Mailing Address:

PO Box 851

Franklin, TN 37065

Phone 615-500-6612

Email: smyth@vol.com

Phone: (615) 500-6612

Following the Battle of Nashville, the disorganized remnant of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, refused the victory they had fought so hard for there, began a desperate southward retreat. Several thousand Federal cavalrymen, followed by a more cumbersome infantry force, rode in earnest pursuit of this shattered army. The mid-December weather of 1864 was atrocious—freezing, miserable conditions in which the two armies battled one another for days in an almost constant running fight, through frozen and often blood-stained mud.

The opening guns of one of these early clashes took place on December 17, 1864, across what is today Harlinsdale Farm on the north side of Franklin. Here, in a little-known battle that raged across the Harpeth River and into town, a beleaguered Confederate rearguard of a few hundred cavalrymen, infantrymen and artillerymen engaged in a bloody contest with a Federal cavalry force numbering into the thousands. Suffering heavy losses, the Confederate rearguard purchased precious time with their blood for the southward escape of their army.

To learn more about these heroic acts of American bravery on the fields of Harlinsdale, plan to meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Franklin Church of Christ, one-half mile north of downtown Franklin on Franklin Road (S.R. 31). There will be very little walking, so bring a folding chair if you desire.

As always, this tour is free and open to the public and STFB members. For more information, please call the STFB office at (615) 500-6612.

Save The Franklin Battlefield, Inc. is a tax-exempt non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation, protection, and promotion of Civil War sites in Williamson County. Members and prospective members meet at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at the Heritage Foundation boardroom in Franklin. For more information visit the STFB website at www.franklin-stfb.org.

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