November 26, 1864
-- Franklin-Nashville Campaign: After having abandoned Atlanta, Gen. John B.
Hood, commanding the 39,000 troops of the Army of Tennessee, knows he cannot
stop Sherman’s march on the battlefield.
As Sherman begins his March to
the Sea through Georgia, Hood sidesteps into northern Alabama to cross the
Tennessee River and invade Tennessee in an attempt to disrupt Sherman’s plans
and draw him back north to defend Federal-occupied Tennessee, and his supply
lines. Hood does not fully yet realize
that Sherman has no intentions of turning back, and has abandoned his supply
lines, to live off the land, thus punishing even more the state of Georgia as he
marches through.
Hood’s
army remains in Palmetto, Georgia for much of September. Early in October, he makes a march toward
Chattanooga, beating Yankee forces in a few insignificant engagements, and
finally captures the Federal garrison at Dalton. The Rebels destroy railroads and supplies,
doing their best to discomfit Sherman.
Hood then turns west, into Alabama.
Sherman sends troops to chase Hood, but he finally gives up and
determines to abandon his supply line for the upcoming campaign to Savannah. Sherman detaches Thomas and Schofield with
the 55,000 men to keep watch over Tennessee.
Thomas arrives in Nashville, and begins to beef up its defenses. He assigns Schofield to move south into
central Tennessee to block Hood’s moves.
As Hood advances, he passes up Schofield’s force at Pulaski, hoping to
cut off the smaller Yankee force from its base in Nashville. At the last moment, on Nov. 24, Gen.
Schofield abandons his post in Pulaski and speeds north to block the Rebels
from crossing the Duck River at Columbia.
 |
| Opening moves: After leaving Florence, Alabama, Hood's army moves swiftly into central Tennessee |
By
this date, Nov. 26, Hood has marched his battered army up into central
Tennessee, and approaches Columbia, finding Union troops entrenched south of
the city, blocking all roads north. Forrest’s
cavalry provides excellent screening, so that the Federals are clueless as to
where Hood is, as skirmishing all around the Federal lines flares up.
---March to the Sea: Sherman’s troops continue sporadic fighting
with Confederate troops near Sanderson, Georgia.
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