Embrace an Angry Wind: The Confederacy's Last Hurrah Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville

Modern War Studies

by Wiley Sword

Wonderfully told story of the campaign that ruined John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee.

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War, Nonfiction, War, Military History, Military Fiction

499 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Wiley Sword worked as a manufacturer’s representative to the automobile industry until his retirement. He was also a prolific collector of Civil War memorabilia, and wrote several works of military history.

Reviews

[Theo Logos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Confederacy's Last Hurrah is an outstanding book that combines first rate research with a novelist's eye for detailing the brutal chaos of battle. Sword's talent shines in breathing life into the cast of characters involved, from the generals to the common soldier. This was the campaign that gave the second verse to The Yellow Rose of Texas — ”The gallant Hood of Texas paid hell in Tennessee” and Sword brings it vividly to life.

The Battles of Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville are all of a piece — part of General Hood’s aggressive but head scratching Autumn Campaign attempting to go on the attack against the Union. It was both breathtakingly ambitious and ill-advised. The Battle of Franklin was among the most desperate and fiercest of the war, with the Confederates charging entrenched positions across open ground twice as long as the more famous Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, then engaging in hand to hand combat until night ended the battle. Six Confederate generals died at Franklin, including General Patric Cleburne, sometimes called “the Stonewall of the West.” After having his army decimated at Franklin, Hood moved on to besiege Nashville, until the methodical Union General George Thomas brought his forces out of the city and crushed him. (This was the only time during the Civil War when an army was actually destroyed in the field — Hood’s Army of Tennessee ceased to exist after Nashville.)

This book will strike a nerve with those who view the war with Lost Cause tinted glasses. Sword is unapologetic in his scorn for John Bell Hood's leadership, and he dares to state the obvious - that Hood was advanced in rank beyond his capabilities, and that he lacked the vision or intelligence to effectively lead an army. He lays the responsibility for the Confederate disasters at Franklin and Nashville on both Hood, and the Southern high command (Davis and Bragg) who advanced him well beyond his limited abilities.

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fateful Winter In Tennessee

Most casual students of the Civil War will have knowledge of critical events of 1864-1865, including Sherman's capture of Atlanta and March to the Sea, and Grant's siege of Petersburg and the subsequent surrender of Lee at Appomattox. Many students without a detailed knowledge of the War will have less familiarity with the equally important and dramatic events which surround the Confederacy's disastrous invasion of Tennessee during the winter of 1864. This invasion began on November 21, 1864, and concluded with the essential destruction of the Army of Tennessee in the second day of the Battle of Nashville on December 16, 1864. Wiley Sword's sad and eloquent book, "The Confederacy's Last Hurrah: Spring Hill, Franklin, & Nashville", first published in 1993, tells the story.

There are many threads and themes developed in the book as befitting the complexity of the campaign. The story begins with Jefferson Davis' decision to relieve Joe Johnston from command of the Army of Tennessee and to replace him with J.B. "Sam" Hood, due to Johnston's lack of aggressiveness in the Atlanta campaign. Hood had a well-deserved reputation, earned at Antietam, Gettysburg, and Chickamauga, as a bold, aggressive fighter. He also suffered from grave deficiencies in judgment, intelligence, and character. Hood had been seriously wounded in earlier combat, making him subject to fatigue and possibly to over-dependence on painkillers. Whatever Johnston's merits or deficiencies, the decision to replace him with Hood was, Sword argues convincingly, unwise.

The Confederate high command, including Davis, Beauregard, and Hood, made the decision to allow Sherman's March to the Sea basically uncontested after the fall of Atlanta and instead to make a countermarch into Tennessee with the hope of recapturing the state and perhaps moving northward to invade Ohio. In leading the campaign, Hood promised he would commit to a general engagement only on favorable ground of his own choosing and with numerical superiority. Events were to prove otherwise.

Sword's book moves effectively between the Union and Confederate sides as he describes the three key engagements of the Tennessee campaign. The first critical engagement took place at Spring Hill, Tennessee. Hood had outmaneuvered a Union Army commanded by John Schofield which was headed to Nashville to join the forces of the commanding general, George Thomas. Hood had the Federal force cut off. During the night of November 29, 1864, Schofield's entire army slipped by the Army of the Tennessee encamped in the fields on the side of the road of Spring Hill. Hood was several miles away from the action and asleep. The Confederate command was badly uncoordinated. How the Confederate Army allowed Schofield's escape has always been a mystery, and it remains so after reading Sword's account. His discussion of Spring Hill is thorough and detailed and shows the mistakes of Hood and his subordinates. I was left confused about what happened.

