The Battle of Franklin, Tennessee

by John K. Shellenberger

We then began to fortify. On the retreat that morning we had passed an abandoned wagon loaded with intrenching tools, and by order each company had taken two spades from the wagon, the men relieving each other in carrying them. These spades were the only tools we had to work with. The ground we occupied was a large old cottonfield not under cultivation that year, and had been frequently camped on by other troops who had destroyed all the fences and other materials ordinarily found so handy in building hasty breastworks, so that on this occasion our only resource was the earth thrown with the few spades we had. Under the stimulus afforded by the sight of the enemy in our front preparing for attack, the men eagerly relieved each other in handling the spades. As soon as a man working showed the least sign of fatigue, a comrade would snatch the spade out of his hands and ply it with desperate energy. Yet in spite of our utmost exertions when the attack came we had only succeeded in throwing up a slight embankment, which was high enough to give good protection against musket balls to the man squatting down in the ditch from which the earth had been thrown; but on the outside, where there was no ditch, it was so low that a battle line could march over it without halting. The ground ascended with an easy grade from our position back to Cox's line, and all the intervening space, as well as a wide expanse to our left, was as bare as a floor of any obstruction. In our front was a wide valley extending to the Winsted Hills.

Genres: Civil War, History, War

28 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1902

About the author

Capt. John K Shellenberger, 83, and veteran of the Civil war when he won the rank of captain with [Co. E of] the 64th Ohio Regiment of Volunteers, died at a local hospital in St. Augustine this morning. He was employed with the government for a number of years as superintendent of the national cemeteries and for the past 6 years has been superintendent of the National Cemetery in St. Augustine, which is a part of the military reservation here. The care devoted to the place has made it notable, and has aroused much comment.

Just before his 83rd birthday, last month, he retired from active government service

Reviews

[Arlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This small book is likely of no interest unless, like me, you had a relative that fought in the Battle of Franklin, or find eyewitness accounts intriguing. Shellenberger was in the same Ohio regiment as my relative, so his personal description was particularly interesting to me.

[Laurence E Moyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read

This is a down and dirty read of a portion of the battle at Franklin, TN. By a Union soldier.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

✔️Published in 1916.

From the Preface:
This monograph on the Battle of Franklin was read first at a meeting of the Minnesota Commandery of the Loyal Legion, December 9, 1902.

The Battle of Franklin occurred on November 30, 1864. This work presents the results of an analysis of the errors and successes of this important Civil War battle.

Note: We visited Franklin, Tennessee on November 30, 2011, specifically the battlefield.

🟣Kindle version.
🟢 Media form: Project Gutenberg .

[Brad Veach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story. Hard to imagine this happened just up the road from my house. The intersection of the personal and the historical in this book is quite exhilarating.