Civil War Era Military Sites in Williams County, Tennessee (In Progress)

Civil War Era Military Sites in Williamson County, TN
From large battles to small skirmishes, Dyer's Compendium of the American Civil War identifies more than 10,000 military events that occurred during this turbulent period. Of these, 1,462 occurred in Tennessee placing our state second only to Virginia in the number of military activities. - Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association
There are 815 total site components in Tennessee and 65 extant buildings. There are 443 recorded sites in Tennessee. East Middle TN West TN 188 165 90__ 443 42% 37% 20%
Note: West TN has 21 counties; Middle TN has 41 counties; East TN has 32 counties.
Key middle TN counties with the Civil War era sites:

Williamson County Davidson Robertson Three types of components: Military site component terms: Entrenchment, redoubt, redan, lunette, priest cap, artillery emplacement, earthwork, fort, stockade, blockhouse, railroad guard post, battlefield (sm), battlefield (lge), encampment (short-term), encampment (long-term), hospital (short-term), hospital (long-term), headquarters, prison, signal station, magazine, cemetery Extant Relevant Building (i.e., Carnton, Carter House, etc.) Other Foundry, grist mill, petroglyph, railroad depot, saltpeter mine, shipyard, train wreck 50 77 48 (11%) (17%) (11%)
By Kraig W. McNutt, Blogger BattleofFranklin.net and founder of The Center for the Study of the American Civil War. BattleofFranklin@yahoo.com Page 1
WILLIAMSON COUNTY
Williamson County - 50 sites total Military site components Extant buildings Other 43 7 0 50 total
Most numerous kinds of components in Williamson county: Entrenchments Hospital (short-term) Extant relevant building Encampment (long-term) Headquarters Redoubt Others combined 9 7 7 5 4 3 15
Entrenchments (Nine components): Fort Granger (U) Ropers Knob (U) Battle of Franklin (U) Triune, defenses (U) Triune, defenses (U) Carter House (U) 1 1 1 4 1 1
Hospital - short-term (Seven components): Carnton ( C ) Carter House (U) Masonic Hall (C/U) Courthouse (C/U) Figuers House (C/U) St. Pauls Episcopal (C/U) Harrison House ( C ) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Extant Relevant Building (Seven components): Carnton ( C ) Carter House (U) Masonic Hall (C/U) Courthouse (C/U) Figuers House (C/U) St. Pauls Episcopal (C/U) Harrison House ( C ) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Encampment - long-term (Five components): Fort Granger (U) Ropers Knob (U) Franklin defenses (U) Franklin defenses (U) Triune defenses (U) Headquarters (Four components): Carter House (U) Courthouse (C/U) Figuers House (C/U) Harrison House ( C ) Redoubt (Three components): Ropers Knob (U) Triune defenses (U) Other (selected) Forts (Two components): Fort Granger (U) Triune defenses (U) 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Blockade (one component): Ropers Knob (U) Battlefield - large (Two components) Battle of Franklin Carter House [Eastern Flank] 1 1 1*
*The 2003 survey did not include Carnton/Eastern Flank as a large battlefield site because it was still the old golf course. Id argue that the Eastern Flank should be officially added as a middle TN Civil War era site.
Signal Station (Two components): Ropers Knob (U) Triune defenses (U) 1 1
Cemetery (One component) Carnton (McGavock Confederate Cemetery)* *McGavock is only one of three Civil War cemeteries in all of middle TN; the others are Guests Hollow in
Warren County and Stones River in Murfreesboro. There are twelve total Civil War cemeteries in all of Tennessee.
Entrenchments
Fort Granger (U) Ropers Knob (U) Battle of Franklin (U) Triune, defenses (U) Triune, defenses (U) Carter House (U) 1 1 1 4 1 1
Entrenchments were the most basic of the many kinds of earthen defensive constructions used during the Civil War, and their remains constitute one of the most common Civil War era archaeological components recorded in Tennessee. The terms breastwork and the pit are often used as synonymous with entrenchment. . . . . In its simple form an entrenchment was often no more than a dirt and parapet, with the dirt taken from the ditch thrown up in front of the work. . . . Parapets were sometimes constructed using locally available materials such as stones or logs . . . Complex entrenchments, especially those used in connections with large earthen fortifications, often also included such features as outer ditches, headlogs (at the top of the parapet), palisades, advance rifle pits, and abatis.
- A Survey of Civil War Era Military Sites in Tennessee, Samuel D. Smith and Benjamin C. Nance. TN Dept of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology. 2003: p. 99.
Fort Granger
Fort Granger was a Union earthwork fortification that was built between March and May of 1863 when Federal forces occupied Franklin. It is named after Union General Gordon Granger. Laborers worked around the clock to construct it, even using some materials from local residents homes. Originally about 781 by 346 wide, the fort encompassed nearly twelve acres (11.76). It sits right on the Harpeth River, near downtown Franklin. The parapets face a southwestern direction. There were two fortified fronts on the northern and eastern sides. The walls were packed with dirt and supported by wood timbers. By Kraig W. McNutt, Blogger BattleofFranklin.net and founder of The Center for the Study of the American Civil War. BattleofFranklin@yahoo.com Page 5
By April of 1863, Fort Granger held 18 field guns and two 30 pound siege cannons. With 314 officers and 5,494 men, most of the artillery fired through embrasures (openings in the parapet walls). At full capacity, the fort housed 5,194 infantry troops, 2,728 cavalry and 24 artillery pieces. Fort Granger played an important role in military actions of April 10, 1863 and June 4, 1863. Shells from the fort landed in some Franklin houses during the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, during which it served as the final headquarters for Federal General John M. Schofield. During that engagement the fort held 8,500 soldiers and 24 pieces of artillery. The area south of Franklin was a "no-man's" land of guerilla warfare and reprisals. Fort Granger was attacked several times by Confederate cavalry units.