Schofield marched to the town of Franklin, Tennessee and hastily constructed a line of strong entrenchments with his back to the Harpeth River. Hood's angry and puzzled Army followed. When Hood caught up to Schofield on the afternoon of November 30, he impulsively ordered an attack on the entrenchments against the advice of his subordinates. The attack resulted in perhaps the greatest slaughter of the Civil War.

The Battle of Franklin, the bravery of the Confederate attack, the resoluteness shown in defense, and the folly of the charge are at the center of Sword's account. His descriptions of the fighting, unlike the confused nature of the activities at Spring Hill, are moving, clear, and masterful. There is a poignant sense of loss at the waste of it all. Sword writes:

"Franklin in many respects had become a dramatic pinnacle of the Civil War. In that magnetic and intensely charged moment of Hood's grand frontal assault, the divergent forces of destiny and human spirit had fatally collided. Magnified by the electrifying emotion of a nation dying, it was for the South one last desperate hurrah. With everything risked on a single, fateful attack, disaster for one army or the other had been certain For a moment it became eternity in eclipse, the world asunder. No sight was more grand, spectacular, nor became more ghastly." (p. 270)

Schofield withdrew from Franklin rather than attempt to exploit his success, and Hood, for reasons that will remain unclear, followed him to Nashville and attempted to lay siege to the city. General Grant pressed Union General George Thomas to attack immediately, but Thomas refrained until his army was ready and until weather conditions permitted the movement. Thomas' restraint almost cost him his removal. But on December 15, 1864, his attack brought the Army of Tennessee close to destruction. The Army was saved because the Union attack had been delayed by a heavy morning fog. On the second day of the Battle, December 16, 1864, Thomas achieved a singular Union victory as the entire Confederate defense broke late in the afternoon. Sword describes the dramatic battle and the long, perilous retreat of Hood's survivors back to Mississippi. The Army of Tennessee was destroyed as a fighting force.

While some of the descriptions of troop movements, particularly at Spring Hill, are confusingly described, Sword takes the Civil War and the Tennessee campaign with great seriousness and a sense of tragedy rather than bravado. The book offers a portrait of the Tennessee campaign and of its protagonists that is difficult to forget. Sword offers a great deal of thought and analysis of the military situations he describes rather than only giving descriptions of combat. He tries to see the actions through the eyes of the combatants, including Hood, Cleburne, Schofield, and Thomas, as well as of the soldiers in the ranks. Some readers have taken issue with the portrayal of General Hood that Sword develops. It is difficult to argue with Sword's basic conclusion that Hood was out of his depths as a commander and that he suffered from flaws such as impulsiveness, lack of discretion, and a propensity to blame others that contributed heavily to the destruction of the Army of the Tennessee.

Readers who want to use the 150th anniversary of the Civil War to deepen their understanding of the conflict beyond general overviews or studies of more familiar battles will benefit from Sword's moving account of the 1864 Tennessee campaign.

Robin Friedman

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of three battles for the Army of Tennessee, one almost successful and two disasters. 1864 was not a good year for the South. The Army of Northern Virginia fought a series of costly battles in the Overland Campaign while Sherman marched to the sea, taking Atlanta and Savannah, but in this book Wiley Sword presents Hood's efforts to hopefully divert Sherman by attacking Tennessee. It didn't work and almost destroyed the Army of Tennessee.

John Bell Hood is the focus of this work, however, the thousands of men who fought and died are the real story. Their courage, loyalty, and tenacity in the face of appalling weather conditions, artillery bombardments, and a determined Union army was amazing. Sadly for the South, it wasn't enough. A lack of decisive leadership by Hood certainly didn't help. Charging formidable breastworks over a two mile stretch calls for more than just courage. Ironically, Hood could disingenuously claim 'victory' since Schofield pulled out overnight, making for Nashville.

