The Battle of Franklin (part 2)

Tiring

The battle of Franklin, which happened quickly and ferociously, took place in three different places: the Carter House, the Carnton Plantation, and Fort Granger. Trench building took place as preparation for the battle commenced. Preparing for the fight, soldiers found it problematic. It started at 4 p.m. and ended at 9 p.m. That is a short battle. It was an ugly battle. The battlefield was very small. Even though the skirmish was short, it was an extremely bloodstained, littered-with-dead-body battlefield.

Fighting

became extremely brutal and inhumanly savage. Fighting brutally, men bayoneted, and clubbed to death in the Carter yard. Confederate soldiers were found bayoneted on the front steps of the Carter House. Clubbing, clawing, punching, stabbing, and choking, the soldiers turned out to be fighting for their lives. The smoke from the cannons and guns was so thick that the soldiers could not tell nor establish friend from foe. The battle was as ugly as a wildfire. Friends and women and children –mostly under 12 years- were protected but the cries of war rang out from above. One of the Carter children, nicknamed Tod6 and serving as an aid for General T.B. Smith on the battlefield, laid eyes on his home for the first time in three years. Severely wounded, Captain Tod Carter sadly died two days later in the Carter House. As the tragic fighting place, it became cold-bloodedly savage.

 

Unfortunately, the beautiful and large Carnton Plantation was built not long before the battle of Franklin began.7 What kind of part did the Carnton Plantation play? The Carnton Plantation played an important part in the battle of Franklin. At 4 p.m. on November 30, 1864, the Carnton Plantation witnessed the bloodiest of the battles in the Civil War. Resulting in a terrible war, it is believed and known to be the bloodiest five hours of the Civil War. As the combat commenced, it took place mainly in the dark. The Battle of Franklin was five hours long and 9,500 soldiers were confederate troops. Carnton is the largest battlefield and was eventually converted into a hospital for hundreds of wounded or dying confederates. Many soldiers died while fighting.8 Not long after the Carnton Plantation was built, which was in 1826, the battle of Franklin began.

Trench building

was as tiresome and energy taking as running that mile in presidential fitness.9 Building and digging with picks and shovels the men thought, "This is not easy to do." To give a scale, the seemingly bottomless trenches were six feet deep and twenty feet wide at minimum. Twelve feet was the maximum men with picks and shovels could dig and still throw dirt. That is a large trench. Loudly officers yelled, "Hurry men!" Listening to the officers the soldiers hurried and finished preparing for the battle. As the trench building finished, the soldiers, who were the ones who built the trenches, realized "trench building is not easy."

The Carter House and Carnton Plantation played major and significant parts in the battle of Franklin because they were the places that were used as battlefields. Fort Granger also had a major role in the battle. Digging many trenches, they seemed impossible, but unknowingly they were very possible. The trenches, which were six feet deep and twenty feet wide, were the minimum. The maximum was twelve feet, for the men who rigorously and tirelessly dug with picks and shovels. Digging was as tiring as staying up until midnight doing schoolwork.

Learn, Enjoy, and Bond

After the war ended, the Carnton Plantation, The Carter House, and Fort Granger became open to the public. Who died and how many? The Union ended up with 2,500 men with casualties. The confederates ended up with 7,000 counted as casualties. In the spring of 1886, the McGavock family donated two acres of the Carnton Plantation to the Confederate Cemetery for the 1,481 soldiers who sadly and unfortunately died as they paid their respects to the soldiers who fought in that five-hour battle. What happened to the Carter House? The Carter House ended up with 1,000 confederates and union bullet holes. The site covers about 15 acres. Fort Granger, which is now open, is there for all of the public to enjoy. Built by the men preparing for the battle of Franklin, the trenches are located at Fort Granger. Even though the trenches were ugly during the battle, they are the most beautiful and gorgeous trenches anyone could ever look at.

Families sadly lost loved ones.

Federals ended up with casualties of 2,500 men. Sadly, 189 soldiers resulted in being killed, 1,033 ended up wounded, 1,104 ended up captured, and 287 cavalry found and counted as casualties. Having many brave and tired men on the confederates had 1,750 killed, 3,800 wounded, and 702 captured –not including cavalry casualties. In the five-hour battle, there were more killed on the Confederate side, which was the Army of Tennessee10, than the two-day battle of Shiloh, or the seven-day Campaign in Virginia for the Federal Army. As the spring of 1886 began, the McGavock family11 donated two acres of the Carnton Plantation to the Confederate Cemetery for the 1,481 soldiers who sadly and tragically died. The Carter Family lost their son.



The Battle of Franklin (part1)

Devastating

Could you imagine living in 1864, which was the year of the bloodiest battle?

Trying to imagine something like that, one would probably have a hard time doing it. Ponder it a while. As the hours passed on, generals and many weary and exhausted soldiers, continued fighting, clubbing, stabbing, choking, bayonetting, and shooting each other to save their own life. In the trenches, killed and wounded men sadly and traumatically filled them. It is as hard as a piece of stone to believe something like that actually took place. Many main people fought in the Battle of Franklin, but when and where did the battle of Franklin take place? Sadly, the Battle of Franklin took place in 1864 in Franklin Tennessee –hence the name. The aftermath was so great that many happy and joyful things happened after the battle. It is obvious the sight was devastating and overwhelming just to look at it.

 

Fighting

What was the battle of Franklin like?

Sadly, the battle of Franklin was the worst and ugliest battle ever fought in the American Civil War. The battle, which was fought cruelly and gruesomely, happened on November 30, 1864. Although it was a very short battle, it was a tremendously bloody battle. Fighting for their lives, many main people fought in the bloodiest war. Many people died as well. Who died though? As the battle raged on, the battlefield was the smallest and filthiest battlefield.