Union General Gordon Granger
Long neglected after the Civil War, Fort Granger was purchased by The City of Franklin in the 1970's.
(Text Adapted From: "Fort Granger's History" signage, located in the center of the fort's open area, between the Middle Bastion and the SE Bastion).
Google Map view of Fort Granger, looking southwest. FranklinBattlefield.com
When walking into the entrance to Fort Granger today you will enter in from the Middle Bastion. The far wall facing opposite the bastions sits atop Figuers Bluff and the Harpeth River is below.
S E N W
Entrance Parking Area
The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union ... (p. 979) By United States. War Dept, Robert Nicholson Scott
The Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War in the United States of America (Volume 2): 421.
Prominent Franklin resident Royce prosecutes claim for loss of home during the Civil War (Transcription of letter)
David Campbell Esquire Dear Sir,
I neglected to speak to you yesterday in regard to prosecuting a claim for damages for my wifes property which was destroyed by the Federal army under General Granger. I will therefore make a brief statement of the facts in the case and would like to be advised what steps are necessary to be taken in the matter. The house where we formerly lived was deeded by me and W. S. McLemore (the former trustee for my wife) to myself as trustee for my wife and children some two years before the war The deed was drawn by John Marshall and I had a perfect night to make the deed as I had sufficient property outside of that to meet all my debts and have a surplus. At the time my wife was ordered out of the lines she informed the authorities that the house was her property and she delivered the key to General Grangers Adjutant notifying him that she should hold him responsible for its safe keeping. She had never been required to take the oath of allegiance and of course had never refused [end page one] to take it. She had never been charged with doing any act prejudicial to the U.S. Army and as a matter of fact had done no such act. She had not been off her lot for three months previous to her being sent away, except twice, and no one was with her in the house except my two little girls, one eight and the other six years old. You are aware how the house was destroyed after she left, being hauled away by government wagons to the fort for the purpose of making barracks for soldiers. I estimate the damage to the property at five thousand dollars ($5,000) as I am satisfied it could not be restored for anything less than that amount. If there us any reasonable prospect of obtaining damages I wish to have steps taken immediately to prosecute the claim, and would like to be furnished with papers in proper form if it is necessary for me to certify to any such. All the facts stated here can be proven by witnesses now in Franklin. I am yours very truly, M.S. Royce
Courtesy: The Kraig McNutt Civil War Collection
Triune defense
The Federal earthworks at Triune are near pristine examples of military engineering. They represent what the outer earthworks at Nashville and Franklin would have looked like had they survived the ensuing 143 years. These works, the centerpiece of the southern perimeter of defenses around Nashville, were built in 1863 by the same engineering team that built Forts Granger and Ropers Knob, Rosecrans in Murfreesboro and Negley in Nashville. Following the Battle of Stones River on Dec. 30-31, 1863 the Confederate Army of Tennessee took up defensive positions on a line from Shelbyville to Spring Hill. During the first six months of 1863, the Federal Army of the Cumberland fortified a line of defenses from Murfreesboro to Franklin. The fortifications at Triune, in place by March 8th, were constructed on three hilltops just north of Triune. Redoubts, artillery positions, and powder magazines were connected by trenches and rifle pits. The post was part of the signal link between Franklin and Murfreesboro. Because of the crossroad at Triunes importance and the size of the garrison, the site saw numerous skirmishes from March through June of 1863. It was a major staging area for 10,000 of the troops that moved against the Confederates as part of the Tullahoma Campaign beginning in late June. For the remainder of 1863 and 1864 the fortifications were garrisoned by Federal troops. With the approach of the Confederate army back into middle Tennessee in November 1864, the post was evacuated. Following the Battle of Nashville, the fort was reoccupied by Federal troops and garrisoned until the end of the war, when it was abandoned.
Source: The Murfreesboro Post
More entrenchments:
Fort Granger Ropers knob Battle of franklin Triune defenses Carter house
Hospital short-term
Carnton ( C ) Carter House (U) Masonic Hall (C/U) Courthouse (C/U) Figuers House (C/U) St. Pauls Episcopal (C/U) Harrison House ( C ) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Carnton
A short-term Confederate field hospital during and after the Battle of Franklin. The then-home of John and Carrie McGavock. Carnton is also the setting for Robert Hicks best-selling Widow of the South.
Carnton - photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt.
Carter House
A short-term Confederate and Union field hospital during and after the Battle of Franklin. The then-home of Moscow B. Carter. Captain Todd C. Carter, 20th TN C.S.A. fell wounded close to his own home and was carried to his bedroom mortally wounded. He died short thereafter.
Carter House - photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt. Below: The WCHS.
Masonic Hall
A short-term Confederate and Union field hospital during and after the Battle of Franklin.
Masonic Hall - photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt. Below: the WCHS.
Williamson County Courthouse

