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Franklin in Williamson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
 

Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank

Casualties in Perspective

 
 
Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Brandon Stahl, April 26, 2017
1. Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank Marker
Inscription. How costly was the Battle of Franklin? More Americans became casualties in this five-hour battle than were lost in the first twenty-four hours of the Invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, the largest amphibious assault in history.

In both battles, there is still no “final” casualty count, largely because both engagements were part of massive and continuing campaigns. At Franklin as well as in France, many officers in charge of tracking losses were themselves lost in combat. Records were damaged or misplaced. Reports were often incomplete. As a result, it may never be known exactly how many fell on either side.

Most of those listed as “missing” at Franklin were actually prisoners of war. At the time, there was no formal requirement to provide names and numbers of opponents captured in battle. During World War II, the Geneva Convention of 1929 required each side to report all prisoners in its possession. On D-Day, few Americans were captured, and a large proportion of the missing men had drowned off the beaches of Normandy. In both battles, there were many instances where artillery and other weapons simply destroyed bodies beyond any hope of identification.

(caption)
When American soldiers disembarked from landing craft onto Omaha Beach (shown here) and Utah beach on June 6, 1944, long- and short-range
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artillery, automatic rifles, hand grenades, land mines, and machine guns were just some of the lethal devices that raked them. They suffered a lower percentage of casualties than those who fought at the Battle of Franklin.
 
Erected by Tennessee Civil War Trails.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, US CivilWar, World II. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 6, 1944.
 
Location. 35° 54.344′ N, 86° 51.609′ W. Marker is in Franklin, Tennessee, in Williamson County. Marker can be reached from Eastern Flank Circle, 0.4 miles south of Lewsiburg Pike (Business U.S. 431), on the right when traveling west. Marker is located in Eastern Flank Battlefield Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1345 Eastern Flank Cir, Franklin TN 37064, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Confederate Reunions at McGavock's Grove (a few steps from this marker); A Dream Postponed (a few steps from this marker); The Long Road to Recovery (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Franklin, Aftermath (within shouting
McGavock Confederate Cemetery, Carnton image. Click for full size.
Battle of Franklin Trust Archives
2. McGavock Confederate Cemetery, Carnton
Most of the Confederate dead at the Battle of Franklin were buried here at Carnton (above), while many of the Union dead were interred at Stones River National Cemetery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (below). If all the dead, wounded, captured, and missing at Franklin were lined up in single file, the procession would be more than 5.5 miles (9km) long.
distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Franklin.
 
Stones River National Cemetery image. Click for full size.
Library of Congress
3. Stones River National Cemetery
View From Winstead Hill image. Click for full size.
Battle of Franklin Trust Archives
4. View From Winstead Hill
This turn-of-the-century view from Winstead Hill shows the open ground that Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood’s men traversed. Halfway across this two-mile plain, they cam under heavy artillery and rifle fire. Five hours later, more than a quarter of them were dead or wounded.
Comparing Casualties image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Brandon Stahl
5. Comparing Casualties
If the Battle of Franklin were fought today and the country lost same proportion of its population that was lost in 1864, the casualty total would be about 80,000 dead, wounded, captured, and missing
Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Brandon Stahl, April 26, 2017
6. Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 17, 2017, by Brandon Stahl of Fairfax, Virginia. This page has been viewed 311 times since then and 9 times this year. Last updated on December 27, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 17, 2017, by Brandon Stahl of Fairfax, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 19, 2024