Disaster intimacy, and that can be the narrative for the western theater of the civil war for the american confederates. Tell your from the topdown. This is james k, jim k as we know him. Former president and current board member of the battle of national trust. Theyre great partners with us. Took us to an event last night, and he has been a civil war enthusiast since his youth. Today, considered one of the foremost historical authorities on the battle of nashville. Paul an attorney in nashville please dont hold that against him james pursued his passion for history by contributing to and providing research for a number of historical films and books. Were just excited to have him out here today. So, reinforce what brandon has just showed you about the napping, here, in the nashville area. Now, coming up here to learn more about the military maneuvers led by John Bell Hood and his Confederate Army of tennessee. Jim, thanks for being here today. Welcome, welcome, everybody. Were going to blow through a line of history in a short time. I hope this is going to be entertainment for you. I may be taking sips of my cooled vodka during the presentation. It is water. We are getting films by cspan. So, hello, america. Im sure that this will be one of my many speeches that will ever prevent me from being a federal judge under any administration whatsoever. You know we can help out we were born. An a in nashville in, son of the south, great, great grandson of the confederacy. Its just my dna. Weve got people here from all over. You are the guts and the backbone of the army. Nor important. Are critical. This Great Organization could not do what it does without you. So, thanks for coming. Enjoy some tennessee hospitality. I hope you enjoy this speech. All right. I could have named this a number of things. I chose this, you know, because it just came to mind. It could be how to destroy an army in 90 days. It could also be a lesson on the great peter principle, where you continue, as americans do and i have done it we do beautifully with their government how to vote someone to their highest level of incompetency. Well, this is 1864, and it happened, and were not going to go through everything that happened outside of atlanta, but it was bloody, tough, joe johnston was a very popular person. And we start at the top Jefferson Davis didnt like johnston, who was a gallant commander on the division level, and john hood, and davis decided to replace them outside of atlanta against the objection of beauregard and braxton bragg, hoods biggest proponent. How braxton bragg, who may have been the worst confederate general ever of course, lincoln went through those disasters with his appointments as well. How bragg was still around befuddled the mind, but he was still around, and davis made the appointment. Undergraduate of washington and Lee University law school so, robert e. Lee is near and dear to me. I dont know how much he had to do with the appointment, but he was aware of what was going on. And we dont know whether he made any attempts to stop it. Hood had served gallantly under him on a number of battles over the years and other confederate mentors. Hood had been, you know, the tough battles up east. All the big engagements. And, as we note in gettysburg, he had a shattered left arm, which became useless, but for whatever reason, davis made the appointment of hood. Hood had been schmoozing davis after he was wounded in 1863, where his rightleg was amputated 4 inches below the hip. They didnt think hes going to live. Hood was big in social circles in richmond. Hood was a smoker, and he was going after this appointment, and davis made it. Bruce can once said this was the biggest mistake of the war. Davis probably realized that 90 days later. Good picture of hood. We know a lot about him. Born in 1831. To friends, he was known as sam. At the United States military Academy Graduate of 1853, graduated 44th out of 52. He was a good guy, party guy, when is 96 out of 200 possible merits his senior year. Almost didnt graduate. After fighting seven days, gettysburg, all the engagements up there, the catastrophic chickamauga really took a toll on him, and at age 33, he was promoted the youngest person in either army to be promoted to a full command. Gallant, tough, probably a great commander on the division level, but we found out quickly that he was not a great commander in the army. So, what happens . Johnson gives up atlanta, hood comes in. Whos going to try to drop sherman out of atlanta, cut his supply line. Sherman said, you live off of land, and he did it. And he takes off to savannah, georgia. Hood then meanders over to cater, and beauregard, kind of watching over him they hate each other whos not reporting, and beauregard doesnt tell him his strategy, but devises with davis a plan. I use that roughly, because it wasnt a plan. He didnt have a plan. He was is going to go north. And he went from gadsden, alabama to decatur, six days here, four times here, and loses three weeks in november of 1864 before he can get going to nashville. So, he takes off. Bad things start happening immediately. The army is proud to be coming into tennessee. They feel like theyve got to hope, being a graduate of auburn, though, the truth is we have