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The divisions of Cleburne and Brown made the assault upon the Federal works around 4:30 pm. The shock-attach was so powerful it knocked three Federal regiments on their heels. The Rebels nearly landed a knock-out punch at Franklin. But Emerson Opdycke’s Brigade staunched the flow and saved the day for the Federals. In the assault, Cleburne was shot through the heart.
A historical marker on the site where Cleburne’s assault and death took place honors the fallen Confederate hero. Recently, the Franklin community – through the leadership of Franklin’s Charge – recovered a one-acre piece of ground that was part of the epicenter of this assault. Read about the historic event.
Cleburne’s death was a devastating loss for the Army of Tennessee. The December 3rd edition of The New York Times headlined, “The Rebel General Cleburne Killed.”
Pistol image is used by permission of the Layland Musuem, Cleburne, texas.
General Patrick R. Cleburne
Wiley Sword (from pages 223-224):
“About forty yards from Reilly’s works, and nearly in front of the salient at the cotton gin, an ounce of lead, little more than a half inch in diameter and traveling about 1,000 feet per second, found its mark. It was the work of but an instant; a great chasm in Southern history frozen in microseconds. In one shocking moment Pat Cleburne collapsed to the ground, carrying with him perhaps the best hopes of a dying Confederacy’s western army. A lone minie ball had struck just below and to the left of his heart, shredding veins and arteries like tissue paper as it ripped through his body. In a few moments he breathed his last. Pat Cleburne lay dead, his battle saber still grasped firmly in his hand, and his lifeblood soaking the white linen shirt and gray uniform vest with a slowly expanding blotch of crimson. After all the glory and the anguish, it had come to this. Perhaps the South’s most brilliant major general, the “Stonewall Jackson of the West,” his ideas scorned by his president and his competence punished by his commanding general, had been required to lead a suicidal frontal attack like some captain of infantry. Was it God’s decreed fate, or simply man’s stupidity?”
Watch a video of historian Eric Jacobson describing the action around the Cotton gin during the Battle of Franklin.
The following newspaper account was printed in the New York Times, December 3rd, 1864 issue.
The pistol in this picture is Cleburne’s actual Colt revolver, now on display in the Layland Museum in Cleburne, Texas. Courtesy, the the Layland Museum.
Want more?
- Read the article “From mystery to history: the story of Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne’s once-lost pistol”.
- Read other article/posts on this web site about Cleburne.
- Browse over the Franklin battlefield Google map, accessible at www.FranklinBattlefield.com where you will find the only web-based interactive map of the Battle of Franklin; including troops positions, authentic accounts and pictures – all in the Google map interface. Easy to use.
The 6th Mississippi Regimental flag, Company D, also known as Lowry’s Rifles. The 6th was in Adams’s Brigade, Loring’s Division. The 6th saw action to the right of Cleburne’s Division, assaulting the Federal line facing fire from Casement’s and Reilly’s Brigades.
There are three known-identified 6th MS boys buried at McGavock. It’s very likely there are numerous more unknown buried at McGavock as their known dead is a very low amount for Mississippi regiments, and considering the 6th MS saw action to the Union left of the Cotton Gin.
Picture Credit” Arms and Equipment of the Confederacy (p. 259).
“The casualties of the corps,” reported Lieut.-Gen. Stewart, “were something over 2,000 in killed, wounded and missing. Among them were many of our best officers and bravest men. Brig.-Gen. John Adams was killed, his horse being found lying across the inner line of the enemy’s works.” The casualties of Adams’ Brigade were the heaviest of the division — 10 officers and 34 men killed; 39 officers and 232 men wounded, 23 missing. Col. Robert Lowry took command of the brigade, which, on December 9, reported an aggregate present 1,769, effective 1,047, prisoners of war 50.
Dunbar Rowland’s “Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898
John L. Russell fought with the 6th Arkansas Company C., at Franklin. He was part of Cleburne’s Division, Govan’s Brigade. Company C was known as the Dallas Rifles.
The 6th Arkansas also fought with the 2nd-15th, 5th-13th, 7th, 8th, and 19th-24th Arkansas regiments. This regiment saw heavy action around the Coton Gin at Franklin.
The 6th Arkansas regimental flag looked like this is in the Autumn of 1862.
Picture Credit: Arms and Equipment of the Confederacy (p. 259).
Forty-three of Govan’s Brigade are buried at McGavock, fifteen of those are from the 6th Arkansas; the most of all the Arkansas regiments.
Speaking of the action the Arkansas regiments saw at Franklin, including Russell’s 6th, Jacobson writes:
“Rebel troops, likely from Cleburne’s Division, pounced on the battery’s four guns [i.e., the guns of the 1st Battery, Kentucky Light Artillery] and hurriedly began turning them around to fire on the Federals. But the Confederates had a serious problem on their hands. When the Yankee artillerists had bounded away, they took with them the friction primers needed to fire the rifled guns. The crafty Southern infantrymen looked to improvise. A Federal officer nearby saw them pouring gunpowder ‘from their musket cartridges’ into the vent holes.”
