Murfreesboro
Wilkinson Pike, Cedars Tennessee

American Civil War
December 5-7, 1864

In a last, desperate attempt to force Major General William T. Sherman's army out of Georgia, General John Bell Hood led the Army of Tennessee north toward Nashville in November 1864. Although he suffered a terrible loss at Franklin, he continued toward Nashville. In operating against Nashville, he decided that destruction of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad and disruption of the Union army supply depot at Murfreesboro would help his cause.

He sent Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest, on December 4, with an expedition, composed of two cavalry divisions and Major General William B. Bate's infantry division, to Murfreesboro. On December 2, Hood had ordered Bate to destroy the railroad and blockhouses between Murfreesboro and Nashville and join Forrest for further operations;  on December 4, Bate's division attacked Blockhouse No. 7 protecting the railroad crossing at Overall Creek, but Union forces fought it off.

On the morning of the 5th, Forrest headed out toward Murfreesboro, splitting his force, one column to attack the fort on the hill and the other to take Blockhouse No. 4, both at La Vergne. Upon his demand for surrender at both locations, the Union garrisons did so. Outside La Vergne, Forrest hooked up with Bate's division and the command advanced on to Murfreesboro along two roads, driving the Yankees into their Fortress Rosencrans fortifications, and encamped in the city outskirts for the night.

The next morning, on the 6th, Forrest ordered Bate's division to "move upon the enemy's works." Fighting flared for a couple of hours, but the Yankees ceased firing and both sides glared at each other for the rest of the day. Brig. General Claudius Sears's and Brig. General Joseph B. Palmer's infantry brigades joined Forrest's command in the evening, further swelling his numbers.

On the morning of the 7th, Major General Lovell Rousseau, commanding all of the forces at Murfreesboro, sent two brigades out under Brig. General Robert Milroy on the Salem Pike to feel out the enemy. These troops engaged the Confederates and fighting continued. At one point some of Forrest's troops broke and ran causing disorder in the Rebel ranks; even entreaties from Forrest and Bate did not stem the rout of these units. The rest of Forrest's command conducted an orderly retreat from the field and encamped for the night outside Murfreesboro.

Forrest had destroyed railroad track, blockhouses, and some homes and generally disrupted Union operations in the area, but he did not accomplish much else. The raid on Murfreesboro was a minor irritation.

Result(s): Union victory

Location: Rutherford County

Campaign: Franklin-Nashville Campaign (1864)

Date(s): December 5-7, 1864

Principal Commanders: Major General Lovell H. Rousseau and Brig. General Robert Milroy [US]; Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest [CS]

Forces Engaged: District of Tennessee (forces in Murfreesboro area; approx. 8,000) [US]; Forrest's Cavalry, Bate's Infantry Division, and Brig. General Claudius Sears's and Brig. General Joseph B. Palmer's Infantry Brigades (6,500-7,000) [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 422 total (US 225; CS 197)


The March to the Sea and Beyond: Sherman's Troops in the Savannah and Carolinas Campaigns
This book contains an examination of the army that General William Tecumseh Sherman led through Georgia and the Carolinas, in late 1864 and early 1865. Instead of being just another narrative of the March to the Sea and Carolina campaigns, however, Glatthaar's book is a look at the individuals that composed the army. In it, he examines the social and ideological backgrounds of the men in Sherman's army, and evaluates how they felt about various factors of the war--slavery, the union, and, most significantly, the campaign in which they were participating. The result is a fascinating look at Sherman's campaigns through the eyes of the everyday soldier.

Civil War Model 1851 Naval Pistol with Engraved Silver Tone / Gold Tone Finish and Wooden Grips - Replica of Revolver Used by Both USA / Union and CSA / Confederate Forces




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Reliving the Civil War: A Reenactor's Handbook




Uniforms of the Civil War: An Illustrated Guide for Historians, Collectors, and Reenactors
Photographs and paintings illustrate this definitive guide to the uniforms worn by both sides
American Civil War Book Titles

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Civil War Combat: America's Bloodiest Battles
The violent mayhem of the hornet's nest at Shiloh, the valiant charge on the sunken road at Antietam, the carnage in the wheat field at Gettysburg, and the brutal fighting at Cold Harbor
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Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.