been down to alabama so many times, yearafteryearto year, with tuberville as our its 4218 in the 4th quarter, and you got to do something, because things are not going well. E s in trouble at petersburg. Bad thin are happening in virginia. So, they devised a plan. Who knows . Is ittotake nashville and go tocincinnati . Join up with lee . Well never know. But the plan was lets go on up to tennessee. Bad things start ppening immediately. Let you know about the debacle spring hill. Whos fault, maybe cheatham whos fault too. They had schofield surrounded, and he gets away in the middle of the night. A disaster. What does hood do next . The next day, he comes up to franklin against the advice of his commanders. He makes a charge with no artillery support. Over two miles of open fields. Its one of the biggest disasters of the civil war. Right down the street. Stanley horn said it best, the ticket charge of gettysburg has become a synonym for an coaching encourage and wrong of more of the gory honor. And when the confederates woke up, they had been fighting a defensive battles on the way down to atlanta. They were promised that by hood they would continue. Hood, as a napoleonic syndrome, which is mash your forces and break them in half. With the guys right down the street waking up, the morning after the battle of franklin, they were sick to their stomachs. Their spirit was gone. It was crushed, demoralized, seeing their friends stack up 16, 10, 12 high in the trenches south of town with blood, 6, 8 inches deep, the wounded, nobody in town to help them. It is game over. Hood, though, really didnt know what was going on. You know, napoleon said it one time, the spirit of the court is a direct reflection of their belief, and the mirror of believers. Hood, though, was, although young at 33 think about a 33 yearold army general you know, all of these guys were kids by our standards. Look around. Were all in this room. Young people, though, hood kept going. And they start passing the Beautiful Homes surrounding nashville. Heres where he made his headquarters. Lots of food, lots of fun, lots of parties. Anything you need. We go by the house on hillsboro road. They go byglenn levin on franklin road, where ephen lee makes his headquarters. They go by the compton house in burke hills, which was torn down by the developer in 1985 to get another 1 4acre lot. They go by the bradford house, which was a scene of the terrible fighting of the second day they go by belle meade. And they looked out from the trenches and see alicia acklins home, the wealthiest lady in tennessee, probably in the south, she inherited from her second husband, 8700 acres here, 2000 acres in texas, louisiana, stocks, bonds, 750 slaves, married 3 times, on a shopping trip in new york in 1887. Belmont was her summer home. Had a zoo and gardens. It was part of the outer line that Brandon Hewlett talked about and was thomas woods headquarters. Some of the roads to nashville were good. But lo and behold, pat thomas is in nashville. Thomas had his problems with grant, but he was shermans most trusted subordinate, and sherman sent him to nashville to get nashville ready for the fight. If brandon pulled to the previous speech, nashville was the third most fortified city in the United States behind dc and richmond. I say, 10 or 11 miles of trenches around nashville, impregnable to assault. Hood new this from spies, but hearing it and seeing it are two different things. We all have that in life. You can be told something, told something, and not believe it, but when you see it, you know. The confederates, after the disaster at franklin, immediately marched to nashville and they are on the high grou, south of nashville. They realize we dont have enough people, they are cold, starving. 3500 dont have shoes nothing to eat. Theyre inrags. Theyre filthy, and their morale, as team, is at rock bottom. So, what do these guys see . They see all of these forts around nashville. Look at this. This is the old city of nashville. Look at these lines going from rivertoriver with over 20 batteries on these lines. An interline of entrenchment and an outer line of entrenchment. All of the high ground, taken. And the confederates in the trenches see them. Every bridge is fortified. Look at this. These guys can see with the naked eye from there entrenchment. These guns range mile and a half, two miles. See what they can see with their binoculars. Well, they can see the naked eye, the capital. With binoculars, though, oh my gosh, we got canada, the capital too. Capital was the focus point of nashville at the time. You can see, right here. The feds, before they can see the rebels, and the rebels can see the forts, theyre looking at big guns. Unobstructed view of nashville looking south from the forts. The confederates could see the railroads coming in every day. They could see all patriots, as we should you previously, staggering size force. Nashville was a slave, that time. United states soldiers had come in, commandeered everything that they wanted. You had to pick a side. If you picked the wrong side, things were tough on you. With this came in drinking, gambling, prostitution. There was one of the houses of prostitution, which ironically, now, is nextdoor to where i have been for 35 