Last weekend I returned to Franklin for the annual “Legacy Dinner” (on Friday the 27th), which celebrates the many advances the Battle of Franklin Trust is making in preservation and expansion of the Civil War-related areas in the city. Their work is nothing short of fantastic, with many more acres of land now open for visitors and a new visitors center about to be built. I was of course especially pleased to see the large exhibit in the visitors center of Jacob Cox’s sword, epaulets, and other memorabilia, courtesy of a family trust. This “unsung hero” of the Battle of Franklin is now getting the recognition he deserves. Below are three pictures from my most recent visit, of the Carter House (Cox’s headquarters), Carnton Plantation (a confederate hospital), and the statue of a rebel soldier on the town square. I have also added an older picture, one of my most cherished memories, of my shaking hands with Ed Bearss during the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 2014. Enjoy!
GENE SCHMIEL, CIVIL WAR HISTORIAN, AUTHOR, AND LECTURER 