Devastated by losses at Franklin, the Army of Tennessee moved on to Nashville, where they encountered George Thomas and his army. Thomas was a methodical man who would not attack until his army was ready. A two week period of bad weather delayed the attack, despite pressure from Grant and Halleck, but on December 15-16 the two armies met in another bloody battle. This time the Confederates had the breastworks, but their flanks were vulnerable due to a lack of cavalry. Nathan Bedford Forrest's men had been sent to Murfreesboro in the mistaken belief that this would force Thomas out of his works. It wasn't needed. Thomas attacked anyway and won a great victory. The only good news was that the southern army, what was left of it, escaped into Alabama.

Hood was replaced, but he tried to blame others for the debacle in Tennessee. The war ended less than six months later. Perhaps there were some veterans who could forgive him, but I can't believe there were many. There were too many graves for that.

[Manray9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wiley Sword's The Confederacy's Last Hurrah: Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville is among the best Civil War books I've read in years. Some have criticized it as a hatchet job on John Bell Hood, but the truth hurts. Hood's back-stabbing correspondence with Jefferson Davis and Braxton Bragg seeking to undermine his superior, J. E. Johnston, cannot be rationalized. Coupled with his relentless blaming of others for his own tactical shortcomings, Hood was an officer promoted far above his capabilities. His soldiers paid the price.

Thorough and comprehensive and laced with first-hand accounts to keep up the reader's interest, I give Sword Five Stars.

[Alexw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entire book is summarized on page 267 about the rebel General Hood's disastrous fighting strategy, which was to attack entrenched troops, superior in numbers, advancing over an open plain without cover, was a disregard for the rules of war, a waist of precious lives, and a wrecking of an army.
Hood was never the same and his picture after the battle shows a haunted face for his failures.
The author does a good job of showing the horrors of war and the confusion that takes place with poor communications, timid Union Generals and the fact that the South was so poorly uniformed that they stripped the dead Union soldier's uniforms which added to the confusion of who you were fighting.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

this guy wants to be shelby foote so bad

[John Maag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailing the end, the Confederate Army of Tennessee finds itself with yet another commander, who like Bragg, leaves much to be desired. Hood is more of an every problem looks like a nail problem solver. This may have worked for him at the division level but proves disastrous at the corps and army level. His inability to ever accept responsibility for his failed actions leads to wasted lives and the eventual complete breakage of his army.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to round out my knowledge about one of the Civil War's most decisive but lesser known campaigns. I didn't quite expect to find one of the best written accounts of military history I've come across in years.

All the requisite bits are there, primary source documentation, first hand accounts from leaders and lowly foot soldiers alike. Analysis of who gets credit and who doesn't, where blind luck prevailed or human skill. Heroism, but thankfully no romance. Lots of grit and horror among the admirable.

But perhaps as importantly, Wiley Sword was a hell of a stylist. All of the above is brought together in a way that brings the battlefields (particularly that of Franklin) alive in a way that is both thrilling and utterly horrifying to read.

Military history at its finest.

[Nick Roser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly engaging read. Once again, The Army of Tennessee finds itself at the mercy of incompetent leadership. John Bell Hood clearly is the constant variable which explains the missed opportunities at Spring Hill, the subsequent pointless bloodletting at Franklin, and the disintegration of the army at Nashville. Sword vividly paints detailed images of battle in the readers mind; but it is the suffering, despair, and human endurance after the fact that stuck with me most. Note: Strategic and logistical considerations and explanations are necessarily covered in detail here, but can be somewhat dry.

[Charise · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems wrong to say I enjoyed this book as it dealt with tragic events but I was certainly absorbed by it and I'm glad I learnt about this part of the civil war that I knew virtually nothing about. This book is clearly very well researched and written and large portions of this book deserve five stars in my opinion.
However, I dropped it down to 3 stars because I struggled through some of the very graphic descriptions of the fighting. Others may say they didn't find it too much, but for me I found some of the particulars were described in unnecessary detail. Yes, these appalling things happened but I think the events could have been fully grasped in their horror with less explicit descriptions of the combat.

[Michal Mironov · Rating 5 out of 5]

So imagine you are a soldier of an army which - after four years of tough fighting - is clearly losing the war. The enemy is much more numerous and technologically superior, has surplus of food and ammunition and fights on your own ground. It’s all happening during cold winter in the mountains of Tennessee. And you don't even have shoes! You march barefoot in a blizzard, and your only possession is a rifle and an old blanket as a cover when you sleep on frost-bitten ground. Your only meal is a handful of dried corn a day. To make matters even worse, the general in charge is an idiot who repeatedly sends you into hopeless frontal attacks. And you, despite everything, always comply. This is not a fictional nightmare; this was a reality that Southern soldiers were experiencing during last stages of American Civil War.

