— Ch. 1 · Campaign Context And Strategy —
Battle of Nashville.
~7 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
In November 1864, Confederate Lieutenant General John Bell Hood moved his Army of Tennessee northwest to disrupt Union supply lines. He hoped to force Major General William T. Sherman into a battle on ground favorable to the Confederates. Instead, Sherman chose to march east toward Savannah, leaving Hood's army and the defense of Tennessee to Major General George H. Thomas. Hood devised a plan to defeat Thomas while his forces were geographically divided. He pursued Union Major General John M. Schofield from Pulaski to Columbia. At Spring Hill on the 29th of November 1864, Confederate command miscommunications allowed Schofield to slip past Hood's army unscathed. Furious at this failure, Hood chased Schofield north to Franklin. There he ordered nearly 31,000 men to assault Union fortifications before Schofield could cross the Harpeth River. The Union soldiers repulsed multiple assaults and inflicted over 6,000 casualties on the Confederates. This included many key Confederate generals who died or were wounded. Schofield withdrew during the night and marched into Nashville on December 1. Thomas now commanded a combined force of approximately 55,000 men.
Defensive Fortifications And Forces
Union forces had been constructing defensive works around Nashville since February 1862. By late 1864, a seven-mile-long semicircular line protected the city from attacks coming from the south and west. The largest fort in this line was Fort Negley. The trench line extended further west after December 1. The Cumberland River formed a natural barrier on the north and east sides of the city. Smith's troops arrived by river on November 30, escorted by ironclad gunboats that made the river well-defended. From east to west, Steedman's division manned the first sector, followed by Schofield's XXIII Corps, Wood's IV Corps, and finally Smith's XVI Corps Detachment. Hood's Army of Tennessee arrived south of the city on December 2. He took up positions facing the southerly portion of the Union line. Since he lacked sufficient strength for an assault, Hood chose to entrench and wait. He hoped Thomas would attack him first. Confederate lines stretched about four miles and faced the Union defenses. From right to left stood Cheatham's corps, Lee's corps, and Stewart's corps. Cavalry under Brigadier General James R. Chalmers operated southwest of the city. Five small detached redoubts secured the Confederate left flank. Each redoubt held two to four guns with garrisons of about 150 men. Many soldiers slept in simple pits large enough for two or three men. Alabama soldier Edgar Jones noted these shelters gave him a graveyard feeling.The First Day Assaults
Thomas planned a diversionary attack on the Confederate right to distract them from his main strike against their left. Two brigades from Steedman's Provisional Division led this effort. The First Colored Brigade included three regiments of United States Colored Troops who had previously served as railroad guards. A second brigade consisted of new conscripts, convalescents, and bounty jumpers. These units advanced and overran a weak skirmish line east of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad. They then came under heavy artillery fire from a Confederate battery west of the tracks. When they passed Granbury's Lunette, they suffered close-range enfilading fire. Both brigades retreated in disorder but reformed to continue firing on Confederate works. The attack failed to distract Confederates, who instead sent reinforcements to bolster their threatened left flank. Meanwhile, Wilson's Cavalry Corps moved west along Charlotte Pike through Belle Meade Plantation. An early morning fog dissipated, allowing Union troops to drive off Confederate cavalry patrols between the left flank and the Cumberland River. Smith's XVI Corps detachment followed, turning south toward the Confederate flank. At 2:30 pm, Union troops attacked five redoubts guarding the Confederate left. Four brigades overran Redoubt No. 4 and Redoubt No. 5 despite spirited resistance. Another brigade captured Redoubt No. 3, though its commander Colonel Sylvester G. Hill died from artillery fire. Smith's troops proceeded to capture Redoubt No. 2. Stewart's corps had been wrecked by the day's fighting and retreated to a new defensive line a mile or two south.The Decisive Second Day
On December 16, Hood established a much stronger and more compact defensive line anchored at Peach Orchard Hill. The western flank ran along hills leading south from Compton's Hill, later named Shy's Hill after Colonel William M. Shy who died defending it. Lee's Corps held the right flank while Stewart's Corps occupied the center. Cheatham's Corps stood on the left flank including Shy's Hill. The defenses atop Shy's Hill appeared strong but were actually flawed. Trenches sat on the geographical crest rather than the military crest, allowing attackers to escape fire until nearly reaching the top. Fortifications built overnight consisted of shallow trenches without head logs or abatis. Thomas repeated his previous tactics with an attack on the right to draw Confederate troops away from the left. At about 3 pm, Union forces attacked Peach Orchard Hill in greater strength than the day before. Concentrated musket and artillery fire broke up the assault. The trailing regiment of the 2nd Colored Brigade lost one flag and 220 officers and men, representing about 40% of its strength. This attack drew two brigades from Cheatham to reinforce Lee, thinning the Confederate line further. Brigadier General John McArthur decided to attack Shy's Hill immediately at 3:30 pm without waiting for orders. Three brigade attacks began on McArthur's timetable. One brigade went over Shy's Hill while another hit Confederates distracted by fighting elsewhere. A third brigade caught skirmishers outside their lines and entered the Confederate positions. The Confederate left flank suddenly disintegrated as the line rolled up west to east.Casualties And Aftermath
