Franklin in Williamson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank
Recruiting For War
On September 28, 1861, local men sympathetic to the Confederacy gathered in this field to form the Williamson County Cavalry (Co. F, 4th Tennessee Cavalry). The local newspaper pronounced the company composed of “about 100 of the finest looking men we ever saw.”
This scene was repeated across the country, North and South, as the war’s initial excitement generated a rush of volunteers. Numbers soon reached into the hundreds of thousands, eventually producing the two largest armies in the world at the time. By war’s end, nearly one million had served in the Confederate armed forces and two million for the Union. Most were volunteers.
Almost all recruiting occurred at the state and local levels. The vast majority of white men of military age in Williamson County enlisted, filling all or part of twelve Confederate infantry companies, six cavalry companies, and one artillery company. Of those companies, twelve fought in the Battle of Franklin, including the Williamson County Cavalry.
The county also produced Union volunteers, including many who enlisted in Co. H, 5th Tennessee Cavalry (US). Overall, Tennessee lived up to its nickname- the Volunteer State – by enlisting 120,000 men for the Confederacy and more than 31,000 for the Union. Approximately one out of seven Confederate soldiers came from Tennessee, which also produced more Union soldiers than all of the Deep South states combined.
Erected by Tennessee Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 28, 1861.
Location. 35° 54.317′ N, 86° 51.558′ 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. 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. A different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin (within shouting distance of this marker); Becoming the Front Line 1862 (within shouting distance of this marker); A Crucial War Zone 1863 (within shouting distance of this marker); Standing at the Crossroads 1861 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Franklin.
Also see . . . Eastern Flank Battlefield Park. City of Franklin TX website entry (Submitted on May 17, 2017, by Brandon Stahl of Fairfax, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 15, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 17, 2017, by Brandon Stahl of Fairfax, Virginia. This page has been viewed 323 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 17, 2017, by Brandon Stahl of Fairfax, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.