While reading the book, I often had to pause and contemplate: “How come they could endure such harsh conditions? What motivated them to keep going? How come they didn't desert or surrender right away?” If someone is capable to find good answers to these intriguing questions, for sure it is the author. Wiley Sword was a history fanatic obsessed with the American Civil War, and, among other things, the owner of a private collection of more than one thousand soldiers' letters. Therefore, he perfectly understood not only the horror and chaos of the battlefield but also the ordinary life and thinking of soldiers.

It is quite clear that the Southern army fought for the wrong cause, but the conditions in which its soldiers fought and their stubborn, almost desperate resistance, earned respect and compassion even from their foes: “Our scouts reported seeing Rebels soldiers frozen to death. I do not feel like rejoicing at their sufferings — only so far as it tends to prosper our cause — for I do not consider them as personal enemies… only as the enemies of a government.”

Or another union officer shocked after seeing confederate prisoners: “They were all ragged and dirty, and so filthy that we could smell them as plainly as if it had been a flock of sheep on a hot June day. Also, I was shocked to notice that about one-third of them were without shoes."

Besides these vivid, haunting testimonies, Sword is also great at describing high politics and strategic thinking of generals, turning this book into a palpitating thriller and duel of minds. Due to the bizarre nature of the civil war, army commanders on both sides were often former friends and classmates from the military academy. It is fascinating to read about how generals, while making battle plans, tried to take into account the weaknesses and character flaws of their familiar opponent, who did the very same on the hill just a mile away.

Excellent, well-written book, this is how one should write about a military history.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

899 pages

5 stars

It is late 1864. The Confederacy is down to perhaps 450,000 men, while the Union has maybe 950,000 men.

The push for Tennessee has begun. There is snow on the ground and the terrain is icy. President Jefferson Davis is imploring the men, and especially those who have gone absent without leave, to be optimistic and join the fight for their beliefs.

At the same time, William Tecumseh Sherman is making his dramatic and destructive “March to the Sea.” He was destroying granaries and laid waste to the city of Atlanta.

This book is the story of John “Sam” Bell Hood. He was a mediocre student at West Point, graduating in the lower half of his class. He found that he had a talent for charging into battle, heedless of the consequences. Confederate President Jefferson Davis was to take note of Hood and elevated him in rank quickly.

Hood was to rise quickly through the ranks. He was eventually named the Commander of the Army of Tennessee. He was to lead his troops to the north (Tennessee), in an attempt to draw W.T. Sherman’s rampage through the south. Following the burning of Atlanta, Hood attempted to refocus Sherman’s attention northward, perhaps back to Tennessee.

After a couple of initial victories, things began to go sour for Hood. Politics at the Confederate States level began to beset him. He had no time for playing political games. He began to lose battles. In true Hood fashion, he blamed others for his own shortcomings. Here is a quote of his, “The croakers and scribblers in the rear,” were the reason he became unpopular with some of his men and the other commanders in the army. Most of his men still however displayed pride and passion in the Army of Tennessee.

His truly devastating losses in men, horses and materiel was to portend what was to come - his downfall.

Mr. Sword vividly portrayed the human suffering and total devastation of war. It was truly heartbreaking to read his descriptions of the carnage. And for what? The book is easily read, not at all dry or preachy. John Bell Hood was fully fleshed out. His wooing of “Buck” and the eventual failure of his pursuing her was covered, as were his various wounds, including the one that caused the loss of his leg. His marriage to another woman and his children were briefly touched upon.

I recommend this book to any Civil War aficionado, or to anyone who likes military history.

[Schoppie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wiley Sword's book on the final Confederate offensive campaign in the West is excellent! His narrative of the relationship between Hood and Beauregard casts the former in a decidedly negative light, the almost-victory at Spring Hill is a nail-biter, and the description of the Battle of Franklin is simply heartbreaking. The author's excellent research and writing, combined with my own visits to these battlefields, really brought this campaign to life. By the winter of 1864-65, the Confederacy was on its last legs, and I don't think there was anything Hood could have done that would have delivered a victory that could not have been negated by any number of Union combinations. As Shelby Foote masterfully argued in his Civil War: A Narrative, Hood's plan of campaign was a pipe dream, and Sword's book convincingly bears that out.

