The Confederates marched up and took it in the teeth. Col. John Casement's Illinois and Indiana troops, partially equipped with 15-shot Henry repeating rifles, poured out a volume of fire that was almost beyond comprehension. Cockrell's men began to fall in piles. For Cause and For Country, Eric Jacobson
The Carter Cotton Gin
As the sun began to set on November 30, 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood amassed his Army of Tennessee atop Winstead Hill for the largest frontal assault in American history. Federal troops had won the race to Franklin, where they dug in to well-fortified breastworks and prepared to repel the charge.
The Carter Cotton Gin stood like an icon in the distance as the Rebels – 20,000 strong – marched, then ran, into vicious, hand-to-hand fighting that would soon be known as the bloodiest five hours of the Civil War. By 9 p.m., nearly 10,000 casualties had been claimed. Three Confederate generals were killed, two wounded and one captured in the fighting around the Cotton Gin, along with more than 30 regimental commanders. Entire divisions were decimated, and the Army of Tennessee was destroyed. Nine of the eleven Medals of Honor awarded for action at Franklin were won at the Cotton Gin.
Today, while the Carter House across Columbia Avenue tells thousands of visitors the story of the Battle of Franklin, the site of the Cotton Gin is covered with commercial development and residential homes.
Franklin’s Charge is working with property owners to secure the rights to purchase the land. Where a Domino’s Pizza and strip mall now stands, our vision is to rebuild the Cotton Gin, install interpretive earthworks and add a five-acre park to the area that will greatly enhance the visitor experience and the understanding of what happened in Franklin, Tennessee in November of 1864. Together with the Carter House, the Lotz House, Carnton Plantation and a world-class museum, this site and others in Franklin will represent one of the most comprehensive Civil War educational opportunities in the nation.
* Read the latest article about the Cotton Gin efforts from The Tennessean.
About Franklin’s Charge
Nationally recognized as a model for successful public/private partnership, Franklin’s Charge is dedicated to the preservation of “America’s Civil War Battlefield” in Franklin, Tennessee. Organized as a 501(c)(3) in 2005, members of Franklin’s Charge include individuals as well as local, state and national preservation groups such as the Civil War Preservation Trust and the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program.
The group’s inaugural project saved 112 acres of the eastern flank of the Battle of Franklin, the nation’s largest reclamation of a Civil War battlefield. In addition, Franklin’s Charge has collaborated with the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area to present annual symposiums that educate the public about the Civil War in Middle Tennessee. Franklin’s Charge advocates heritage tourism, including support of the Tennessee Civil War Trails program.
We Need Your Help.
The Civil War is our nation’s most defining moment, and the fields on which it was fought are the most tangible, poignant and hallowed reminders of the epic struggle that forged our national identity. Preservation of these places – where the fate of our nation was decided – honors those who gave their ‘last full measure of devotion’ and will teach and inspire future generations. As the sesquicentennial of the Civil War approaches, battlefields are being lost at an alarming rate, and many have been paved over for years. Yet interest in the Civil War is growing, and visitors to battlefields are one of the most rapidly increasing segments of the tourism industry, resulting in significant contributions of tourism dollars to local economies.
Franklin’s Charge has a nationally recognized successful record of battlefield reclamation, and we have an opportunity today to reclaim hallowed ground from underneath commercial development. Your generous support is critically important to accomplish the goal of preserving these compelling reminders of our American story.
How to Support Franklin’s Charge
The effort to reclaim the five-acre Carter Cotton Gin site – in the heart of downtown Franklin – has a price tag in excess of $3.2 million. Your contributions are urgently needed.
Join with us today by making a donation to help preserve the battlefield at Franklin.
Save one foot of land at the Carter Cotton Gin site for $25.00
Donate securely through PayPal or make checks payable to Franklin’s Charge Please print this form and mail along with your check to: 604 West Main Street Franklin, TN 37064
