Spring Hill
29 November 1864

General Description: This property consists of 110 acres and includes areas on which some of the heaviest fighting from the Spring Hill battle occurred. The land was optioned in 1995 and purchased by the CWPT, Maury County, and the State of Tennessee.

Civil War History: Following the fall of Atlanta in September 1864, the chances of a Confederate victory in the West seemed remote. In a desperate attempt to reverse the tide, Lieutenant-General John B. Hood, commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, decided to take the war into Middle Tennessee. Major General William T. Sherman, Federal commander in the West, refused to follow, but did send Major General George H. Thomas and reenforcements to deal with Hood's threat.

As the Confederate army of 38,000 moved north into Tennessee, Hood saw the opportunity to outflank Major General John M. Schofield's 30,000 man force. While Lieutenant-General Stephen D. Lee's Confederates held Schofield in place at Columbia, Hood drove the rest of his army north to Spring Hill to cut off the Federal retreat.

On the afternoon of November 29, 1864, Schofield was hurrying his army north along the Columbia-Nashville Turnpike as Confederate forces appeared from the East. Lieutenant-General Nathan B. Forrest's cavalry arrived on the scene first, attacked the Federals just southeast of Spring Hill and were easily repulsed. By 3:30 PM the first of Hood's infantry, Major General Patrick Cleburne's division, appeared and attacked Federal infantry under Brigadier-General Luther Bradley positioned south of Spring Hill.

Bradley's men could not withstand Cleburne's assault and eventually withdrew to the north. Cleburne advanced further, only to be stopped by massed Union artillery posted along the Columbia-Nashville Pike. Cleburne withdrew, having suffered nearly 500 casualties. The Federals lost about 150 men.

Whether because of confusion, exhaustion, or ineptitude, or probably a combination of the three, Confederate plans now fell apart. By the time the Confederates made another advance it was dark and the feeble assault died almost before it began. In the meantime, Schofield's army slipped away to the north. Lieutenant Chesley Mosman, of the 59th Illinois, wrote later, "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 as to make a noise; that those were the fires enemy. So we passed time sub silentio...We realized our situation and moved rapidly and marched to Franklin."

The next day, November 30, Schofield's army was digging in at Franklin. When Hood awoke to discover the Federals gone, he was furious, and ordered an immediate pursuit. Arriving before Franklin later that day, Hood sent his men forward in an ill-conceived and poorly-planned assault against the Federal works. By ten o'clock over 7,000 Confederates, including 5 Generals (among them Cleburne), lay dead and wounded, and the once proud Army of Tennessee had for all intents and purposes, been destroyed.

The Property: Patrick Cleburne's division advanced over much of this land on the afternoon of November 29, 1864. Before 1990 the town of Spring Hill counted a population of some 1,200 and was still a small, rural village with primarily an agrarian-based economy. With the opening of the Saturn Plant, the population has more than tripled and development has taken off. Yet most of the battlefield retains its integrity.

Instructions: The CWPT has put in a parking lot, historical interpretation, and walking trails at the Spring Hill land. Please be sensitive to farming operations and private property.

Directions: From Spring Hill, take Route 31 south to the Kedron Parkway. Turn left and proceed about 3/4 mile. CWPT property stretches along the right (western) side of this road for about 1/2 mile, until one almost reaches Saturn Parkway. Parking is located on the right side of the road.

Click here to get a map or driving directions. Spring Hill, TN in Maury County is your general destination point. Put Kedron Parkway and Saturn Parkway as your general intersection.

For a print friendly brochure, please click here.
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