A Confederate failure to block Union forces at Spring Hill allowed Schofield's army to escape north, setting the stage for the costly Battle of Franklin.
Key Facts
- Date
- November 29, 1864
- Campaign
- Franklin-Nashville Campaign
- Confederate Commander
- Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood
- Union Commander
- Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield
- Conflict
- American Civil War
- Outcome
- Union forces escaped north to Franklin
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Franklin-Nashville Campaign, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood sought to intercept and destroy the retreating Union force commanded by Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield as it moved north from Columbia through Spring Hill, Tennessee.
On November 29, 1864, Hood's Confederates attacked Schofield's Union column at Spring Hill. A series of Confederate command failures, combined with effective U.S. Army leadership, prevented the Confederates from blocking the road or inflicting serious damage on the Federal forces.
Schofield's army successfully passed through Spring Hill during the night and reached Franklin. The following day, Hood pursued and launched a direct assault on Union fortifications at the Battle of Franklin, which resulted in severe Confederate casualties.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield.
Side B
1 belligerent
Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood.