LOTZ HOUSE HOSTS TWO-PART SYMPOSIUM ON SEPT. 16 Topics include “The Forgotten Battle of Franklin – Dec. 17, 1864” and “10,000 Secrets Unearthed”

FRANKLIN, TN. – The Lotz House announced the Civil War house museum will host a two-part symposium reflecting on the “Forgotten Battle of Franklin – Dec. 17, 1864,” as well as the “10,000 Secrets Unearthed,” the largest caches of Confederate bullets ever unearthed in Middle Tennessee.

Lotz House Executive Director J.T. Thompson said, “We’re excited to bring this topic to Civil War enthusiasts because while we focus the story of the Battle of Franklin on the events leading up to and during the Nov. 30, 1864 battle, we don’t often hear about the forgotten Battle of Franklin held Dec. 17. Our own Lotz House Historian Thomas Cartwright will take us through the Confederate retreat from Nashville through Columbia on their way to the Alabama state line.”

Cartwright will discuss the military aspects of this retreat from Nashville to Franklin, Spring Hill and Columbia and how it affected the people. Cartwright is one of the nation’s leading authorities on the Battle of Franklin, and he currently conducts tours at the Lotz House, as well as the battlefield and the McGavock Confederate Cemetery. He frequently appears on various documentaries for the History Channel, A&E, Travel Channel, CNN, Discovery and Preservation Channel. For many years, he has lectured throughout the United States for Civil War Round Tables, corporations, preservation groups, and heritage organizations.

Bryan Lane will speak on the battle from Columbia to Alabama. Lane is a lifelong student of American History. He recently published “Tennessee Hero: Confederate Brigadier General John Adams,” and his articles have appeared in Civil War Times Illustrated and Blue and the Gray magazine. Lane works for the University of Tennessee as an OSHA workplace safety consultant and trainer, and he lives in Spring Hill, Tenn.

Thompson added, “We are also sharing the announcement and story of one of the largest caches of Confederate bullets ever unearthed or discovered in Middle Tennessee. Renowned relic hunter William Henry unearthed a cast iron cooking pot filled with 10,000 Minni balls which soon be on display in the Lotz House. It’s ironic that the 10,000 bullets are the same number as the casualties of the Nov. 30 Battle of Franklin.”

On Dec. 17 following the Battle of Nashville, the Confederates were retreating south down Franklin Rd. This cache was unearthed north of the Harpeth River. Lotz House Guide and avid metal detector Robert Blythe will join Andy Willoughby to make a presentation on metal detecting. They will discuss the significance of the Henry find and the current opportunities for metal detecting on the battlefield in Franklin.

The symposium will be held at the Nashville-Franklin Elks Lodge #72 located at 485 Oak Meadow Dr. in Franklin on Saturday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Puckett’s Grocery is providing boxed lunches, and each participant will receive one of the Minni bullets from this collection with a certificate of authenticity. The cost is $50 per person, and reservations can be made by calling Lotz House Community Relations Director Laura Westbrook at 615-790-7190 or email laura@lotzhouse.com. Seating is limited and reservations are required.

About the Lotz House The Lotz House, which has been on the National Historic Register since 1976, is located in the heart of downtown historic Franklin, Tennessee at the “epicenter” of the Battle of Franklin, which was a pivotal battle in the Civil War on November 30, 1864. The house is open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 – 4 p.m. Admission charged. The Lotz House is located at 1111 Columbia Ave. For more information, call 615-790-7190 or visit www.lotzhouse.com.