More than 6,000 people from around the world are expected to attend the four-day events surrounding the 2014 Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event, “The Last Campaign in Tennessee,” November 13-16, in historic Franklin, TN. The commemoration marks the 150th anniversary of the 1864 Battle of Franklin, and will include educational seminars, panel discussions, special tours of sites in and around Franklin and a battle reenactment.
Tennessee State Historian Dr. Carroll Van West will officiate the Opening Ceremony at 9 a.m.
on Thursday, Nov. 14 at The Factory, a restored historic building listed on the National Register of Historic Places that now serves as a community center for the City of Franklin. Susan H. Whitaker, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and chair of the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, will offer opening remarks.
The ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will include a performance by children from the New Hope Academy Choir, special presentations and remarks by dignitaries including Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam (invited), Eric Jacobson, CEO and historian, Battle of Franklin Trust, and O. Jim Lighthizer, president, Civil War Trust.
Other free sesquicentennial events include:
“Teaching with Primary Sources,” a Nov. 13 workshop open to K-12 educators, sponsored by the Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation and the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
“Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee,” Nov. 13-14, sponsored by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission.
“The Last Campaign in Tennessee,” Nov. 14, panel discussions featuring Irish historian and author Damian Shiels, Dr. Van West, Dr. Shanna Jackson, dean, Extended Services and Williamson Campus, Columbia State Community College, author Dr. Chris Losson, historian and author Dr. James McDonough, Nicole Moore, public historian, Bill Radcliffe, 13th U.S. Colored Troops infantry, and Wiley Sword, historian and author.
In addition to the Signature Event, special ticketed events sponsored by Franklin 150 include “A Special Evening with Alison Brown & Friends,” at The Franklin Theatre on Friday, Nov. 14, and the “150th Battle of Franklin Re-enactment,” featuring more than 700 re-enactors, will be held on the grounds of the Carnton Plantation on Saturday Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16. Tickets and pricing information is available online at www.tncivilwar150.com.
Nov. 30 marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin, in which Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield repelled the advances of the Army of Tennessee, led by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood, in one of the bloodiest days of fighting in the War Between the States. Franklin’s Carnton Plantation, Carter House, Lotz House and Eastern Flank Battle Park offer visitors the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the men and women who experienced this chapter in our nation’s history.
The 2014 Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event is jointly sponsored by the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Tennessee Historical Society, Franklin 150 and the Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
To learn more about the people, places and artifacts that tell Tennessee’s Civil War story, download a complimentary app at www.tncivilwar150.com, email tn.civilwar150@tn.gov, or call (615) 532-7520.