9]

James B. Steedman

Cavalry Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. , with divisions commanded by Brig. Gen. Edward M. McCook, Edward Hatch, Richard W. Johnson, and Joseph F. Knipe.

James H. Wilson

Aftermath[edit]

Casualties[edit]

Federal casualties in the battle totaled 387 killed, 2,562 wounded, and 112 missing.[89]


As only a few of the Confederate units submitted reports on the battle, Confederate casualties are difficult to determine. Thomas reported capturing 4,561 prisoners in the battle itself, with an unknown number captured during the retreat. One historian made an educated guess that 2,500 Confederates were killed and wounded at Nashville.[90]

: A skirmish was fought on the front lawn, though the scars on the columns on the front porch previously believed to be bullet holes are actually signs of erosion of the lime stone.

Belle Meade Plantation

: Served as Union General Thomas Woods's headquarters. The Belmont Water Tower on the grounds of the mansion served as a signal station.

Belmont Mansion

: Served as headquarters of the Army of Tennessee.

Travellers Rest

Sunnyside: This antebellum home in the 12 South District of Nashville lay between the Union and Confederate lines. It was used as a hospital after the first day's battle. It is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Historical Commission and has not been completely restored.

Glen Leven: This Greek Revival home on Franklin Pike was built in 1857. It was used as a hospital by the Union during and after the battle. The home and the surrounding 65 acres (26 ha) were donated by the Thompson family to the in 2007. It is closed to the public except for special events.[100]

Land Trust for Tennessee

: Served as a hospital after the battle.

Downtown Presbyterian Church

Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation

: This large masonry fortification was built in 1862–1863 by African-Americans forcibly impressed by the Union military government. Guns placed there fired the first shots in the battle.[101] The fort is a ruin, but has been stabilized and interpreted.[102]

Fort Negley

: Union dead from the battle (and some Confederate dead) were buried in an annex to this ante-bellum cemetery.[103]

Nashville City Cemetery

Kelley's Point: This is a short but attractive greenway that runs from a Lowe's Super Center parking lot on Charlotte Pike at its intersection with Davidson Road to the site of a Confederate battery on the Cumberland River. The remains of earthworks are faintly visible.

[104]

List of National Historic Landmarks in Tennessee

National Register of Historic Places listings in Tennessee

Troop engagements of the American Civil War, 1864

List of costliest American Civil War land battles

and Battle of Franklin

Franklin-Nashville Campaign

Atlanta Campaign

Sherman's March

: Battle Maps, histories, photos, and preservation news (Civil War Trust)

The Battle of Nashville

Battle of Nashville In-Depth Academic description

Battle of Nashville Preservation Society

Battle of Nashville Monument

Animated History of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign

Travellers Rest Plantation

Battle of Nashville Tour of Historic Homes

General Thomas, the "sledge of Nashville"

This Week in the Civil War

Minnesota Civil War 150