Civil War: The Battle of Nashville

Civil War: The Battle of Nashville. Sunnyside in Sevier Park. Nashville was the first Confederate capital to fall to Union Forces during the American Civil War in 1862. Over the next two years, the Union Army fortified Nashville with over seven miles of fortifications, forcing formerly enslaved people to work on these projects such as Fort Negley., In December 1864, the Confederate Army of Tennessee attempted to retake Nashville from the Union Army of the Cumberland. Confederates established a skirmish line from west to east across the Sunnyside property. The Union attacked this advanced position from the west and north on December 15 driving the Confederates to the south to their main position. Confederates retreated further to the south and were defeated the next day. The Battle of Nashville was over and Nashville remained under Union control for the remainder of the war., The Civil War at Sunnyside , Evidence of the battle includes damage to the building which is still visible on the front porch and has been documented archaeologically with the presence of a rifle pit and Civil War artifacts. In 2023, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) documented damage to the cabin in front of you, including 44 bullet strikes. Their detailed scans have allowed for a reconstruction of the actions at Sunnyside on December 15, 1864., (captions) , (Left, top): Sunnyside is circled in purple with the Confederate advanced line denoted with a dashed red line running through the property. Union positions are denoted with blue lines. Excerpt from Willet (1895), "Topographical map of the battlefield of Nashville, Tenn...", (Left, bottom): Bullet strikes (circled) on the north wall of the two cabins uncovered during renovation of the buildings. Metro Nashville Police Department, (Right): A 3-D model showing the path of the Union bullets aimed at the Confederates within the cabins. Metro Nashville Police Department