Franklin

was a very bloody battle. Many people fought and quarreled in the battle on November 1864. While the union outnumbered the confederates, the Confederate Army of Tennessee consisted of 20,085 infantry, and 5,000 cavalry.1 Included in the battle, several high-rankling men –major generals and people like that- fought in the battle of Franklin. Confederate major general Forrest also served on the confederate side, joyfully and cheerfully born July 13, 1821, sorrowfully died October 29, 1877. The union side entailed 22,000 infantry and 13,500 cavalry. Born September 29, 1831, Major general Schofield, who served on the union squad, died March 4, 1906. Union major general Stanley, whose birth took place on June 1, 1828 unfortunately, passed on March 13, 1902. Another union major general who served as a high-ranking soldier was born September 2, 1837; however, death suddenly and quickly struck him February 23, 1925. On November of 1864, many people took part in the battle of Franklin. It was a bloody battle. The war was very ugly. The battle was very short.

Franklin

continues to be known as the shortest and bloodiest battle fought. In spite of how long the battle lasted, which only lasted five hours, it is called the bloodiest hours of the American Civil War. Sam Watkins recalls and tells:

(Franklin is the blackest page in the history of the War of the Lost Cause. It was the bloodiest battle of modern times in any war. It was the finishing stroke to the Independence of the Southern Confederacy. I was there. I saw it.2

Called "The Gettysburg of the West," Franklin witnessed only a few nights in the many days of the Civil War. Sadly, the event happened on one of the smallest battlefields of the entire Civil War, which was only two miles long and one and one half miles wide. The battlefield is dreadfully diminutive. The battle was relatively brief. It was the bloodiest battle. The Union included two armies: 23rd Corp3 commanded by Jacob Cox and fourth Corps4 commanded by David Stanley. The Confederates consisted of 9,700 men from S.D. Lee’s Corps, 9,300 men from Frank Cheatham’s Corps, and 8,000 from A.P. Stewart’s Corps. Obviously, the union outnumbered the confederates. Franklin is known as the bloodiest battle of the war.

In the Battle of Franklin, many people risked their lives. Alas, as many as six Generals ended up being killed. The killed generals unfortunately included the following: John Carter, John Adams, Hiram Granbury, States Rights Gist, and Otho Strahl. There were many killed. Wounded, the generals consist of the following: John Brown, Francis Cockrell, Zachariah Deas, Arthur Manigault, Thomas Scott, and Jacob Sharp. Captured, George Gordon was one of the generals lost. 55 regimental commanders became casualties –a military person lost through death, wounds, injury, sickness, internment, or capture of through being missing in action. Sadly, the Union, who outnumbered the confederates, lost 189 people, and ended up with 1,033 wounded, and 1,104 missing.5 As many people fought and quarreled, they willingly and bravely risked their lives in the battle of Franklin.

Many key leaders and soldiers, who fought and died during the Battle of Franklin, left diaries, and letters depicting the gruesome fight. On the confederates side, there consisted of 20,085 infantry soldiers and 5,000 cavalry soldiers. The union greatly outnumbered the confederates with 22,000 infantry and 13,500 cavalry. The fighting and quarrelling led to many main people who died. Truly many main people sadly and tragically died while fighting in the battle of Franklin, which was the bloodiest and ugliest war because so many died in such a short time.

The Mertens

Merrily Mentoring the Many Mertens

 

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to homeschool four children at different levels? For some, homeschooling can be wild, terribly busy, interesting, and/or fun. For the Mertens, it is all of the above. Mr. and Mrs. Mertens have been homeschooling for ten long, years. Happily, Mr. and Mrs. Mertens started homeschooling when their son, Roger, was five years of age. The reason they started homeschooling, is because they did not have the funds for school. They felt God uttered they should homeschool. Naturally they have four wonderful children, as mentioned before; three boys and one girl. their names are: Roger, Dalton, Drew and Sarah in that order. Within the ten years of homeschooling Roger, they have homeschooled Dalton, Drew and Sarah. Homeschooling at different levels can be very difficult. Aside from getting started, which is first, there are homeschooling activities, benefits and negative experiences, continuing and back to the past that will be mentioned. There will be a lot discussed.

 

As well as doing math, spelling and other subjects, happily and willingly the kids help their dad outside. Some of those fun things strenuously include: growing vegetables in a garden, cleaning animals, which is done after they have been hunted, working of vehicles, hunting and even helping their mom inside the big house. In addition to working outside with their dad or inside with their mom, Roger and Dalton had a job mowing and taking care of lawns. (now they are working on forclosed houses)

 

One of the benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility; you have a much closer bond with your family, like the Mertens, and you do not have to deal with the public school's bad attitudes. Although there are several benefits in homeschooling, there are some negative experiences in homeschooling, such as burn out and all the frustration which takes place in getting prepared. What will happen next? Cannot wait to see. This is so amazing! Unfortunately the question is still standing out, will they continue to homeschool?

Most likely the Mertens will continue homeschool until Sarah, the youngest, graduates from high school. Hopefully they will continue homeschooling. Mrs. Mertens articulated, "If I were able to go back to the time when roger first started school and live up to this day, I would have done things much differently. For example, I would have waited until  Roger was six years of age to start hime in school."

The Mertens have fun doing all the activities they do, as a family. Additionaly, they enjoy the benefits and negative experiences experienced in homeschooling. Continuing to homeschool, they will enjoy watching their last child graduate. While looking back, Mrs Mertens articulated she would have waited to start Roger in school a year later. The most important thing in the Mertens' homeschooling lives is raising their children in a Godly fashion, because living for God should be the number one priority in our lives. She is merrily mentnoring the many Mertens.