Eastern Flank Battlefield Park

Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960, this historic park was the site of the 1864 Battle of Franklin during the American Civil War. The park includes a cemetery and the Carter House, which had been the headquarters for the Twenty-Third Army Corps led by General and future Secretary of the Interior James Cox from Ohio. The site is also home to the Carnton Plantation which was owned by the McGavock Family. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

The Battle of Franklin was fought at this location on November 30, 1864, and saw Confederate forces attack Union defenses with high casualties that resulted in a significant defeat for the Confederacy. Lieutenant General of the Confederate Army, John Bell Hood, ordered numerous assaults against positions occupied by Union soldiers. Major General John Schofield was able to rally United States troops to repel the Confederate attacks which resulted in a defeat the Confederate Army could ill-afford. Hood reported that 4,500 of his soldiers had suffered in the battle, but General Schofield reported that over 6,000 Confederate soldiers died in combat.

Nearly three times as many Confederate soldiers were killed or wounded in the battle, and six Confederate generals and 55 regional commanders were among those who were lost. Together with the subsequent Battle of Nashville in December 1864 that also represented a significant victory for the Union, Confederate forces lost half of their effective troops between the Battle of Franklin and the Battle of Nashville. As a result, the two battles effectively ended major operations for the Confederacy in the region.

The Carter House located on the battlefield was used by the Union as a headquarters for their soldiers. The Carnton Plantation, also located on the site, became a field hospital treating the Confederate soldiers wounded in battle. The Carter Plantation and Carter House is owned and operated by the Battle of Franklin Trust.

“10 Facts: The Battle of Franklin,” American Battlefield Trust. Accessed June 15th 2021. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-battle-franklin

“The Battle of Franklin,” Battle of Franklin Trust. Accessed June 15th 2021.