| Description: |
In a last desperate attempt to force Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s army out of Georgia, Gen. John
Bell Hood led the Army of Tennessee north toward Nashville in November 1864. Although he suffered terrible
losses at Franklin on November 30, he continued toward Nashville. By the next day, the various elements of Maj.
Gen. George H. Thomas’s army had reached Nashville. Hood reached the outskirts of Nashville on December 2,
occupied positions on a line of hills parallel to those of the Union and began erecting fieldworks. Union Army
Engineer, Brig. Gen. James St. Clair Morton, had overseen the construction of sophisticated fortifications at
Nashville in 1862-63, strengthened by others, which would soon see use. From the 1st through the 14th, Thomas
made preparations for the Battle of Nashville in which he intended to destroy Hood’s army. On the night of
December 14, Thomas informed Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck, acting as Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s chief of
staff, that he would attack the next day. Thomas planned to strike both of Hood’s flanks. Before daylight on the
15th, the first of the Union troops, led by Maj. Gen. James Steedman, set out to hit the Confederate right. The
attack was made and the Union forces held down one Rebel corps there for the rest of the day. Attack on the
Confederate left did not begin until after noon when a charge commenced on Montgomery Hill. With this classic
charge’s success, attacks on other parts of the Confederate left commenced, all eventually successful. By this time
it was dark and fighting stopped for the day. Although battered and with a much smaller battle line, Gen. Hood
was still confident. He established a main line of resistance along the base of a ridge about two miles south of the
former location, throwing up new works and fortifying Shy’s and Overton’s hills on their flanks. The IV Army
Corps marched out to within 250 yards, in some places, of the Confederate’s new line and began constructing
fieldworks. During the rest of the morning, other Union troops moved out toward the new Confederate line and
took up positions opposite it. The Union attack began against Hood’s strong right flank on Overton’s Hill. The
same brigade that had taken Montgomery Hill the day before received the nod for the charge up Overton’s Hill.
This charge, although gallantly conducted, failed, but other troops (Maj. Gen. A.J. Smith’s "Israelites" )
successfully assaulted Shy’s Hill in their fronts. Seeing the success along the line, other Union troops charged up
Overton’s Hill and took it. Hood’s army fled. Thomas had left one escape route open but the Union army set off in
pursuit. For ten days, the pursuit continued until the beaten and battered Army of Tennessee recrossed the
Tennessee River. Hood’s army was stalled at Columbia, beaten at Franklin, and routed at Nashville. Hood
retreated to Tupelo and resigned his command. |
