The Battle of Franklin (TN): When the Devil had Full Possession of the Earth (Civil War Sesquicentennial) [Paperback]

James R. Knight (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 159629745X | ISBN-13: 978-1596297456 | Publication Date: October 21, 2009

In late November 1864, the last Southern army east of the Mississippi that was still free to maneuver started out from northern Alabama on the Confederacy's last offensive. John Bell Hood and his Army of Tennessee had dreams of capturing Nashville and marching on to the Ohio River, but a small Union force under Hood's old West Point roommate stood between him and the state capital. In a desperate attempt to smash John Schoeld's line at Franklin, Hood threw most of his men against the Union works, centered on the house of a family named Carter, and lost 30 percent of his attacking force in one afternoon, crippling his army and setting it up for a knockout blow at Nashville two weeks later. With firsthand accounts, letters and diary entries from the Carter House Archives, local historian James R. Knight paints a vivid picture of this gruesome conflict.

Other books in the Civil War Sesquicentennial Series include:The Battle of Antietam ♦ The Chancellorsville Campaign ♦ The Battle of South Mountain ♦ Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Valley Campaign ♦ Charleston Under Siege ♦ Andersonville Civil War Prison ♦ The Civil War at Perryville ♦ The Battle of Okolona ♦ Fort Davidson and the Battle of Pilot Knobb ♦ The Two Civil War Battles of Newtonia ♦ The Battle of Port Royal ♦ The Confederacy's Secret Weapon ♦ Lee in the Lowcountry ♦ Defending South Carolina's Coast ♦ Facing Sherman in South Carolina ♦ The Battle of Brandy Station ♦ The Battle of Cedar Creek ♦ The Battle of Fredericksburg ♦ The Battle of Piedmont ♦ The Battle of New Market Heights ♦ Big Bethel ♦ The Battle of Mine Creek ♦ West Virginia in the Civil War ♦ Civil War Atlanta ♦ The Battle of Westport ♦ The Union is Dissolved ♦ The Battle of Fort Donelson

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (October 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159629745X
• ISBN-13: 978-1596297456
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Savage battle, befittting book, June 10, 2011

By 

Dennis K. Taylor - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Battle of Franklin (TN): When the Devil had Full Possession of the Earth (Civil War Sesquicentennial) (Paperback)

Excellent treatment of this little known battle. While Sherman was beginning his "March to the Sea", Hood was in a race to Nashville where Thomas was vulnerable due to lack of troop concentration. Schofield was rushing to reenforce Nashville with Hood on his heels. The preliminary battle of Spring hill was fought setting the stage for the following day's savage battle in the little town of Franklin, Tennessee. This battle basically destroyed the CSA Army of Tennessee as a viable military entity.

Knight, who lives in Franklin, does a masterful job of combining tactical information, geographical issues, and most importantly the profound effect of commander personalities on the outcome. He also presents the human side of this battle making this a readable, interesting, and worthwhile experience for anyone interested in the Civil War or warfare and the human spirit in general.

The battle of Franklin also is marked by severe losses in the confederate general officer corps including Major General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne, probably the best division commander in any army of the CSA. Cleburne was cut down leading his division in a charge against the center of the Union defenses. Cleburne always led his men from the front.

Also helpful is the inclusion of readable maps, relevant photographs, and the Union and CSA Orders of Battle.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Noteworthy---James Knight's Battle of Franklin Has Fifth Printing In Three Years, August 17, 2011

By 

Rea Andrew Redd "Civil War Librarian" (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania metropolitan region) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Battle of Franklin (TN): When the Devil had Full Possession of the Earth (Civil War Sesquicentennial) (Paperback)

The History Press well serves the local, regional and state book markets. In the publisher's Civil War Sesquicentennial Series each book is a concise, illustrated history of an epic battle, a critical turning point, a pivotal campaign or an important city. The authors are respected Civil War scholars and regional historians who offer their research in crisply written, well illustrated and suitably mapped volumes. James R. Knight has offered two in this series; one on Fort Donelson and one on the Battle of Franklin. Both are fine examples of clear and complete within the series that has a 200 page, or there about, limit. A few weeks ago, CWL reviewed Fort Donelson: No Terms But Unconditional Surrender.

Franklin's battlefield is in the process of recovery from development. The Carter House is now a National Historic Landmark located on the field of the 1864 Battle of Franklin. The house serves as the interpretive center for the battle and features a museum and guided tours. Following the bloody battle on November 30, 1864, wounded soldiers were treated at the Carnton Plantation with its antebellum mansion. Probably four or more Confederate generals were laid out on its back porch. Nearby is the McGavock cemetery, one of the largest Confederate graveyards in the nation. Both of these sites were featured in Robert Hicks' bestselling novel The Widow of the South. The Lotz House Museum features artifacts and antiques from the Battle of Franklin, the Civil War, and frontier Tennessee. Organized in 2005, Franklin's Charge is an organization dedicated to preserving Civil War battlefields in Williamson County, Tennessee, and to educating the public about Civil War events occurring in Middle Tennessee. One of its goals is to bring together all preservation groups operating in Williamson County. James Knight's The Battle of Franklin is in part evidence that the citizens of Franklin and their neighbors have been successful their preservation efforts.

In late November 1864, the last mobile Southern army east of the Mississippi started out from northern Alabama on the Confederacy's last offensive. Army of Tennessee and John Bell Hood, its commander, set out to capture Nashville and then march on to the Ohio River. A small Union force, commanded by John Schofield, slipped by at Spring Hill and faced Hood's army at Franklin. In a desperate attempt to smash John Schofield's line at Franklin, Hood threw most men against the Federals' field fortifications the center of which as on the Carter house and its cotton gin. With reports from the Official Records, letters and diary entries from the Carter House Archives, middle Tennessee historian James R. Knight paints a vivid portrait of leaders and enlisted men.

Knight addresses what can be known of the battle and the questions are left unanswered. The questions of Hood punishing the army for its failure at Spring Hill, the likelyhood of Hood of being over medicated for wounds, and just how many dead Rebel generals were on the Carnton house front porch are reasonably answered by the author. Knight recovers the story of the civilians during the battle and their attempt to live after a battle which heavily damaged their property and filled their yards and fields with the dead and dying. He handles Hood's campaign strategy well and the army's path to middle Tennessee, the event at Spring Hill and John Schofield's mistakes and achievements during the retreat to Nashville. Federal and Confederate rank and file troops' testimony of the campaign is present in every chapter. Knight nicely concludes the book with a brief description of the demise of the Confederate army during and after the Battle of Nashville. Also, in an epilogue, Knight offers brief summaries of the commanders careers and lives after the battle and war.

Knight's Fort Donelson and The Battle of Franklin are essential for visitors to the sites and for those are looking for accessible books on the turning points of the Civil War.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book, December 1, 2010

By 

scots - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle of Franklin (TN): When the Devil had Full Possession of the Earth (Civil War Sesquicentennial) (Paperback)

very well written with good detail. an honest analysis and candid inputs on the horrors of civil war battles.