BATTLE OF NASHVILLE During the Civil War Nashville was captured by the Federals (Feb. '62) after the fall of Fort Donelson and remained in their hands till the end. The battle of Nashville was fought (Dec. 15 16, '64) between a Federal army under G. H. Thomas and Hood's Army of Tennessee, and resulted in the complete overthrow of the Confederates. Hood had reached the Tennessee at Tuscumbia at the end of October, but waited there three weeks to accumu late a stock of supplies and enable Forrest's cavalry to join him. This delay proved fatal to his chance of capturing Nashville, before Thomas, whom Sherman had left to meet Hood's invasion whilst he himself "marched to sea," could concentrate sufficient forces for its defence. Thomas had under his command two corps and about 5,000 cavalry under Wilson, in addition to the local garrisons dispersed along the lines of communication from Chat tanooga to the Ohio. Until a third corps under A. J. Smith reached him from Missouri (Nov. 30), he can hardly be said to have had a field army at all. Hood intended, after capturing Nashville, to invade Kentucky and carry the war to the Ohio. He even contemplated the possibility of marching through the Cumberland mountains to Lee's help and attacking Grant. He advanced from the Tennessee (Nov. 21) and endeavoured to out flank Schofield, whom Thomas had placed at Pulaski, 8o m. from Nashville, with the IV. Corps and one division of the XXIII., and about 4,000 cavalry to retard Hood's advance, and cut him off from Columbia, where the Nashville railway crossed the Duck river. But Cox's division, by a forced march, saved Columbia from capture by Forrest. Wishing to preserve the railway bridge for use when the Federals should take the offensive, Schofield, who had been reinforced by two more infantry brigades, tried to hold on to the south bank, but Forrest crossed with his cavalry above the town (Nov. 28), and driving Wilson's mounted troops away from the Franklin road, opened the way for Hood's inf an try to cut off Schofield's retreat. Next day seven Confederate divisions crossed the river and advanced towards Spring Hill, i I m. in Schofield's rear, where only a single division was covering
the movement of the Federal trains. Hood here lost the greatest opportunity offered to any general in the war. He allowed Scho field to escape and make good his retreat to Franklin, on the Harpeth. Schofield was obliged to make another stand there to get his trains across the river. Hood made a furious and ill prepared assault on the strong Federal position late in the after noon (Nov. 3o). The battle raged till 9 P.M., when Hood called off his troops, which had suffered terrible losses, and Schofield reached Nashville next day. Hood's last chance of conducting a successful offensive was gone, but he continued to follow Scho field and appeared before Nashville (Dec. 2). He believed that retreat would be more demoralizing to his troops than an hon ourable defeat, and the trans-Mississippi reinforcements promised by the President might yet arrive. Thomas was almost ready to take the offensive. Besides Smith's corps he had just received Steedman's "provisional division" from Chattanooga. He could now put into the field a force probably double the size of Hood's. But he needed a few more days in order to remount his large cavalry force, which was intended to play a decisive part in Hood's annihilation. Grant grew impatient at the delay. He had expected Thomas to stop Hood south of the Duck river, but Hood had reached the Cumberland. He bombarded Thomas with telegrams, demanding an immediate attack. Just as Thomas was ready, a storm of freezing rain came on, which covered the ground with a sheet of ice and prevented military operations till a thaw came.
Grant ordered (Dec. 9) that Thomas should be superseded by Schofield; suspended the order the same day; ordered (Dec. 13) Logan to Nashville to take command, unless Thomas had moved in the meantime; finally, set out himself to Washington (Dec. 5), intending to go on to Nashville. But the thaw came (Dec. 14) and Thomas attacked next day.