BATTLE OF FRANKLIN TRUST ANNOUNCES BATTLEFIELD RECLAMATION THROUGH DONATION
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – The Battle of Franklin Trust is pleased to announce that through the generosity of a Williamson County neighbor – Mr. William David Dozier – another piece of the Franklin battlefield has been reclaimed. The small tract of land has been donated to the Trust and it connects the Carriage Park neighborhood to the Eastern Flank Battlefield Park. The Trust will begin to use it almost immediately and allow guests on battlefield tours to get an altogether different perspective of this important part of the battlefield.
At the time of the battle, which was fought on November 30, 1864, the piece of ground was part of Carnton and had been used as farmland. Nearby McGavock Creek is fed by several springs, one of which is under the Carnton springhouse and it empties into the Harpeth River.
Land Donated by the Dozier Family
During the Battle of Franklin, the right wing of Maj. Gen. William W. Loring’s Division moved through the CarriagePark area, plowed across the creek, and then across the Eastern Flank. His three brigades, under the command of Brig. Gens. Winfield S. Featherston, John Adams and Thomas M. Scott, took significant casualtiesfrom incoming artillery fire as they advanced toward the Federal line. A portion of Scott’s Brigade –Alabamians, Tennesseans and Louisianans – swept over this newly acquired battlefield property. Loring’s mentook heavy losses and nearly 1,000 were killed, wounded or captured by the conclusion of the fighting. Gen. Scott was among the injured. Many of the soldiers who perished during the battle are buried in the McGavock Confederate Cemetery, which is just west of the tract.
Many more interpretive opportunities exist across the Franklin battlefield. The Trust is seeking other historically minded community members, like the Dozier family, to donate or sell property or to allow interpretive markers tobe placed on land they own. If you are interested in helping to further interpret our community’s role in theconflict that redefined America, please contact Development Director Laurie McPeak at laurie@boft.org or CEO Eric A. Jacobson at eric@boft.org.
With the 155th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin just around the corner, you could leave behind a legacy that future generations can all enjoy and appreciate. For more information visit www.boft.org.
About The Battle of Franklin Trust
The Battle of Franklin Trust is a 501(c)3 management corporation acting on behalf of Franklin’s battlefield sites to contribute to a greater understanding and enrich the visitor experience of the November 30, 1864 battle. It is organized for the charitable and educational purposes of preserving, restoring, maintaining and interpreting the properties, artifacts anddocuments related to the battle so as to preserve an important part of the nation’s history.
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