years. You know . Another picture right here shows you the u. S. Entrenchment s during the battle. We got some pictures during the battle. This is an interesting one. Notice that every tree, virtually, has been cut down within 3 to 4 miles of nashville. These are scarredearth wars. No trees, mud, and its trouble. Another picture we show you, notice, here, no trees anywhere. Look at all the stumps through here, by the u. S. Trenches. Ertree has been cut down. Well, general head, he digs in and decides his frontline is not good enough. I dont know, whatever he didnt like about it, but they spend eight days digging in th his frontline, and then abruptly move it because they needed firewood. That was his first of many disasters here. On december 9th, the istorm hits. December 11th, some people say, it was 10 below 0. Grant was fuming, and had already fired thomas, who was living in the st. Cloud hotel, which is what of the great things about nashville. I think it may be the only batt where the head commander is staying at a hotel at night, goes out with his staff the next day to the battlefield. Grant was sick of thomas not attacking pretty had issued orders via cable they got held up. Some had not, and he is about to get on a wave down to nashville and fired thomas. Hood is still building forts on the morning of the battle. His entire left flank of the hillsboro road the confederates find out that there is a navy they need to fight. They did pretty good in the navy until they started lobbing 1500 pound shells at the left flank. That is naomi Taylor Living downtown. Look again. No trees anywhere on the line of battle. Im going the wrong, when people, here. Confederates can see the steamers coming in from supplies on the river. This is a very bad possible thing you can see if you are cold and miserable, no food, no clothes, you hate your general peer you have all your buddies, you watch these guys coming in. You cant see this. This is the gentlemans book. Let you know about the cargo. One of these gets transported, and its 130 tons of cargo. That is the equivalent of 145 Railroad Cars or the equivalent of 250 wagons sidebyside. So the amount of cargo admissions coming in is staggering and the confederates are ordered not to shoot a single bullet unless they have to to preserve ammunition. The soldiers from the confederacy had the railroads coming in as well. Downtown nashville, this legal area. Unrecognizable from agency 54. In the stretch for blocks and blocks in nashville. Remember, everything coming south for sherman in the Atlanta Campaign has gone through nashville. War material and truth. Another depot. The battle of nashville, a lot of civilians watched it. Some sugars, other civilians. They get photographed just the same they go there and some people have military uniforms on. Theyre looking out in the distance tching the fight. What happens in the battle itself. The interior line, the outer line. You are worried about the line over here and of course another fatal error. 14 days beforehand. Forced the width down there. This is why the number one quarterback in the l, send him up on the paid vacation the week for the super bowl. Absolute stupidity. But he did. And the u. S. Army comes out of nashville and the attack is on the righ actually comes from left and east and the confederates of five exposed readouts, hills, and all of these guns are captured in the entire left flank breaks and goes back to the quarters of a mile to a mile to transfer the next fight. On the righthand side, they have better day. Summit brigades from the federal side to the troops who were not trained properly, they had two incompetent commanders who failed to ascertain the confederate defenses and that the men into a complete trapping got killed two pieces. All in all the first battle is confederate disaster. Previous war zone on the second day. The morning of december 16th. It starts with should disaster strikes today. Okay. He knows and the guys know. And they woke up in the morning and they had bad luck. First day of fighting going due west, and around the crest of the hill going south. The u. S. Artillery pulls up, and the u. S. Calvary under james wilson, 47yearold. They went all the way around the Confederate Army into the hills south of nashville they realize we are in big trouble. We describe this thing and so of the sock. You are surrounded by three sides and the opposing army. These guys all day play the dark era. They would not be an attack. But the attack came. Aj smith, 4 00 p. M. , john macarthur. Sitting on the wall and how bad the confederate lines were. He decided there is going to be an attack on the confederate side, the engineers, they blew it, and they mark the trench is not on the military crest of the hill but the hill is so steep now you cannot see anybody coming up 20 yards away. Wake up the next morning realizing the mistake, knowing there is a battle line and there is a nagel that allows a 90 degree angle which never have under these battlefield tactics. Macarthur solved it. Without orders, order and attack i believe today, had macarthur not ordered the attack, the entire Confederate Army would be tasked to the job the next day. They didnt, however. The confederates are surrounded by the one side, three