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CWPT's
2004 Conference Location
Nashville, Tennessee
By November 1864, the Civil
War was well into its fourth year. Prospects of a
negotiated peace ended with Abraham Lincoln's November
8th reelection as President of the United States.
With his forces entrenched around Petersburg, Virginia,
Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant focused his attention
on the eastern theater of the war, leaving the western
theater under the command of Major General William
T. Sherman. The month before, General John Bell Hood,
having taken command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee
from Joseph E. Johnston, hastily abandoned the trenches
around Atlanta, Georgia. After losing nearly 20,000
men in the defense of the city, Hood moved south of
Atlanta, giving his men time to relax and regroup.
While the men in gray rested,
Hood worked on his strategy to strike: taking the
offensive against Sherman's long, vulnerable supply
line from Chattanooga to Atlanta. With Sherman in
pursuit, Hood could select the battlefield and perhaps
win a great victory that would offset the loss of
Atlanta. At the end of September, after disturbing
Sherman's supply line and with President Jefferson
Davis's approval, Hood's Army of Tennessee began its
move into northwestern Georgia. Sherman followed cautiously
until Hood moved west toward the Tennessee River.
If Hood intended to head into Tennessee, Sherman proposed
to "destroy Atlanta, and then march across Georgia
to Savannah or Charleston, breaking [rail]roads and
doing irreparable damage."
Sherman soon realized Hood
was in fact heading toward Tennessee, leaving Georgia
unprotected. With Grant's approval, Sherman returned
to Atlanta, and in mid-November began the March to
the Sea, moving away from Hood's Army. Seven days
before Lincoln's reelection, the Confederate army
crossed the Tennessee River at Florence, Alabama,
heading toward Middle Tennessee.
The following are Civil
War Discovery Trail sites related to the Civil War
in Nashville, TN.
Click
for a map of Nashville. The below mentioned Discovery
Trail site is marked with a red pushpin.
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Battle of
Nashville Tour Map
Davidson County, TN
Available Through the Battle of Nashville Preservation
Society
 The
Battle of Nashville is one of the most strategic
of the Civil War. Union forces had held this
strategically important city since February
1862. After losing Atlanta to Sherman, Gen.
John Bell Hood moved his Army of Tennessee north,
hoping to re-claim Nashville. On December 15-16,
1864, the Confederacy's last offensive action
ended in the loss of the Army of Tennessee as
an effective fighting force. The tour brochure
includes a map and pertinent background information.
Belle Meade
Plantation
5025 Harding Rd.
Nashville, TN 37205
800-270-3991
John Harding
founded the Belle Meade Plantation in 1807 and
the property eventually grew to include 5,400
acres. When Tennessee entered the Civil War,
Governor Isham G. Harris appointed John Harding's
son, William J. Harding, to the Military and
Financial Board. During the Battle of Nashville
in December of 1864, Confederate Gen. James
R. Chalmers made his headquarters at Belle Meade.
Bullet scars from a cavalry skirmish on the
front lawn are visible on the limestone columns
of the front porch. After the war, Belle Meade
became one of the nation's finest stables for
thoroughbred horses.
Directions: From I-440: take 70S exit;
proceed approximately 4 miles on 70S; Belle
Meade is on the left.
Admission Fees:
Adults $10.00, children $4.00, seniors $8.50,
groups $8.00/person.
Open to Public:
Mon.-Sat. 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Sun. 11:00 am -
5:00 pm.
Visitor Services:
Public restrooms, information, handicapped access
on first floor, gift shop, museum, tours.
Regularly Scheduled
Events: Third weekend in September, Fall
Fest (antiques, music, crafts, food, children's
activities).
Belmont Mansion
1900 Belmont Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37212
615-460-5459
 Belmont
Mansion was built by Joseph and Adelicia Acklen
in1853 and enlarged in 1859-60. During the
Civil War, the house served as headquarters
for Gen. Stanley and for Gen. Thomas J. Wood,
commander of the Fourth Army Corps. At Belmont,
Wood gave orders to all division commanders
for the first day of the Battle of Nashville.
Directions: From I-65: take Wedgewood
exit. Travel west on Wedgewood Ave. Turn left
on Magnolia; turn left onto 18th Ave.; turn
left onto Acklen.
Admission Fees:
Adults $7.00, children $3.00, under six free,
seniors $6.00, groups $5.50/person.
Open to Public:
June - August, Monday - Saturday 10:00 am
- 4:00 pm, Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm.; September
- May, Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00
pm
Visitor Services:
Public restrooms, handicapped access, gift
shop, tours.
Regularly Scheduled
Events: Day after Thanksgiving-December,
Christmas at Belmont.
Travellers Rest Plantation
and Museum
636 Farrell Pkwy.
Nashville, TN 37220
615-832-8197
Judge John
Overton built travellers Rest Plantation in
1799. His descendents occupied the home continuously
until 1946. During the Civil War, Union troops
camped on the grounds during the Federal occupation
of Nashville. For two weeks before the Battle
of Nashville, Travellers Rest was the headquarters
of Confederate Commander Gen. John Bell Hood.
Riding from Murfreesboro to confer with Hood,
Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest spent the night
on December 11, 1864. During the second day
of the Battle of Nashville, December 16, 1864,
Federal forces charged the Confederate right
flank on Peach Orchard Hill, located on the
Overton property and within sight of the house.
It was the scene of several charges by the
U.S. Colored Infantry.
Directions: From I-65: exit 78B; to
Franklin Road; left on Franklin, left on Lambert,
follow signs to Travellers Rest.
Admission
Fees: Adults
$8.00, children six-twelve $3.00, seniors
$7.00, group tours $6.00/person; AAA discount
Open to Public:
Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, Sunday
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Last tour at 4:00 pm.
Visitor
Services: Public
restrooms, information, gift shop
Regularly Scheduled
Events: June, Summer Solstice and Celtic
Music Festival; October, Civil War Encampment;
December, Twelfth Night
Mount Olivet Cemetery
1101 Lebanon Rd.,
Nashville, TN 37210,
615-255-4193
This cemetery
is the final resting place of nearly 1,500
Confederate soldiers. The Confederate Circle
Monument marks the remains of individuals
of all ranks. Mount Olivet is also the burial
place for seven generals.
Directions: From I-40, exit at Fesslers
Lane.; proceed north on Fesslers Lane until
it dead-ends into Hermitage Ave./Lebanon Rd.;
turn right onto this road and continue to
Mount Olivet Cemetery, which is on the right,
past Calvary Cemetery.
Admission Fees:
Free
Open to Public:
Daily 7:00 am - dusk
Visitor Services:
information
Regularly Scheduled
Events: Annual tour of cemetery with living
history; call for schedule
Tennessee State Museum
and State Capitol
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-2692
The capitol building
was completed in 1859. The fortifications
around the capitol consisted of four earthworks
connected by a stockade with loopholes. The
Tennessee State Museum traces the history
of the state from prehistoric Indians until
the early 1900s, including a large section
on the Civil War. This section includes descriptions
and artifacts from each major battle in Tennessee,
audio-visual presentations, firearms, uniforms,
paintings of notable soldiers, and a large
collection of battle flags.
Directions: From I-40, take Broadway
exit; travel toward downtown. From Broadway,
turn left onto Fifth Ave.; after third intersection,
museum is on left at Fifth and Deaderick.
State Capitol is located one block away at
Sixth and Charlotte.
Admission:
free
Open to Public:
State museum, Monday - Saturday, 10:00 am
- 4:00 pm, Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; state
capitol, Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Visitor Services:
State museum, public restrooms, information,
handicapped access, gift shop; state capitol,
information, guides tours
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