Tennessee, Maury County, Spring Hill
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For a number of reasons, Major General John Schofield had been tardy in evacuating his position at Columbia and retreating to Franklin. Although starting late, the Federal army performed a well planned and executed retreat. Schofield and his subordinates made their headquarters in the saddle, and issued clear, concise instructions. All that evening and past midnight the Federal wagons, artillery, and long columns of infantry marched north toward Franklin on the dark macadam road. Lieutenant Chesley Mosman of the 59th Illinois Infantry remembered: “The rebels were in line of battle south of town, a quarter of a mile from the Pike along which we marched, and their long lines of campfires burnt brightly. Staff officers were stationed along the Pike to caution the men not to talk or let their canteens rattle so as to make a noise; that those were the fires of the enemy. So we passed time sub silentio if not “with averted eye.’ We…realized our situation…and move rapidly and march to Franklin.” The Union army had lost the “Spring Hill races,” but had escaped the trap unscathed
(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
For a number of reasons, Major General John Schofield had been tardy in evacuating his position at Columbia and retreating to Franklin. Although starting late, the Federal army performed a well planned and executed retreat. Schofield and his subordinates made their headquarters in the saddle, and issued clear, concise instructions. All that evening and past midnight the Federal wagons, artillery, and long columns of infantry marched north toward Franklin on the dark macadam road. Lieutenant Chesley Mosman of the 59th Illinois Infantry remembered: “The rebels were in line of battle south of town, a quarter of a mile from the Pike along which we marched, and their long lines of campfires burnt brightly. Staff officers were stationed along the Pike to caution the men not to talk or let their canteens rattle so as to make a noise; that those were the fires of the enemy. So we passed time sub silentio if not “with averted eye.’ We…realized our situation…and move rapidly and march to Franklin.” The Union army had lost the “Spring Hill races,” but had escaped the trap unscathed(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
After the sun set, Confederate plans began to quietly fall apart. Hood appeared confident that Forrest held the pike north of Spring Hill, and thus was not unduly concerned with cutting the pike south of town. Hood’s orders suggest an unfamiliarity with the terrain. To add to the confusion, division commanders began to receive conflicting orders from Hood and Cheatham.
In 1811, the Cheairs family settled at this site. Nathaniel and Susan McKissack Cheairs began construction of this home, Rippavilla, in 1851. Cheairs raised two companies for the Confederate Army in 1861. In February of 1862, Maj. Cheairs carried Gen. Grant's "unconditional surrender" demand to Gen. Buckner at Fort Donelson. Gen. Hood's command had a rancorous breakfast at Rippavilla the morning of the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864. The Saturn Corporation, the United Auto Workers, and the Maury County Government restored the home in 1997.
By 3 p.m. on November 29, 1864, Union Gen. John M. Schofield realized that his command was in great danger. The bulk of his army was posted near Columbia, Tennessee, while Confederates Gen. John Bell Hood’s troops were north of him, approaching the Columbia Turnpike near Spring Hill. To prevent being cut off from the rest of the Federal army at Nashville, Schofield moved northward. At about nightfall, the leading elements of his army were approaching Spring Hill.
On a knoll just southwest of the railroad depot is the antebellum home of the widow Lizinka Brown. Her son, Campbell Brown was a staff officer with Confederate General Richard S. Ewell of the Army of Northern Virginia. Ewell and Mrs. Brown married in 1863 and returned here at the end of the war. Ewell became a quite farmer and made several contributions to agriculture, including the introduction of the Jersey Cow to Tennessee and the South. He was also instrumental in the birth of harness racing. Ewell and his wife both died in 1872, and re buried together in Nashville.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. on November 29, 1864, Col. Emerson Opdycke’s veteran brigade known unofficially as “Opdycke’s tigers,” marching in the lead of Wagner’s division, swept through Spring Hill to secure the town from Confederate cavalry which was working its way north of the town. Opdycke established his lines from the Nashville and Decatur Railroad extending east across the Columbia-Franklin Pike to the Mount Carmen Road where he connected with Lane’s brigade. His regiments occupied as slight rise of ground with a small flooded stream guarding their front. This ridge is located approximately one mile west of here. Several miles to the north, an attempt would be made by Forrest’s cavalry to sever the pike at Thompson’s Station, but the arrival of Federal infantry rapidly cleared the road. There would be no further attempt to cut Schofield’s retreat route north of Spring Hill.