Photo courtesy of The Williamson County Historical Society
Figuers House
Photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt.
St. Pauls Episcopal Church

Image courtesy of the WCHS.
Harrison House
A short-term Confederate field hospital during and after the Battle of Franklin.
Photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt
Here, Sept. 2, 1864, the mortally wounded Brig. Gen. John H. Kelly, CSA, was brought after the affair between his cavalry division and Federals under Brig. Gen. James D. Brownlow. He was buried in the garden, in 1866 reinterred in Mobile. Here Gen. Hood held his last staff conference before committing his army to the Battle of Franklin, Nov. 30, 1864. Here the wounded Brig. Gen. John C. Carter was brought after that battle. He died Dec. 10, 1864, and was buried in Columbia, 16 mi. south
Battlefield
Battle of franklin
Merril Map
Carter house
The fiercest fighting during the battle of Franklin (November 30, 1864) centered around the home of Fountain Branch Carter (see above), looking East. Hundreds of wounded and dead could be seen from the porch after the battle. Many of those Confederate soldiers would eventually be interred at McGavock cemetery close by.
Eastern flank
Click on map to see an enlarge map with more scope
As you can see on the map above, the Confederate brigades of Scott and Featherston assaulted the far left Union flank by sweeping across what is currently known as the Eastern flank. Hundreds of Rebel boys were killed on tis part of the field including hundreds from Mississippi and Alabama.
Signal station
ROPERS KNOB
Indiana soldier writes about war worn Franklin in May 1863 Scot Butler served in the 33rd Indiana Infantry and the U.S. Signal Corps. By 1863 he was in the Signal Corps and stationed in Franklin, Tennessee. The following account is taken from Affectionately Yours: The Civil War Home-Front Letters of the Ovid Butler Family. Edited by Barbara Butler Davis. 2004. The Signal Corps holds communication from one wing to the other of Rosecrans army. The station which I am on is situated on a hill near Franklin, several hundred feet above the surrounding country and its warlike occupants. From here we command one of the most beautiful landscape views I ever beheld. This is called the Garden Spot of America. Away off to the north stretches a valley of unrivaled beauty. Alternate patches of meadow and woodland, its dashing streams, shining through the mist of morning like threads of silver, and the hills, ranged on each side, clothed with towering trees and stand like eternal sentinels over this scene of seeming quiet beauty and content. What a beautiful place was Franklin & its surroundings of elegant country mansions and extensive plantations before the hearts of the people were corrupted by political leaders, in their lust for power. Franklin is war worn. The shattered glass in her churches and school houses, her lonely streets and the closed shutters of her store houses, the battered doors and ruined machinery of her manufactories, and above all that deathlike, breathless silence, that absence of all sound, that can be felt no where but at the desolate hearthstone, here reigns supreme. Here and there a lounger attired in the butternut garb of chivalry, with hate gleaming in his eyes. p: 27-28
Cemetery Mcgavock confederate cemetery
The McGavock Confederate Cemetery is the largest privately held Confederate cemetery in the United States. It is located in Franklin, Tennessee. The nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers buried there were casualties during the Battle of Franklin that took place November 30, 1864. 