In terms of the high command, Beauregard is just sort of "there," and made no major difference in the campaign - in-part because Hood always circumvented him. Hood was a conniving, insubordinate, dissembler in way over his head in command of a major field army. Schofield was slow, hesitating, and half the intriguer his opponent Hood was, and Thomas was harassed and unjustly criticized, though hardly brilliant in his plan of campaign. The real heroes of the book are the rank-and-file soldiers on both sides, together with some of the mid-level commanders such as Patrick Cleburne, Thomas J. Wood, and Emerson Opdyke; however, even these leaders turned in less-than-stellar performances on the some of the battlefields.

The principle tragedy of this campaign is that so many lives were spent - especially on the Confederate side - in a fruitless, last-minute attempt to reverse the disastrous tide of war against the Rebellion in the West. Considering this point, though, it is unlikely that the war would have ended without Jefferson Davis and Hood playing any and every available remaining card in their deck. In that sense, such a desperate campaign, if not made in Tennessee, would have likely been made elsewhere with a similar outcome in the end.

As the Yellow Rose of Texas song famously stated, the "Gallant Hood of Texas" did indeed play hell in Tennessee....and it followed him and those he both led and opposed to the end of their lives.

[Larry White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fastidiously Researched, Formidably Comprehensive, Engagingly Written, BUT NOT for Kindle

Wiley Sword’s tour de force, “The Confederacy’s Last Hurrah”, is a masterwork historical dissertation on the underappreciated 1864 Civil War campaign in Middle Tennessee highlighted by the pivotal battles of Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville. This reviewer, a former resident of more than two decades of nearby Brentwood, understood some of the significance and horrors of Franklin, but Sword misses few details in explaining the events. Using exhaustive resources (not just innumerable military communications, but also diaries, recollections and letters of many combatants and citizenry) he fastidiously considers the effects of misplaced tactics, human weaknesses (and backstories), weather, military logistics and communication, and plain old good and bad fortune to provide a lengthy but comprehensive and comprehensible analysis of the final months of 1864 on American history.

In many ways, Sword’s book is for the serious historian more than the reader with a general interest. It can be formidable. Importantly, “The Confederacy’s Last Hurrah” is better read in print and not conducive to Kindle. Its thorough treatment of so many participants in the campaign demands easily accessible supporting resources. While the back section of the book contains photos and affiliations of many of the principals, it can be a challenge to keep them and their significance in order as they appear and reappear in this lengthy book. Maps of the stages of the campaign are not provided and would make the situations much clearer. This reviewer found web searches done parallel to the reading to be helpful and necessary in spite of personal familiarity with the areas around Middle Tennessee.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed, fast-moving yet manageable account of the Confederacy's last gasp in the western theater to turn the tide of the war. Realizing the Confederate forces still around Atlanta and in northern Alabama could not check Sherman's March to the Sea, an alternate plan was devised. General John Bell Hood would lead a combined force into central Tennessee in hopes of accomplishing two things simultaneously: recapturing territory in central Tennessee held by the Federals and inducing Sherman to forego his march and response to the threat in Tennessee. The former goal was more realistic than the latter, as history shows Sherman was in no way influenced by Hood's advance into Tennessee. As the subtitle indicates, the actions at Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville, as well as the Confederate retreat after successful Union defense of Nashville, are chronicled. Valor and incompetency on both sides are given fair treatment. While the book is not meant to be an indictment of Hood himself, it does makes a good case for the widely-accepted view that Hood was not an able Army commander. at that point in his career. Like many of his contemporaries on both sides, he was better suited to be a division or corp commander. His actions and mental state during this campaign were curious at best, and his pattern of blaming others for his shortcomings as a leader cast a poor light on him personally and professionally. Beyond that, this is an excellent account of a largely-overlooked (except by historians and student of the war) campaign played a significant role in the eventual surrender of the Confederacy.

[Joe A · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author was fascinated by the Civil War from his teenage years. He started collecting weapons of that period, but eventually moved on to letters. Most people that collect letters look for famous participants, Wiley Sword did not, he preferred the common soldiers’ letters that told stories. This is what brings life to this book. The feeling you get is like knowing the person personally, it’s a rare gift for a historian and author.

