Dear Sister
After two weeks hard marching and one of the hardest fought battles of the war, I take the pleasure of writing you a short note this morning, as I have the opportunity of sending it as far as Columbia by a scouting party that will leave Brigade HdQrs at six oclock, hoping there will be a regular mail line from there. We left Florrence, Tenn on the 20th of Nov. At Columbia we had to fight and at Franklin we commenced fighting at 4 oclock in the evening, and fought until about 2 oclock at night.
Cheathams' corps lost about two-thirds of its no. Stuarts' corps lost about 1/3 of its no. Our Division was not in the fight. Six Brigadier Genl was killed on the field and one Maj Genl and ten others wounded. When Major Gen Glaborn fell, his horse was upon the enemy's breast works. We are now in four miles of Nashville and are closing upon the enemy gradually. It is the opinion that we will take Nashville. Henry Darnall is act Q.M. of the 40th. I am with the Brigade Quarter Master. Say to Gran that I succeeded in getting his mare that was at Tuscumbia after a week's hard work, and that I had to pay three hundred and three dollars before I could get her. Tell him that I will write him all the particulars as soon as I Have time. Did Gabe have to go into service? If so, what Regt did he go in - has Dennis been home yet? James Ingles & Maj. Camp left us on the 19th of Nov. for home. I wrote to you all and sent them by Ingles. I guess you herd from me. I have not herd a word from home since I left. I am in very good health at present and our army is in fine spirits. I will close for I have no idea that this will ever reach you. Give my love to all and write soon.
Have you heard from Brother James?
I remain as every your affec brother
H. C. Hunt
Direct Stovall's Brigade
Claytons Divin
Army of Tenn.
Care of Capt. Newman
Battle of Franklin
Map
The Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864, in Franklin, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. It was one of the worst disasters of the war for the Confederate States Army. Confederate Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee conducted numerous frontal assaults against fortified positions occupied by the Union forces under Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield and was unable to break through or to prevent Schofield from executing a planned, orderly withdrawal to Nashville.
The Confederate assault of six infantry divisions containing eighteen brigades with 100 regiments numbering almost 20,000 men, sometimes called the "Pickett's Charge of the West", resulted in devastating losses to the men and the leadership of the Army of Tennessee—fourteen Confederate generals (six killed, seven wounded, and one captured) and 55 regimental commanders were casualties. After its defeat against Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas in the subsequent Battle of Nashville, the Army of Tennessee retreated with barely half the men with which it had begun the short offensive, and was effectively destroyed as a fighting force for the remainder of the war.
The Confederates suffered 6,252 casualties, including 1,750 killed and 3,800 wounded. An estimated 2,000 others suffered less serious wounds and returned to duty before the Battle of Nashville. But more importantly, the military leadership in the West was decimated, including the loss of perhaps the best division commander of either side, Patrick Cleburne, who was killed in action. Fourteen Confederate generals (six killed, seven wounded, and one captured) and 55 regimental commanders were casualties. Five generals killed in action at Franklin were Cleburne, John Adams, Hiram B. Granbury, States Rights Gist, and Otho F. Strahl. A sixth general, John C. Carter, was mortally wounded and died later on December 10. The wounded generals were John C. Brown, Francis M. Cockrell, Zachariah C. Deas, Arthur M. Manigault, Thomas M. Scott, and Jacob H. Sharp. One general, Brig. Gen. George W. Gordon, was captured.
Union losses were reported as only 189 killed, 1,033 wounded, and 1,104 missing. It is possible that the number of casualties was under-reported by Schofield because of the confusion during his army's hasty nighttime evacuation of Franklin.[43] The Union wounded were left behind in Franklin. Many of the prisoners, including all captured wounded and medical personnel, were recovered on December 18 when Union forces re-entered Franklin in pursuit of Hood.
The Army of Tennessee was all but destroyed at Franklin. Nevertheless, rather than retreat and risk the army dissolving through desertions, Hood advanced his 26,500 man force against the Union army now combined under Thomas, firmly entrenched at Nashville which numbered more than 60,000. Hood and his department commander Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard requested reinforcements, but none were available. Strongly outnumbered and exposed to the elements, Hood was attacked by Thomas on December 15–16 at the Battle of Nashville, defeated decisively and pursued aggressively, retreating to Mississippi with just under 20,000 men. The Army of Tennessee never fought again as an effective force and Hood's career was ruined.