A friction primer (above) was a small brass tube filled with powder, inserted in the vent and used to ignite the main charge.
Frank Gray and John Russell of Co. C. 6th Arkansas Infantry. Twenty Nine year old John Russell was the Uncle of 21 year old Frank Gray. They are buried side by side in the Arkansas Section, Grave 12 & 11 respectfully. Source attribute for this info: T. Burgess.
Extra notes:
According to this web site: John L. Russell was a private when he enlisted on 3 June 1861 at Little Rock, Arkansas; in the Dallas Rifles. He was transferred from Co I, 30 June 1862. Russell was captured 10 October 1862 at Harrodsburg, KY. Then sent to Vicksburg, MS for exchange 5 Dec 1862. He was 26 years old when he was exchanged 22 Dec 1862.
Additional reading:
Calvin L. Collier, First In – Last Out: The Capitol Guards, Arkansas Brigade (Unit history and muster rolls for Company A.)
The 6th Mississippi Regimental flag, Company D, also known as Lowry’s Rifles. The 6th was in Adams’s Brigade, Loring’s Division. The 6th saw action to the right of Cleburne’s Division, assaulting the Federal line facing fire from Casement’s and Reilly’s Brigades.
There are three known-identified 6th MS boys buried at McGavock. It’s very likely there are numerous more unknown buried at McGavock as their known dead is a very low amount for Mississippi regiments, and considering the 6th MS saw action to the Union left of the Cotton Gin.
Picture Credit” Arms and Equipment of the Confederacy (p. 259).
“The casualties of the corps,” reported Lieut.-Gen. Stewart, “were something over 2,000 in killed, wounded and missing. Among them were many of our best officers and bravest men. Brig.-Gen. John Adams was killed, his horse being found lying across the inner line of the enemy’s works.” The casualties of Adams’ Brigade were the heaviest of the division — 10 officers and 34 men killed; 39 officers and 232 men wounded, 23 missing. Col. Robert Lowry took command of the brigade, which, on December 9, reported an aggregate present 1,769, effective 1,047, prisoners of war 50.
Dunbar Rowland’s “Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898
The 14th MS fought with Adams’s Brigade, Loring’s Division. The 14th faced heavy casualties near the Cotton Gin. As the 14th MS assaulted the Union line at the Gin, the colors displayed a picture of Lady Liberty holding a picture of Jefferson Davis.
The 14th also fought with: 6th, 15th, 20th, 23dand 43d Mississippi regiments. Many boys from the 14th MS are buried at McGavock. One wonder show many young men and boys saw this flag emblem in the final moments of their lives as the died on the Franklin battlefield.
There are at least ten young men from the 14th MS buried at McGavock Cemetery.
There’s a fascinating story behind this particular emblem/patch see below. Color Bearer Andrew S. Payne of the 14th Mississippi cut this emblem away from the rest of the flag when the 14th surrendered at Ft. Donelson and sewed the patch into the interior lining of his coat to keep it from falling into Federal hands. When Payne and his fellow comrades were paroled in October 1862 he returned the shield to his regiment.
Picture credit: An Illustrated History of the Civil War, (p. 136).
Joseph Henry Mitchell enlisted in the J.W. Thompson Invincibles in Company E of the 23rd MS Infantry. The picture below shows him in a brown uniform with black chest braids which may have been influenced by the “Army of Mississippi” regulations.
He is holding a foot artillery sword and has a .44cal Colt Army revolver tucked into his belt, which is fastened with a US Army pattern 1834 general service clasp.
Mitchell fought with the 23rd MS at Franklin, in Adams’s Brigade. The 23rd saw action around the Cotton Gin at Franklin. He would’ve faced fire from two Union Brigades; Reilly’s and Casement’s. He survived Franklin, though some of his comrades were not as lucky.
Picture credit: The Confederate Army 1861-1865: South Carolina and Mississippi, p. 33.
The 8th Arkansas fought for Govan’s Brigade, Cleburne’’s Division at Franklin. Four known-dead are buried at McGavock Cemetery. The Captain of the 8th Arkansas, Samuel L. McAllester was captured at Franklin. The colors of the 8th, below, were presented to the 8th by the women of Jacksonport, Arkansas in the summer of 1862.
There is a golden embroidered inscription in the center of the flag that reads, “March on! March on! All hearts are resolved on victory or death!”
The boys of the 8th Arkansas marched this flag into the Federal line just west of the Cotton Gin as they took fire from the 104th Ohio and the 6th Ohio Battery.
