Important Artifact Unveiled at Carter House

Carter House

The Battle of Franklin Trust unveiled a significant acquisition on Tuesday evening at the Carter House Visitor’s Center.

The document is a pass, found framed in of all places a storage locker, written by Brigadier General Thomas Benton Smith that granted Captain Tod Carter leave to come from near Columbia to his Franklin home on November 28, 1864. Carter never made it- he rejoined the confederate army on his way as the battle mounted- and was mortally wounded in the fighting at the second Battle of Franklin on November 30, just some 500 feet from his family home, where he was taken and later died on December 2, 1864.

“It may be the most important thing that we have: A note written in pencil on very fragile tablet paper,” said Eric Jacobson, Battle of Franklin Trust CEO.

The note reads:

“Theodrick Carter, Aide de Camp, has permission to go in advance of this command to Franklin, Tennesee by order of T.B. Smith, Brig. General Commanding.”

“I just about drove off the road when I received the call,” said Jacobson. “We thought for certain that it was long gone.”

Below left: picture of Tod Carter next to his displayed wallet, Right: Jacobson unveils pass

Carter HouseCarter House

“We have wanted it for many years and we don’t exactly now how it ended up where it ended up all we know is it came home.”

The pass was in Carter’s wallet, which is on display at the visitor’s center, when he died.