The Battle of Spring Hill was the prelude to the Battle of Franklin. On the night of November 28, 1864, Gen. John Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee marched toward Spring Hill to get astride Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield’s Union army’s line of retreat towards Nashville. Cavalry skirmishing between Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson’s Union cavalry and Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederate troopers continued throughout the day as the Confederates advanced.
On November 29, Hood’s infantry crossed Duck River and converged on Spring Hill. In the meantime, Maj. Gen. Schofield reinforced the troops holding the crossroads at Spring Hill. In late afternoon, the Federals repulsed a piecemeal Confederate infantry attack. During the night, the rest of Schofield’s command passed from Columbia through Spring Hill to Franklin. This was, perhaps, Hood’s best chance to isolate and defeat the Union army. The engagement has been described as “one of the most controversial non-fighting events of the entire war.”
Result(s): Union victory
Location: Maury County
Campaign: Franklin-Nashville Campaign (1864)
Date(s): November 29, 1864
Principal Commanders: Major General John M. Schofield [US]; General John Bell Hood [CS]
Forces Engaged: IV and XXIII Army Corps [US]; Army of Tennessee [CS]
Estimated Casualties: Unknown
For more information please visit Civil War Trust www.civilwar.org/springhill
[newsbox style=”nb6″ title=”More Civil War News” display=”category” cat=”57″ number_of_posts=”3″ nb_excerpt=”0″ sub_categories=”no” show_more=”yes” show_more_event=”ajax” post_type=”post”]
