The 92nd Meeting
Clarksville, TN – The next meeting of the Clarksville (TN) Civil War Roundtable will be on Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 at the Bone & Joint Center, 980 Professional Park Drive, right across the street from Gateway Hospital. This is just off Dunlop Lane and Holiday Drive and only a few minutes east of Governor’s Square mall. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm and is always open to the public.
This meetings topic is “Baptism of Fire: The Role of Federal Recruits at the Battle of Franklin”
The Battle of Franklin has been considered the five most violent hours of the Civil War. Charge after charge of Confederate infantry threw themselves at Union entrenchments with the only success, albeit temporarily, coming in the center along the Columbia Pike. Here, the Union line broke, thanks to attacking Confederates intermingling with retreating Union forces from an advance line. As has been commonly reported, the Union brigade commanded by Emerson Opdycke, posted below the brow of Carter’s Hill, rose up and counterattacked, sealing the Union line which continued to resist further attacks well into the darkness.
But was it just Opdycke’s Brigade that saved the day? Historian Eric Jacobson, in his new book, Baptism Of Fire: The Role of Federal Recruits at the Battle of Franklin, examines the role of three green Union regiments who, in their first battle, also contributed greatly to the eventual saving of the Union line. The program will focus on the roles of the 44th Missouri, 175th Ohio, and 183rd Ohio, all three of which found themselves involved in some of the worst fighting at the Battle of Franklin. These three regiments played crucial roles in determining the battle’s final outcome and until now their roles have been virtually unknown. The program will show conclusively that Opdycke’s Brigade alone did not save the Federal army at Franklin.
Eric A. Jacobson has been studying the American Civil War for nearly 25 years. A Minnesota native, Eric lived in Arizona for over a decade before relocating to Middle Tennessee in 2005. He is the author of For Cause & For Country: A Study of the Affair at Spring Hill and the Battle of Franklin, a project which encompassed nearly 10 years. Published in March 2006 the book is considered by some to be one of the most important books ever written about the 1864 Tennessee Campaign.
Eric’s second book, The McGavock Confederate Cemetery, was published in April 2007. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Historian for the Battle of Franklin Trust, which manages the Carter House and Carnton. His third book, entitled Baptism of Fire, which details the roles of three Federal regiments at the Battle of Franklin, was released in September 2011.
Eric lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his wife, Nancy, and their two daughters.
Bonus News
The Clarksville CWRT will be presenting a check to the Clarksville Parks & Recreation Department to purchase the first picnic table for the Fort Defiance Interpretive Center. This check is the result of the effort of several months of fund raising by the membership and will go to help make the picnic experience at Fort Defiance much better than it currently is. The idyllic setting of the site has proven to be very popular with residents and visitors and the addition of the table will allow them to enjoy a nice meal while on the property.
Please join us for another informative meeting of the Clarksville Civil War Roundtable.