780 of the soldiers identities are known today, leaving 558 as unknown but not forgotten. Most of the Confederate (and Union dead) were buried near and along the length of the Federal breastworks, which spanned the Southern edge of what was then Franklin, according to Jacobson; The McGavock Confederate Cemetery, p. 21. Union dead were placed by twos in shallow grave in long rows by their comrades without marking the identities. Many of the Union dead were later removed either by family or loved ones or by the military and relocated in graves at home or buried at the Stones River National Cemetery in Murfreesboro, TN. The Union soldiers interred at Stones River were placed there by the 11th United States Color Troops, according to Jacobson: McGavock, p. 22. However, the identities of the Confederate dead at Franklin, some 1,750, were mostly identified by burial teams the next day (December 1st). They were not buried in mass graves. Rather, soldier burial teams took great care to collect and identify their fallen comrades placing makeshift wooden markers at the head of the graves, identifying the men by name, rank, Regiment and the Company they served in. Most of the Confederate dead found initial rest on the property of Fountain Branch Carter and James McNutt. Carter had the largest section of land with killed. He also lost his own son, By Kraig W. McNutt, Blogger BattleofFranklin.net and founder of The Center for the Study of the American Civil War. BattleofFranklin@yahoo.com Page 32
Todd Carter, in the Battle of Franklin. The Carter-McNutt land would be but a temporary rest until the bodies were transferred to their permanent home some eighteen months later, in June 1866. Source: excerpted from the Wikipedia article (authored by Tellinghistory, the owner of this blog site)
Think through these issues: Assistance from : a. TSLA b. Carter House Archives c. Carnton d. State/City depts. and people i. Tennessee Wars Commission ii. Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association e. Relic hunters Modern-day pics Older pics in appendices Modern video Presentation formats: a. Written article b. FCWRT c. Franklins Charge d. Guidebook e. Col. State class f. BoF blog g. WCHS newsletter h. Documentary Share info with: a. Tourism bureau b. Eric | Thomas c. Franklin Battlefield Trust
Tennessee Wars Commission

http://www.tennessee.gov/environment/hist/tn_wars_com.shtml
The Tennessee General Assembly enacted legislation in April 1994 creating the Tennessee Wars Commission, which is administratively attached to the Tennessee Historical Commission. The duties of the Wars Commission include the coordination of planning, preservation, and promotion of structures, buildings, sites, and battlefields of Tennessee associated with the French and Indian War (1754-1763), American Revolution War (1775-1783), War of 1812 (1812-1815), U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848), and the War Between the States (1861-1865). The Commission has developed a plan that provides incentives to local landowners and governments to preserve and restore battlefields and historic sites related to the above time frames. It is charged with acquiring or providing funds for the acquisition of battlegrounds, cemeteries, and other historic properties associated with the wars. The Commission has the authority to expend funds received from state appropriations, and other sources, to make grants to municipalities, counties, and nonprofit organizations for the purposes of maintaining and restoring existing memorials and cemeteries related to the wars. It is also authorized to receive and accept loans, gifts, grants, donations, or contributions of money, property, facilities, and services. The Commission may, with the consent of the landowner, acquire by donation, purchase, or exchange, lands and interests in battlefields, together with lands and interest in lands necessary to provide adequate public access to the battlefields and memorials. Subject to appropriations for such purposes, the Commission may make funds available for the maintenance and protection of battlefields and memorials. The Tennessee Wars Commission has published several brochures providing information about Civil War sites in Tennessee as well as a comprehensive plan entitled, Preservation and Interpretation Plan for Civil War Resources in Tennessee. An Emmy Award-winning video, Hallowed Ground, Preserving Tennessee's Civil War Battlefields, is being sent to over 2000 Tennessee public schools for use in their libraries and history classes associated with the 5th, 8th, and 11th grades.
Wars Commission Members

