Nearly 153 years ago, a five-hour battle in Franklin became one of the bloodiest in the western theater of the Civil War.
A five-hour battle in Franklin became one of the bloodiest in the western theater of the Civil War nearly 153 years ago.
It is now known as the Battle of Franklin. Union and Confederate soldiers fought in the southern portion of the city on Nov. 30, 1864. The battlefield spans both directions up and down Columbia Avenue, where thousands fell as a result of the carnage.
To commemorate the battle, 10,000 luminaries, representing the casualties, will be lit at dusk Thursday on the recently reclaimed battlefield around the Carter House.
The ceremony starts at 4 p.m. at the Carter House. Additionally, Carter House and Carnton will be open for free walk-through tours 5-7 p.m.
Those interested in volunteering at the event should contact Jayde Jacobs at jayde@boft.org or 615-794-0903.
Here are five things to know about that day and its influence.
According to historian and Battle of Franklin Trust CEO Eric Jacobson, the population of Franklin now is nearly equal to the number of people in the city the day of the battle.
"There were more than 60,000 men here," he said.
Between the Union and the Confederacy, the number of casualties came out to 10,000 among the fallen and wounded.
Jacobson said there have been several bills at the congressional level throughout the years to save the Franklin battlefield.
But decades after the battle, some in Franklin wanted to forget it ever happened, building houses and businesses on its grounds.
"Those bills all died in various committees," Jacobson said. "Veterans and their supporters at the time were trying to save it."
Back in the mid-2000s, residents in Franklin decided they wanted to reclaim that ground. Since then, more than $19 million in private donations has gone toward buying back lots. The City of Franklin also now owns Carter Hill Battlefield Park, a 20-acre piece of land that spans across Columbia Avenue.
At least 11 men received the Medal of Honor as a result of their actions during the Battle of Franklin.
"And most people don't realize that," Jacobson said.
Of Tennessee battles, Chattanooga and Nashville are the only other places where more men received that honor.
At least three of the men received the award for capturing the flag. Others captured the enemy flag but returned them back to their own side. One soldier even got in a fight with a color bearer to capture his enemy's flag.
No one knew that Franklin would lead to the end of the Civil War, Jacobson said.
"Near the end of 1864, no one knew when it was going to be over," he said. "After Franklin, it was much clearer."
At least six of the Confederacy's generals were killed in the Battle of Franklin. The others were either wounded or captured.
Four months after the battle, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered, signaling the war's end.
Jacobson said the generals from the Battle of Franklin have influenced the names of other places in the country.
The Army base Fort Hood in Texas is named for Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood, who led the Tennessee Army out of Atlanta with the hopes of overtaking Nashville.
On the other side, Major Gen. John Schofield of the Union Army has an Army barracks in Honolulu named after his efforts. Schofield's troops slid by the Confederates during the middle of the night before the battle, which ultimately led to the Union's advantage.