The author is not kind to a number of major characters, specifically John Bell Hood and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, both of whom come across as vain and petty - those traits leading to disastrous decisions in selecting personnel to lead the crucial final campaign of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. That proud army was moving towards a bloody ending (more than a defeat, a total destruction).

The author is very impressed with General Patrick Cleburne a native Irishman often called the “Stonewall of the West”. It was he that was passed over by Davis to give command to Hood (for what appears to be petty reasons). Hood was very brave and aggressive, but as some of his contemporaries at the time said was “too much lion and too little fox”. But like the Arm of Tennessee as whole - his fate was to die heroically, but needlessly.

I highly recommend this book.

[Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent history of the last major campaign by a western (i.e. west of the Appalachians) army of the Confederacy near the end of America’s Civil War. After the Confederate Army of Tennessee was defeated at Atlanta in 1864 and driven into Alabama, they attempted a comeback by invading Tennessee. Their immediate aim was to retake Nashville from the Union and eventually (if possible) to march clear up to the Ohio River. Their hope was that a successful campaign would revitalize Confederate attempts to secure their independence. The Confederate Army Commander, John Bell Hood, felt this bold move may be possible because after Atlanta, Union General W. T. Sherman marched his army to the sea by Savannah, Georgia. This book explains this Confederate Campaign as well as the Union army’s resistance. It is a well written, well researched and very readable history. It delves into the strategies; the personalities of each side’s leaders and it has numerous citations from the men in the ranks based upon their correspondence during the Civil War. The climate played a significant role in this campaign because it took place in late November and all of December 1864. Winter weather campaigns were unusual and this was an especially cold and wet period of time. The author clearly details how those weather conditions affected each army and their tactics.

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This title takes a few chapters to set the stage and drags a little in the end, but the bulk of the book, the running battles from Spring Hill through Nashville, is fantastic. The chapters on the struggle for Franklin in particular are exceptionally well written. With tension and pacing that would do a work of fiction proud, the book is hard to put down as the struggle unfolds. The impact of Sword's work is only heightened by the relative obscurity of the campaign. We've read dozens of books about Gettysburg, but the details of the battles herein are new to many of us.

I have read two of Wiley Swords books and I'm convinced that he is one of those rare authors who focuses so much on his craft and researching his sources that he simply can not write more than a few titles. But those titles are masterpieces. If you wonder why this is one of the few books covering this campaign, it is because this title stands as a giant that few would attempt to best.

Recommended for anyone interested in the American Civil War and a must-read for anyone looking to broaden their ACW reading or interested specifically in the campaigns in Tennessee.

[Charles Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book while touring a Civil War battle site in Spring Hill, TN outside of Nashville. The book is a well written and researched story of three of the Civil Wars lesser known, yet pivotal battles, the key players for both the Union and Confederacy, and the strategy and tactics employed by both sides. The author does an excellent job of bringing-to-life and personalizing the military and other leaders of each side (their backgrounds, motivations, leadership qualities (or, lack thereof), levels of bravery and military strategy acumen). The author makes you feel that your right there with the foot soldiers, with their raggedy uniforms in freezing cold weather, the stench of staggering dead body counts of each battle and the tenuous level of soldier commitment to each side (soldiers would often simply leave and go back home from the battlefield).

I would stack this book up against any of the much-better-known books on the civil war - it makes you feel like you're right in the middle of it all!

[Clarke Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best histories of western campaign of 1864. The author's treatment of historical figures is one of the more interesting aspects. John Bell Hood is portrayed as inept, conniving and profoundly dishonest. In fact, in almost every instance he comes off looking terrible. Hood is rarely described as a political operator, but in this work he is shown as devoting enormous amounts of energy into advancing himself, and either lying about his results, or blaming things on anyone else. The profile of General Thomas is quite favourable, but his subordinate Schofield is characterized as cautious, poor performing, and an inveterate political backstabber.

The book does not really address this in much detail, but Hood's entire Tennessee campaign seems like a really odd plan and I am unsure what a successful end result would do to change the war's outcome.

[Richard Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed account, but.......!