Mr. Sam Elliott, Chairman Mr. Norm Hill Ms. Joanne Moore Ms. Clarene Russell Mr. Fred Prouty, Director 615/532-1550 ext. 104 Fred.Prouty@tn.gov
Tennessee Civil War Sourcebook (a TWC resource) http://tennessee.civilwarsourcebook.com/ By Kraig W. McNutt, Blogger BattleofFranklin.net and founder of The Center for the Study of the American Civil War. BattleofFranklin@yahoo.com Page 36
The Tennessee Civil War Sourcebook is a searchable collection of over 7,000 articles chronicling the Civil War in Tennessee from September 1, 1863 through September 30, 1865. Use the searchbox below to query the articles in Sourcebook. You can also use the Search Box at the top right of each page.
Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association http://www.tcwpa.org/ Our Mission The Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association's mission is to protect, interpret and make accessible Tennessees surviving Civil War battlefields and contributing landscapes for the benefit of present and future generations. Who We Are We are mostly Tennesseans, but our members are from several other states. TCWPA members are active preservationists, genealogists, armchair historians, doctors, lawyers, educators, heritage tourism advocates, corporate leaders, young people and seniors all dedicated to preserving and interpreting Tennessees large network of Civil War Battlefields. What We Do TCWPA raises funds to protect Civil War battlefields, promotes their preservation and interpretation, and provides an ongoing battlefields assessment program. TCWPA facilitiates a statewide network of local preservation organizations. We do events, we do campaigns, we do awards and we do learning. 2008 Annual Report: http://www.sitemason.com/files/i20jRu/annual_report_2008.pdf Contact us: info@tcwpa.org Write to us at: TCWPA, P.O. Box 148535, Nashville, TN 37214
The Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association (TCWPA) has developed the Tennessee Battlefield Assessment to capture our state's rich Civil War heritage by inventorying the many sites of conflict and documenting their current condition. Our goal is to create the most complete reference source of Tennessee Civil War military events and to make it easily accessible. We are creating a database that will answer such questions as how many Civil War battles
occurred in Tennessee, when they were, what happened at each, which sites survive, which are threatened, who is working to preserve them, and which are accessible to visitors. We welcome you to this work-in-progress and ask for your help in making this information more complete.
Our Board of Directors lead our non-profit organization and are from all parts of the state President James W. Danley (Germantown) Vice President Julian Bibb (Franklin) Vice President Joe Smyth (Franklin) Vice President Doug Jones (Nashville) Other Board members Sam Elliott (Chattanooga) Jack Fishman (Morristown) Joan Markel (Knoxville) Lee Millar (Collierville) Phil Walker (Nashville)
Bibliography A Survey of Civil War Era Military Sites in Tennessee, Samuel D. Smith and Benjamin C. Nance. TN Dept of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology. 2003.

Civil War Era Military Sites in Williams County, Tennessee (In Progress)

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Civil War Era Military Sites in Williams County, Tennessee (In Progress)

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Civil War Era Military Sites in Williamson County, TN

Key middle TN counties with the Civil War era sites:

Google Map view of Fort Granger, looking southwest. FranklinBattlefield.com

Entrance Parking Area

Courtesy: The Kraig McNutt Civil War Collection

Source: The Murfreesboro Post

Carnton - photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt.

Carter House - photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt. Below: The WCHS.

Masonic Hall - photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt. Below: the WCHS.

Williamson County Courthouse

Photo courtesy of The Williamson County Historical Society

Photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt.

St. Pauls Episcopal Church

Image courtesy of the WCHS.

Photo courtesy of Kraig McNutt

Click on map to see an enlarge map with more scope

Cemetery Mcgavock confederate cemetery

Tennessee Wars Commission

Wars Commission Members

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