sides. Calgary all ovary here. 1600 people on the hill, 50, 80, giveaway. The panic and the confederate line. And the United States grew begins to march down the line catching the confederates on the flank but on the far right stephen lead and his group of people fall gallantly. Has allowed the group that has come in from the north and the west, they can see them coming. Lee grabs the flag and he went into the main lakes for god sakes. This is the place of brave men to die. Clawing it for days. Hollow square. They are about to hit the fan. When you go to the square, you are in trouble. But it kept the right flank alive. Im having a medical issue, in america. We will get through it. Heres a famous charge to the minnesota brigade are the capital minnesota. Whats now china hills in the back round. From 1870 this is a notable landmark in america the battle of National Interest preserves the important parts of it. Combat smith was the combat commander. He was struck in the head by colonel mcmillan, his brain was oozing out. He said he was a prisoner of war and he didnt care and he lived until the 1920s and died in the insane asylum in nashville. Outlives everybody post army. To what did you do postwar when he had all of the issues from brain damage. He ran for congress. He did not get elected. Every child is beautiful. This morning, give a life on the hill. Still bearing his name today. He was buried in 1977 the owners of the house called the Sheriffs Department and they found the body halfway in the grave, the department of the sheriff came back and was murdered and dr. Bill bass down here from diversity who was starting to buy the farm in tennessee to study decomposing bodies and crime season murders. He took what was left of colonel to knoxville and then came out and said i have the height and weight and sets correct but i miss 150 years. And thats who it was. They determined it was probably shot at three feet. The downward trajectory, the 58 caliber gun. Yeah. The battle is a disaster but it does not and with the collapse of the confederacy because thomas sends wilson and 4000 calvary mounted and dismounted to get behind the Confederate Army to capture them and ended. What happens, wilson thunder is down. And runs into rucker and his barricade across the road. There is a fight in the dark and rucker is captured, wounded, captured, having his arm amputated. It was mission accomplished. Taking a left here, maryland way, not far north of here. He did his job to stop the calvary. Stanley horan said in night 54, the most decisive battle of the civil war. What else. The only battle that the confederate through. A lot of them. Yes. Was a total disaster for good, yes. And essentially ended the fight or so we have thought. Just after nashville the u. S. Calvary pursued the army all the way to the Tennessee River. Engagements onset timber 17th. The confederate troops needed to come back to franklin on december 17th and what did they see. Arms and legs sticking out of the grave. The remnants of the fight to a half weeks before. Another killer of morale. They also fault that they are on 1217 , comes back into the picture from murphys road, he and ed walters, essentially saving the army and a running wild retreat and cold Rainy Weather on terrible roadways with no food and the confederates and rags but continually holding off the u. S. Calvary. They fight at richland creek. Christmas day with anthony hill. The sugarcreek and they hit the Tennessee River on the 26th. They reached to below january 13th and there is nothing left virtually and he sees the army and he cannot believe what he sees. And this army came in to tennessee. Maybe 1000 left and 5000 making your way over to the carolinas when joe johnson surrenders. Ascetic. Sad, but true. So what does nashville have last. Well, we have a charge by some of the u. S. Ct forces on Peach Orchard hills. The 13th team, which shocked the confederate commanders on Peach Orchard hill bullet claw and gibson put in his official boards mentioned it. Unknown in civil war literature at the time. He is one of the heroes of the night. Here he is, sometime later, first president from mississippi and rucker. Look at those odds. My god. Killer odds that he is the one that puts the fight of as a barricade. Both millionaire and even in those days, birmingham, showing you the left arm shot, fort rucker, alabama was named after him to. Hero of the battle. The force was not that good looking. And you know you could sit and wait maybe not in these political times, who he was as a person and where he went in later days. He knew what he was doing on the battlefield. Uneducated, but he had an approach. Smith this is a painting from 1976 i think. They made him look a lot better. And waffle. John macarthur. And it was so bad on this. Look at this. The coldest ever been, the solemn misses the play, on the powerful pass. I think about my home, my parents, my brothers and sisters. My wife, and my children. The friends you have going east landon others a joy in this wilderness of sin. One of the letters from the confederates on the retreat. Thomas, general order 169 december 29th, 1864. Split decision 18,000 casualties. During the 18 generals. Think about that. 68 pieces of artillery. 