This book contains detailed descriptions of lesser known actions and battles in Tennessee during the latter half of 1864, including the campaigns of the Confederate generals, Hood and Forrest. For the ordinary UK general reader, it is revealing concerning the conditions under which both Union and Rebel forces fought, with insights into life for the trooper as well as the strategic and tactical concerns of the senior officers. For me, however, a vital component for a fuller understanding is maps. But there's not a single map, not even one of the states involved with major population centres, let alone those usually seen in military histories giving dispositions and manoeuvres. The inclusion of old photos of the generals and battles sites does not make up for this major omission.

[Roger Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting study of the last months of the Confederacy as seen in the fortunes of the Army of Tennessee in its disasters at Atlanta and then, under John B Hood, in its campaign into Tennessee in late 1864 culminating in the defeats at the Battles of Franklin and Nashville. The author presents a very clear and impressive description of the terrible fighting that led to heavy losses for the Rebel army and then its tragic retreat back to Alabama. More than that, the author examines critically the leadership of several of the commanders, from George Thomas, Schofield and others on the Union side to Hood and his subordinates on the Confederate side. You will have a much better understanding of the Civil War and the Confederate defeat after reading this well researched history.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very in depth book about the final battles of the Tennessee campaign; Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville, encompassing John Bell Hood’s time in command of the Western Confederate armies. It details his decisions in command, who he passed over, who he punished who he rewarded and the ways John Scofield and George Thomas operated against him. Very good and very detailed sometimes you get lost in the units and generals, particularly the Tennessee and Missouri units who were in both armies. The ineptitude of Hood and how he was put in command and stayed in command is the best part of the book.

[Walter Parus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A campaign that deserves more attention

This book provides a detailed account of the story of J. B. Hood and the 1864 campaign in Tennessee. Unfortunately the book has no maps. This is unforgivable in a Civil War book. I frequently referred to Google maps for some help in trying to understand the movements of the forces involved.
Also, the author has a pro Confederacy slant. Union troops are revered to as Federal troops, Union infantry are called blue infantry. The rebel army is described as heroic while the Union forces are often described as confused.
That being said, I learned a lot from this book and I will keep it as a reference.

[Mike DiFilippo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine, rigorously researched military history of the final campaign of the Civil War in the heart of the country. The details about troop movements down to the company level and the scores of units and commanders involved is only for the serious student of history. With hundreds of first person observations from the commanding generals to the fighting privates and civilian onlookers the story of this horrific time in our history is marvelously told. Those who cherish this type of work probably already know about it but I heartily recommend this book.

[Steve Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. By far the best and most detailed book I’ve read about the battles of Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville (actually all the campaign of John Bell Hood’s army of Tennessee from Atlanta on), and the subsequent chase of that broken army by Thomas’ forces after Nashville. Great look into the backgrounds of the main protagonists of the conflicts on both sides as well. If you’re into Civil War history, especially the last pivotal battles in the western theater of the war, this is a must read,

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book about John Bell Hood's mismanagement of the Army of Tennessee, I hope that Fort Hood in Texas is renamed because not only was he a traitor and an enslaver, he was a horrible general who caused the death of over 20,000 of his troops but refused to accept any blame for his tactics.
This book is very well researched with copious footnotes. However, I found myself lost in the details, so much so that I could not remember which general fought on which side.
Still a great book for Civil War buffs and scholars.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good. I've wanted to read amore about the Franklin-Nashville Campaign, especially since I visited the Franklin Battlefield in 2021. Having visited the battlefield (or what's left of it) I was able to get a better picture of the events of the Battle of Franklin.

There is a lot of good information presented here and I found the book interesting. The author pulls no punches when it comes to John Bell Hood's incompetence (rightly so). A good book on one of the most decisive campaigns of the Civil War.

[Dave the Rave · Rating 4 out of 5]

The horror, the horror

Although leaning a bit too heavily on the notion of the south's struggle for independence rather than a war to protect slavery, this book does an excellent job of conveying the blood sweat and horror of what quite often is hand to hand combat. However, this book really needs a set of maps to adequately describe the complex movement of multiple military units.

[Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the very best and most complete narrative I have ever read on the Battles of Franklin and Nashville. I have visited Franklin and the Carter House many times and felt the presence of old souls there. Wylie Sword is a genius researcher and his detailed accounts of the battles made me feel I was there in the moment. In my opinion, not a better novel has been written on this subject and that of John Bell Hood.