FRANKLIN CIVIL WAR DAYS SET FOR OCTOBER 16-17
Re-enactments, Living History Displays & More Offer A Glimpse Into Civil War Life
FRANKLIN – Residents and visitors to Franklin will get a glimpse into the life of a soldier during the 1864 Battle of Franklin at the City’s annual Civil War Days, set for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16-17 at Harlinsdale Farm. This year marks the 146 th Anniversary of the Battle of Franklin that resulted in approximately 10,000 casualties in five hours in what was one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War.
“As we look toward the Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Franklin in 2014, people have come to look forward to the re-enactments and living history events held in our community,” said Jennifer Esler, president and CEO of the Battle of Franklin Trust. “Several hundred re-enactors from around the nation are participating this year, and Civil War Days has become an amazing educational experience for families who want to better understand what happened here in 1864. These are the events that shaped our country.”
Federal and Confederate re-enactment units will camp throughout the weekend on the grounds of Harlinsdale Farm, and the public is encouraged to visit the encampments and learn more about what life was like for ordinary soldiers. Rifle and cannon displays, as well as artillery, cavalry and infantry demonstrations, will give visitors an up-close look at the implements of 19 th century warfare and the order and execution of battle plans. Period sutlers will be on hand offering food and provisions of the era.
Large-scale re-enactments of the battle will be held on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 1:30 PM, and spectators can view the action from the hillside surrounding the battlefield. Visitors will get a sense of the scope of the combat, with Confederates making repeated frontal assaults against the well-fortified Federal lines. Live cannon fire and the cavalry’s display of horsemanship will help illustrate the drama of the horrific battle.
Other special elements will offer something for everyone – children to adults, Civil War scholars to families enjoying a beautiful October weekend among the rolling hills of Harlinsdale Farm.
“It’s so vitally important for us as Americans to understand the sacrifice of these soldiers, their families and the townspeople – many of whom lost their loved ones and their livelihoods through four years of a terrible war,” said Esler. “This happened right here in our backyard, so that our Union could be preserved and our country could advance into what we have become today.”
The Battle of Franklin Trust is coordinating the event, in partnership with the City of Franklin’s Civil War Commission, The Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County, Franklin’s Charge, Save the Franklin Battlefield and other preservation organizations. The event will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 for spectators, with children under the age of 6 admitted free. Harlinsdale Farm is located at 239 Franklin Road in Franklin, Tennessee.
Re-enactment units interested in participating should contact Joe Grosson, Chief of Staff, Cleburne’s Division of re-enactors at Joseph.Grosson@comcast.net. Reenactors can register by visiting http://www.franklin-stfb.org/ and scrolling down the registration button.
The Battle of Franklin Trust is a 501 c 3 management corporation acting on behalf of Franklin’s battlefield sites to contribute to a greater understanding and enrich the visitor experience of the November 30, 1864 battle. It’s organized for the charitable and educational purposes of preserving, restoring, maintaining and interpreting the properties, artifacts and documents related to the battle so as to preserve an important part of the nation’s history. Learn more at www.battleoffranklintrust.org or call 615 786-1864.
For more information on Civil War Days, visit www.battleoffranklintrust.org.