The Battle of Franklin Trust

11/01/2026

In late October and early November of 1864, both the 4th and 23rd Corps of the United States Army were en route to Pulaski, TN, where they were to commence a delaying action to slow the Confederate Army of Tennessee down until Gen. George Henry Thomas could mount a defense in Nashville. Join Eric Jacobson in Pulaski and follow the armies as they move north toward Spring Hill.

Please like, subscribe, and comment. The mission of the Battle of...

10/31/2026

These unobstructed views of the battlefield at Franklin are made possible by the tireless efforts of men and women who believed in the importance of saving and preserving battlefield and then put their money and their energy behind their beliefs. Every day men and women, boys and girls, from all over the world can vividly imagine what happened here because of their work. Learn more about the modern day battlefield reclamation miracle in Franklin and Spring Hill here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVswPJNj_Ok

10/30/2026

The 162nd anniversaries of the Battles of Spring Hill and Franklin are just one month away! We are offering a number of commemorative opportunities and hope you can join us.

Each of our homes will be open from 4:00-6:00 p.m. for abbreviated tours as we have done for the past two years - Rippa Villa on Sunday, November 29 and Carnton and Carter House on Monday, November 30. These tours are free and do not require reservation.

In addition, we are offering a couple of unique opportunities this year.

On Sunday afternoon, November 29, at 2:00 p.m., Eric Jacobson will conduct a 90-minute tour of Rippa Villa and the Spring Hill Battlefield. Tickets are $30 and include a copy of Volume 1 of Eric's new book, The Cheairs Family & Rippa Villa: The Old Union. Attendance is limited to 25 and all participants must be 10 years of age or older.

At 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. we will offer one hour guided tours meant to place you inside the homes on the nights of the battles. These tours will be offered at Rippa Villa on Sunday, November 29 and at Carnton and Carter House on Monday,November 30. Cost is $30 per person. Attendance is limited to 20 and children under 6 are not permitted.

Tickets for the paid events must be pre-purchased online.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit: https://boft.org/commemoration

10/29/2026

By late October 1864, preparations were being made to ship the brand new 44th Missouri Infantry Regiment to Tennessee for a date with destiny on November 30 at Franklin. Learn more about them here:

We hope you enjoy today's video, as Adam Thomas and Eric Jacobson d...

10/28/2026

Autumn leaves blanket the graves of the boys of Mississippi. More than a quarter of the soldiers buried in the McGavock Confederate Cemetery – 424 – are Mississippians. One of those is Color Cpl. William R. Covington.

In 1860, twelve-year-old William was living with his parents and three siblings on a farm in Clarke County, MS. His father, Jeremiah, owned two slaves. William served in the 37th Mississippi along with his two older brothers, Thomas and Augustus. Thomas was captured in Mississippi in late 1862 and died of smallpox in Alton, IL, in early 1863. Augustus was at Franklin and was likely the person who buried William following the battle. He was captured at the Battle of Nashville two weeks later.

Read more about the cemetery and the men buried there in The McGavock Confederate Cemetery: A Revised and Updated Compilation by Eric A. Jacobson. Find it here: https://store.boft.org/books-and-dvds/p/the-mcgavock-confederate-cemetery-a-revised-and-updated-compilation

10/27/2026

We are all so excited about our beautiful new Visitor Center at the Carter House, but the occasional guest has expressed difficulty finding where to park during construction. Historical interpreter Jeff Williams is here to help. 😎

10/26/2026

Cyrenius Whetstone was born in Stark County, OH on Nov. 27, 1839. His father Solomon was a farmer from Pennsylvania who raised 6 children with his wife Catherine. Only a few months after the start of the Civil War, Cyrenius signed a 3-year enlistment with the U.S. Army on Sept. 25, 1861 and mustered into Battery A, 1st Ohio Light Artillery as a private.

The following year they fought in the Siege of Corinth, later at Munfordsville, KY, and by the end of 1862 in Murfreesboro at the Battle of Stones River. During the battle their position was overrun and their cannons were lost, so Cyrenius and his comrades picked up ri**es and continued fighting alongside troops of the 42nd Illinois Infantry. In 1863 they participated in the Tullahoma Campaign and saw action at the Battle of Chickamauga with Willich’s Brigade. After their retreat, they defended Chattanooga and Knoxville from being besieged. By the end of the year Cyrenius’s 3-year enlistment expired. He re-enlisted as a veteran and was promoted to corporal. After taking a month long furlough he returned for duty to participate in the Atlanta Campaign.

Cyrenius decided to keep a diary after his return as a veteran and wrote of his experiences almost daily. After fighting for months in Georgia, Cyrenius and Battery A, 1st Ohio were ordered back north to defend Nashville. On Nov. 29, 1864, Cyrenius fought at the Battle of Spring Hill. In his diary he wrote, “Battle fought at Spring Hill. The battery participated. Hazen J. Corlis killed. Fred Fairchilds wounded slightly in foot.” That night they withdrew north to Franklin where they quickly fortified. Battery A, 1st Ohio was deployed across Columbia Pike from the Carter House. Cyrenius wrote, “Battle of Franklin. Battery fired but a few rounds. Captain Scovill slightly wounded [in the breast by a musket ball].” Cyrenius fought again at the Battle of Nashville 2 weeks later, but as the war came to an end, Cyrenius mustered out of the army on July 31, 1865.

He moved to Woodbury County, IA, and was married to Charlotte Scovel in 1879. He worked as a farm laborer, but in 1907 he began making trips to Battle Mountain Sanitarium in Hot Springs, SD, to receive treatment for medical issues. Cyrenius died in Sterling, IL, on June 23, 1922, at 82 years old. He was buried at the Graceland Park Cemetery in Sioux City, IA.

10/25/2026

One of the most pernicious myths regarding the American Civil War, and one that has shown up again recently in our comment section, regards black men serving as soldiers in the Confederate Army. Seems like a good time to revisit this BOFT film from a few years back.

Welcome to a new series from BOFT Films! We'll be exploring many di...

10/24/2026

On the afternoon of November 29, 1864, Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood led his army up the Rally Hill Pike with the hope of cutting off the Federal Army at Spring Hill. That morning, Gen. John Schofield had sent George Wagner's Division north to form a perimeter around the eastern edge of the town. One of the most confounding events of the American Civil War was about to unfold across this rural farmland.

Join Eric Jacobson on Sunday, November 29, at 2 p.m. for a special anniversary tour of Rippa Villa and the Spring Hill Battlefield. Walk across the fields and stand inside the home at the very time of day when destiny was unfolding 162 years ago. The tour will last approximately 90 minutes. Tickets are $30 and include a copy of Volume 1 of Eric's new book, The Cheairs Family & Rippa Villa: The Old Union. Attendance is limited to 25, and participants must be 10 years of age or older.

Tickets must be pre purchased online. Find them here: https://boft.org/

10/23/2026

During the American Civil War, nearly 200,000 black men served in the United States Army and Navy, 300 of them from Williamson County. They walked into our courthouse as slaves, and walked out as soldiers, and went away to fight for their freedom, for the freedom of their families, for the freedom of those not yet born. And they did that when they were not even considered citizens of the United States.

On October 23, 2021, a statue was unveiled in the square in downtown Franklin to honor them. It is called March to Freedom. Throngs of people gathered to celebrate, to commemorate, to remember. Songs were sung. Tears were shed. Newspapers around the country carried the story.

Five years later, he still stands. A strong and silent witness.