| The BGES Staff Ride: A Study of Hood's 1864 TN Campaign in 3 Parts: Part 2: That Awful Night in Franklin |
The BGES' Staff Ride:A Study of Hood’s 1864 Tennessee Campaign in 3 Parts:Part 2: That Awful Night in Franklin
To register by mail, use our downloadable, printable registration form or call 888-741-2437. ItineraryWednesday, December 2nd, 2009Check in and pick up your reading book at 6 PM at the Ramada Inn, Franklin, Tennessee. 6:30 Opening Lecture: When the Best Laid Plans Go Awry, Hood’s 1864 Tennessee Campaign by Parker Hills. We will then go out and get a bite to eat. Thursday, December 3rd, 20098:00 A.M. Imagine the reaction at early dawn on November 30, 1864 at Hood’s headquarters in the parlor of the Oaklawn Plantation when he was told the bulk of the Union army was in and around Franklin. Until this point he had run fine campaign and had earned a substantial victory—NOT! We will open this day in the very parlor where the meeting between Hood and his subordinates took place and then go to Rippavilla to witness the arrival of Stephen D. Lee’s Corps. We will then pick up the Union rear guard and follow along the Columbia Pike with Stewart and Cheatham. We will experience the role of the rear guard in examining the fight at Thompson Station between Red Jackson’s Cavalry and Opdycke’s troops. The next blocking position was at Winstead and Breezy Hills—how did Hood respond? We will follow that action before returning to Winstead Hill where Hood and his staff to see what they saw when they arrived on the scene. We will close the day by examining the possibility of Forrest flanking the federals out of Franklin. We will return by 6 PM so you can have dinner on your own. Friday, December 4th, 2009This morning we will leave at 8 AM and return to Winstead Hill and make the decision to attack. We will then place the Federals in position before going to the Harrison House to voice the subordinate Confederate commanders’ objections to a frontal assault. We will then align the Confederate army for the attack and commence the attacks starting with Forrest’s cavalry. We will cross the Harpeth River with Forrest and discuss his combat with Hatch and Croxton. We pick up the infantry in depth with Stewart’s Corps paying particular attention to the constricting affect of the river. We will hit the Federal line with French’s Division before going to Carton to pick up Loring. The fighting along the Lewisburg Pike is fierce and we will discuss this attack on the Union left and finish with Stewart at the end of the day. We will provide lunch and have a banquet dinner. Afterwards we will go out for a short while to give you a sense of the flavor of the night fighting. Saturday, December 5th, 2009Once again our 8 AM departure will give us the time we need to finish this horrible fight. We will start with Cheathan’s Corps focused on Bates’ Division. We will then hit the Wagner’s Union center with Brown’s and Cleburne’s Divisions. This is a key point in understanding Hood’s attack orders—look carefully at what Cleburne does for his part before he is killed. Rush head and break the Union center at the Carter House, when you are done answer the question—who saved the Union army? We will then follow Bate’s Division and the implications of its extended march on the progress of the battle. We will then revisit the attack of Johnson’s Division as Lee’s Corps arrives on the field. Having finished the Confederate attacks we will wind down the fighting and debrief the battle from both Union and Confederate perspectives. Schofield has escaped to Nashville and the final program in this series in 2010 will cover that in full detail—we will see you again. We will provide lunch and release by 5 PM for late flights out of Nashville. The FacultyParker Hills is an experienced staff ride leader who now conducts leadership training and military staff rides for BattleFocus. He is the President of The Friends of Raymond. Hills is a retired Brigadier General who does a number of programs for the BGES and is our lead on all staff ride programs. He is currently under contract to do a book for the National Geographic Society with Ed Bearss on the Vicksburg and Gettysburg Campaigns. Eric Jacobson is the chief historian at Carnton Plantation in Franklin. Jacobson is the author of For Cause, For Country, A study of the Affair at Spring Hill and the Battle of Franklin. Jacobson is now working on a new study of the battle of Nashville. Email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to order his book. Meeting Site and Hotel: This program will be headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee at the Ramada Inn 6210 Hospitality Drive. Phone # is 615-791-4004. We have established a tour rate of $74.95 plus 17.25% tax single or double. This block is available until November 15th, ask for the Civil War tour block arriving December 2nd. After this date you will be on your own space permitting with the hotel. Airport and Transportation Arrangements: The servicing airport is Nashville (BNA) about 25 miles north of Franklin, Tennessee. There are numerous shuttles and limo services to the surrounding communities which you can explore through www.flynashville.com. You can also make arrangements to rent a car. Key Publications and Recommended Reading: Prices include shipping and handling. You will receive a reading book and maps which will provide you with all the materials you will need to take full advantage of this registration. We offer the following reading list to enhance your advanced preparations for your participation.. Eric Jacobson, For Cause, For Country, A study of the Affair at Spring Hill and the Battle of Franklin You may purchase this book directly from the author by emailing him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This is the best book on the issues to be studied. Thomas Robson Hay, Hood’s Tennessee Campaign $ 28 John M. Schofield, Forty-Six Years in the Army $ 25 John B. Hood, Advance and Retreat You may purchase this book at Amazon.com Thomas Jordan and JP Prior, The Campaigns of Lt. Gen Forrest and Forrest’s Cavalry $50 Wiley Sword, Embrace an Angry Wind You may purchase this book at Amazon.com To register by mail, use our downloadable, printable registration form or call 888-741-2437. |
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