60 of the artillery is casted including the battery in my side yard. I lost all four of their guns november 15th. They catch 30 or 40 flags. Doesnt report the truth, he lies to beauregard, where i give places, i should make the same margins and get the same battles trusting the same unforeseen and unavoidable actions would occur to change of the disaster, which is awarded for them. And is later on the book, advanced and retreated, another hysterical and whats the right word, and he just my team. What do they call this. Paranoia, i think. And, the last 10 years of his life. However, you know that he does something that is pretty remark. 10 years after the war he bothers 10 kids. This is really something. Three pairs of twins. Unfortunately he has his wife and 10 children orphans in the texas Brigades Association supports them for 20 years. So look at the casualties. 1000 wounded, confederates, 3800. 25 . Look at nashville. It was overturned, 31. I wasnt sure if it was going to go aside. None of the guys filled out the battle reports. There are a few here and there. So, what did he do. First of all they picked the wrong guy to lead this. They picked the wrong ceo for the company. The 90 or 100 days. The debauchery, and, being forced into murphreesboro. Ctc. He left the flank in mid air. He is shy as heck. The guy was too long but he 30 pieces of artillery that he never got online the second day of battle and you then you rewrite it. My friend Mark Zimmerman has all of this on the recruit. Red blood, still for america. Great book, please order it. This is important to me and i know its important to you as a student. I have the same field in this organization that you do. My love in my time and my money and effort in my soul to it. You given all of those to me. Will they know to carry them out . Without the future, nothing can be behind. Children lost in, and space. No history or no special place. They understand that yesterday was once tomorrows plan. Thank you very much. Ive enjoyed this. [ applause ] questions comme. You know people always say what. Do you have in the bag . Well, im not people always say what eldo have in the bag. Im not going to tell you. But if anybody wants to john wilkes booth, thats fine. You know, these guys can pull it off. Although we are an open today. And i did not sign but, you can do it. Dont worry. A question for me. s match spoken like a true lawyer, jim. Just in case the client comes through the door. Any questions . Lets have another round of applause for jim. [ applause ] questions . You have any comments on the alleged addiction because of his wounds and how that may have effect the battle . We wont know. He was in bad shape physically and mentally from this. How can you not . The rides are tough on the raj in the legs, he does not have a leg. Strapped into the saddle, taking pain medications, had to be at the time. When he took a nobody knows. A lot of people believe it. The party, night of whatever. This you like the party. So i later the sensor. There were enough on the night on this disaster. We know that they will come up during the night and gave him a report go and nashville so he was a charles rusk. They have the wine and liquor that you want. Ive never seen a real board about what he drank. They have pretty ladies from the Nashville Community not the ones you saw on the ones next to my office but my society be coming in and you know. Other than that it has been speculation. Some people say its fat. Doesnt matter. The decisionmaking at the executive level was a failure. Thank you, sir. We never know if he actually was drunk or not. Any other questions . Before you go, tell us about the work youve done around nashville. Well, my friend brandon was focus on the board. And by the way, brandon is a graduate of the academy which was the success for six years in the National Military institute who is most famous graduate was the same davis who was put down here in 60 miles south of us. Three i think modelos and the u. S. Soldiers voted to hang him, they asked him one more time who is your source. And who was nearby at time. He stood on the gallows and he said oh i would rather die 1000 less than tree my country does quote. That is nashville military institute. That is Montgomery Bell academy. What was the question. My goodness. All right. Lakes, everybody, it is tough going. We have recently stockpiled from the inheritance that we never thought we would get. A substantial amount of money. We own and release different sites. We have been instrumental and fortnightly in the 90s and the present, saving properties virtually impossible. You talk about what battlefield areas anywhere from seven 50,000 nothing simple. Brandon is an optimist about what is left. Im a pessimist. The battlefield is the largest in the civil war. He sees the good, i see the bad. To know where to go to look to for the trenches and peoples backyards. It is so chopped up that you cannot even really do a tour that makes sense. It is tough. But we are proud of what we have done. Received two sites, really, three. Adjacent properties are added we have. We teach people and educate about what happened, why it is important. Some we find out care and we find a lot of people do not and that is life. Thank you very much, jim