Picture credit: Arms and Equipment of The Confederacy (p. 258)
The 14th MS fought with Adams’s Brigade, Loring’s Division. The 14th faced heavy casualties near the Cotton Gin. As the 14th MS assaulted the Union line at the Gin, the colors displayed a picture of Lady Liberty holding a picture of Jefferson Davis.
The 14th also fought with: 6th, 15th, 20th, 23dand 43d Mississippi regiments. Many boys from the 14th MS are buried at McGavock. One wonder show many young men and boys saw this flag emblem in the final moments of their lives as the died on the Franklin battlefield.
There are at least ten young men from the 14th MS buried at McGavock Cemetery.
There’s a fascinating story behind this particular emblem/patch see below. Color Bearer Andrew S. Payne of the 14th Mississippi cut this emblem away from the rest of the flag when the 14th surrendered at Ft. Donelson and sewed the patch into the interior lining of his coat to keep it from falling into Federal hands. When Payne and his fellow comrades were paroled in October 1862 he returned the shield to his regiment.
Picture credit: An Illustrated History of the Civil War, (p. 136).
James A. Hampton was a member of the 8th TN Infantry (USA), which fought at Franklin.
The 8th Tennessee Infantry fought in the 3rd division, 1st Brigade, led by Brig Gen James A Reilly, at Franklin (Nov 30, 1864).
The 1st Brigade was made up of the 12th and 16th KY, the 100th, 104th and 175th Ohio, and the 8th TN.
The other two brigades fighting with Reilly’s were Casement’s and Stiles.
See a larger map of the 8th’s position at Franklin
Reilly’s brigade was quite active at Franklin capturing eight color flags of the enemy.
“At the main line, Alvah and his Union comrades watched in horror as the men of Wagner’s 2nd & 3rd Brigades were overrun by the advancing Rebel onslaught. It wasn’t too long before Wagner’s men began pouring down the Columbia Pike and up and over the breastworks into the protection of the main Federal line. Strickland and Reilly’s Brigades of the 23rd Army Corps were soon overwhelmed with their comrades and Rebels coming through at almost the exact same time. The tidal wave of fleeing Federals and screaming Rebels caused the front Union regiments in the line to break apart in the confusion. Retreating commanders of Wagner’s brigades yell for their troops to “rally in the rear.” The men of Strickland and Reilly’s Brigades hear this and believe the order is for them too, and fall back also. The Confederates have now penetrated deep into the Union center and have begun to surround the Carter House. Disaster seems loom for the Federal troops.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Report of Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield, U.S. Army,
commanding Army of the Ohio. (on the battle of Franklin)
Brigadier-General Reilly, commanding (temporarily) the Third Division, Twenty-third Corps, maintained his lines with perfect firmness, and captured twenty battle-flags along his parapet.
The Third Division saw 48 killed, 185 wounded, 97 missing at Franklin. Those were the highest casualty numbers for any division in the 23rd Army Corp at Franklin.
According to Jacobsen, For Cause and Country (Ch.8):
“As Opdycke’s men stopped the confederate push west of Columbia Pike, the 12th Kentucky, 16th Kentucky, 175th Ohio, and 8th Tennessee regiments of Reilly’s reserve tried to do the same to the east. After the 1st Kentucky Battery and the front line had been overrun, the men of these four regiments moved forward, the Kentuckians in the lead. Several of Opdycke’s Illinois regiments also helped Reilly’s reserves. Some of the Kentucky companies had Colt Revolving Rifles, and the Confederates were exhausted from their long sprint to the Federal lines. To make matters worse, the Confederates had become disorganized and could not present a coherent line to face this new threat. These reserves managed to drive the Confederates out of the Federal main works east of the Columbia Pike. The Confederate breakthrough was growing smaller.”
Wiley Sword (from pages 223-224):
“About forty yards from Reilly’s works, and nearly in front of the salient at the cotton gin, an ounce of lead, little more than a half inch in diameter and traveling about 1,000 feet per second, found its mark. It was the work of but an instant; a great chasm in Southern history frozen in microseconds. In one shocking moment Pat Cleburne collapsed to the ground, carrying with him perhaps the best hopes of a dying Confederacy’s western army. A lone minie ball had struck just below and to the left of his heart, shredding veins and arteries like tissue paper as it ripped through his body. In a few moments he breathed his last. Pat Cleburne lay dead, his battle saber still grasped firmly in his hand, and his lifeblood soaking the white linen shirt and gray uniform vest with a slowly expanding blotch of crimson. After all the glory and the anguish, it had come to this. Perhaps the South’s most brilliant major general, the “Stonewall Jackson of the West,” his ideas scorned by his president and his competence punished by his commanding general, had been required to lead a suicidal frontal attack like some captain of infantry. Was it God’s decreed fate, or simply man’s stupidity?
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