Key Facts
- Dates
- November 24–29, 1864
- Location
- Maury County, Tennessee
- Campaign
- Franklin-Nashville Campaign
- Duration
- 6 days
- River crossed
- Duck River
Strategic Narrative Overview
Between November 24 and 29, 1864, Hood's cavalry under Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest skirmished with Schofield's Union forces south of Columbia. Schofield fortified a defensive line south of the town but, recognizing the vulnerability of his position, chose to withdraw northward across the Duck River, abandoning Columbia to the Confederates. Hood's army successfully crossed the Duck River, maintaining momentum in his Tennessee invasion.
01 / The Origins
In late 1864, Confederate Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood launched an invasion of Tennessee from northern Alabama, advancing his Army of Tennessee northward as part of the broader Franklin-Nashville Campaign. His objective was to draw Union forces out of Georgia, threaten Nashville, and potentially shift the momentum of the war in the Western Theater. Union Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield's army stood in his path near Columbia, Tennessee.
03 / The Outcome
Schofield's withdrawal ceded Columbia and the Duck River crossing to Hood without a decisive engagement. Hood immediately sought to exploit the retreat by attempting to intercept Schofield's army at Spring Hill, setting the stage for the subsequent battles of Spring Hill and Franklin. The Union force escaped encirclement, but the campaign's pressure on Middle Tennessee continued.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
John Bell Hood, Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Side B
1 belligerent
John M. Schofield.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.