Just west of this site is the antebellum Nashville and Decatur Railroad. During Sherman’s Campaign against Atlanta, from May to September 1864, this railroad played a critical logistical role when it served as the northbound or return route for his supplies. Trains returning from Sherman’s army carried wounded soldiers, confederate prisoners of war, southern refugees, mail and empty freight cars. In the fall of 1864, this railroad was used as a major supply line for Union garrisons throughout Tennessee, north Alabama and north Georgia, Spring Hill was an important wood and water stop on this railroad, and an antebellum railroad depot stood approximately where the modern depot is today.
What became Fort Smallwood provided an ideal vantage point for the start - and end - of the British assalut on Baltimore in 1814. On September 11, ships anchored across the river from here. More than 4,500 troops were rowed ashore at North Point to begin a land offensive. Meanwhile, warships arrived above present-day Key Bridge to attack Fort McHenry.
On November 29, 1864, General Nathan B. Forrest approached Spring Hill from the east at 11:30 a.m. From here, General James Chalmers launched an attack to seize the Columbia-Nashville Pike to the west. Surprised by strong Union forces, Chalmers was defeated. Upon his return, Forrest noted "They was in there sure enough, wasn't they, Chalmers?" At 3:45 p.m., Major General Patrick Cleburne's division attacked the Union forces and defeated Brigadier General Luther P. Bradley's brigade. Union resistance and darkness halted Cleburne's pursuit of Bradley's brigade.
In honor
Late in the afternoon of November 29, 1864, Hood established the headquarters of the Army of Tennessee at this location. Hood spent part of the evening sitting on a log near the fish pond of the house while officers and generals came and went seeking orders. While Confederates attacks and units went awry south of town, Hood told one general, “General Forrest…holds the turnpike with a portion of hi forces north of Spring Hill and will stop the enemy if he tries to pass toward Franklin, and so in the morning we will have a surrender without a fight…We can sleep quietly tonight.” The Thompson family provided Hood and his staff with “a big feast.”
Campsite for Franciscans from Mission Espiritu Santo (La Bahia) bringing Christian teachings to Indians associated with Mission. Tonkawas and other tribes were in locality when first visited by the Spaniards, 1689. Indians were sought as converts after Mission was founded in 1722. In turn, converts became Mission's "cowboys"—herding horses and stock. Although nomadic, they left many occupational sites. Stone footings nearby indicate permanent structure for padres' use. Tonkawas were here in Anglo-American colonization era, 1800s.
Here Nicholas Wood and Jacob Straight were killed and Mrs. Elizabeth Dragoo captured during Indian raid in 1786. Mrs. Straight and her daughter made their escape from the Indians by hiding under sheltering rocks near by.
To the south, Indian fort built in 1777 under direction of Captain James Booth. It was an important place of refuge for many early settlers in this valley. Near by was the iron furnace built by Benjamin Brice in 1812.
Sote pf Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal church, now Central United Methodist, where Father’s Day was first observed on July 5, 1908. Reverend Webb conducted the service upon the request of Mrs. Charles Clayton, daughter of Methodist minister Fletcher Golden, just two months after the first Mother’s Day observance at Grafton. National recognition of Father’s Day achieved in 1972 by congressional resolution.
Marion County. Formed, 1842, from Harrison and Monongalia Counties. Named for hero of the Revolution, General Francis Marion. County was home of Francis H. Pierpont, leader in the formation of this State. The Monongahela River forms just above Fairmont.
Gateway to the West and steel center of the world. Named for William Pitt by General Forbes after the fall of French Fort Duquesne in 1758. Laid out as a town by John Campbell in 1764. Incorporated as a city, 1816.
To the north stood the fort built, 1774, by Jacob Prickett. In 1777, Captain William Haymond commanded a militia company here which guarded Monongahela Valley. In Prickett Cemetery are graves of Colonel Zackquill Morgan and other pioneers.
An early Texas port