Federal casualties totaled 387 killed, 2,562 wounded, and 112 missing during the battle. Confederate losses remain difficult to determine since few units submitted reports. Thomas reported capturing 4,561 prisoners in the battle itself with an unknown number captured during retreat. One historian estimated that 2,500 Confederates were killed or wounded at Nashville. The Army of Tennessee entered Middle Tennessee with approximately 38,000 men excluding Forrest's cavalry. After severe casualties at Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville, plus at least 2,000 desertions, Hood reported an effective strength of only 18,742 men on January 20. General P. G. T. Beauregard advised Confederate President Jefferson Davis that fewer than 15,000 men remained. On the 13th of January 1865, Hood resigned his command after retreating to Tupelo, Mississippi. His career ended without another field command. The Battle of Nashville marked the effective end of the Army of Tennessee. Historian David Eicher noted that while Hood mortally wounded his army at Franklin, he killed it two weeks later at Nashville. Union pursuit slowed because Thomas had sent his pontoon bridge train toward Murfreesboro instead of Franklin. Wilson's cavalry aggressively pursued Confederates as they retreated to Columbia but stopped due to supply shortages. Forrest arrived in Columbia from Murfreesboro on December 18 with two cavalry divisions. Confederate infantry crossed the Duck River at Columbia on December 19, destroying bridges behind them. Hood got his army across the Tennessee River near Bainbridge, Alabama by December 28 despite low water levels preventing Union gunboats from interdicting the crossing.Preservation And Commemoration
The Nashville battlefield encompasses almost all of south and west Nashville today. Residents living in neighborhoods like Green Hills, Forest Hills, Oak Hill, Lipscomb, or Brentwood now live atop former battlefields. In the early twentieth century, efforts to create a National Battlefield Park failed due to lack of support from Nashville civic leaders who were Southerners uninterested in commemorating such a profound Confederate defeat. Most of the battlefield has been lost to development though small parts remain preserved. A Battle of Nashville monument created in 1927 by Giuseppe Moretti honors soldiers of both sides. Erected after World War I, it celebrated national unity before being severely damaged by a tornado in 1974. Interstate highway construction left the monument landlocked on a small plot overlooking massive highway interchanges until its relocation in 1999 to Nashville Battlefield Park. Minnesota erected a large monument in 1920 in the Nashville National Cemetery honoring its soldiers who died there. The state lost more men at Nashville than any other Civil War battle. Private citizens erected a United States Colored Troops monument in 2006 honoring soldiers buried in the cemetery. The Battle of Nashville Preservation Society erected Shy's Hill memorials including three flags representing American, Confederate, and Minnesota forces. A marker placed on Shy's Hill slope in late 2014 honored contributions from Minnesota regiments. Historic homes like Belle Meade Plantation show bullet scars believed to be from the battle. Belmont Mansion served as Union headquarters while Travellers Rest housed Army of Tennessee command. Fort Negley, built between 1862 and 1863 by African Americans forcibly impressed by Union military government, fired the first shots in the battle.Common questions
When did the Battle of Nashville take place?
The Battle of Nashville took place from December 15 to the 16th of December 1864. Confederate forces arrived south of the city on December 2 and Union troops attacked five redoubts guarding the Confederate left flank at 2:30 pm on December 15.
Who commanded the Union Army during the Battle of Nashville?
Major General George H. Thomas commanded the combined Union force of approximately 55,000 men during the battle. Major General John M. Schofield led XXIII Corps while Brigadier General James R. Chalmers operated cavalry southwest of the city for the Confederates.
What were the casualties for the Union Army in the Battle of Nashville?
Federal casualties totaled 387 killed, 2,562 wounded, and 112 missing during the battle. The Army of Tennessee entered Middle Tennessee with approximately 38,000 men but reported an effective strength of only 18,742 men on January 20 after severe losses.
Where is the site of the Battle of Nashville located today?
The Nashville battlefield encompasses almost all of south and west Nashville today including neighborhoods like Green Hills, Forest Hills, Oak Hill, Lipscomb, and Brentwood. Fort Negley was built between 1862 and 1863 by African Americans forcibly impressed by Union military government and fired the first shots in the battle.
Why did Confederate Lieutenant General John Bell Hood lose the Battle of Nashville?
Confederate Lieutenant General John Bell Hood lost the battle because his army suffered severe casualties at Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville plus at least 2,000 desertions. He resigned his command on the 13th of January 1865 after retreating to Tupelo, Mississippi and his career ended without another field command.