The Battle of Franklin, Tennessee,
November 30, 1864

n a late Indian Summer’s day, the crippled Confederacy gave its last valiant gasp when 33,000 brave southern men and boys charged the Union Army’s entrenchments amongst the homes and businesses of Franklin, Tennessee. The last grand frontal assault of America’s Civil War, these men charged over two miles of open ground, in perfect order, with bands playing and flags unfurled, in the face of a hailstorm of bullets. The tactics of the assault were questioned by the majority of the Confederate Army’s own commanders, but having been decided upon by their superior—General John Bell Hood—there was never a braver or more ferocious fight to liberate what was the beloved hometown of many in the Army of the Tennessee.

General John Bell Hood (1831-1879)

An artist’s depiction of the Battle of Franklin

The fighting continued after nightfall—butchery and carnage and valor displayed by both sides over every square mile—and by the end of the day, the town was in Confederate hands. But the cost had been too dear: a casualty list of over 6,000 men in those five hours of fighting left the Army of the Tennessee a shell of itself. Among the fallen were an unprecedented number of major-ranking Confederate generals, among them General Patrick Cleburne, General Otho Strahl, General States Rights Gist, General Hiram Granbury, General John Adams and General John Carter.

Patrick Cleburne (1828-1864)

Otto Strahl (1831-1864)

States Rights Gist (1831-1864)

Hiram Granbury (1831-1864)

John Adams (1825-1864)

John Carter (1837-1864)

Before the battle of Franklin, there had been much uncertainty regarding the fate of the Confederate States, despite their many recent losses. Yes, Atlanta had fallen in the summer, leaving General Sherman free to complete his terrorizing of southern civilians in his infamous March to the Sea, which he had begun in the Carolinas the previous spring. In Virginia, a slow hemorrhage had been inflicted by the losses of Spotsylvania Courthouse, New Market and the brutal siege of St. Petersburg. Mobile Bay in Alabama had fallen to Admiral Farragut in August. In a last effort to regroup and seize vital railroad lines, as well as river commerce in Nashville, John Bell Hood took his Army of the Tennessee into middle Tennessee and eventually to Franklin, where in a campaign full of minor victories and substantial failures, the confederacy showcased its last grand display of fortitude.

Columbia, South Carolina after Sherman’s devastating “March to the Sea”

The romance of a lost cause is often bandied about as something to be quickly sobered by realisms such as the cruel yoke of defeat and the horrors of needless death. But there is much to be recalled with great pride of the men and their officers who willingly endured the hellish conditions of war, its miseries of starvation and plague, trying with one last valiant effort to free their homes from a Federal invader bent on statism. Cultures that go down fighting rise again in some form eventually, while those who gently pass away are forgotten. Those men who charged over two miles of open field in the face of certain death knew what was at stake. They were motivated by their imperiled rights, a hard-fought inheritance encompassing the legacy of revolutionary and pioneering forefathers, generations of sacrifice and sacred beliefs. Thus, it was well that, to quote the fallen General Patrick Cleburne on that fateful day, “If we are to die, let us die like men.”

The coat that General Patrick Cleburne was wearing when he was mortally wounded during the Battle of Franklin

The McGavock Confederate Cemetery, with the McGavock home, Carnton Plantation, visible in the background

The Army of the Tennessee didn’t linger in the town of Franklin longer than a day after they had taken it, pushing on to Nashville to chase the retreating Union Army, and there meeting the extinction of the South’s last hope. But for the little town of Franklin, the echoes of their bloody liberation would last into the 20th century. In a poignant epilogue to this devastating last conflict, the citizenry took it upon themselves in the coming years to rebury the thousands of casualties who had been interred in mass graves. Prominent among these was the McGavock Family of Carnton Plantation whose home served as a field hospital during the battle and housed wounded soldiers unable to go home for up to two years after the Civil War had ended. With the backing of her husband, the minister E.M. Bounds, and the cooperation of Franklin’s townfolk, Carrie McGavock oversaw the reinterment of over a thousand confederate soldiers, identified and reburied, each with all respect and diligence in her family’s cemetery. Carrie McGavock kept a strict account of her noble charge, and for the rest of the century received the relatives and hopefuls looking to find the remains of their fathers and sons and brothers who had not been heard from since that dreadful day of November 30, 1864. Mrs. McGavock wore black the rest of her days and her personal commitment to the boys buried beneath her soil earned her the moniker “the Widow of the South”. It is now so peaceful and transporting to stand in the Carnton Cemetery, and it is one of Landmark Events’ dearest sites to tour, remembering the days of when nobility of spirit ruled and the quiet impact of every-day godliness transformed one town’s heavy legacy.

Carrie McGavock

Image Credits: 1 John Bell Hood (wikipedia.org) 2 Battle of Franklin (wikipedia.org) 3 Patrick Cleburne (wikipedia.org) 4 Otto Strahl (wikipedia.org) 5 State Rights Gist (wikipedia.org) 6 Hiram Grandbury (wikipedia.org) 7 John Adams (wikipedia.org) 8 John Carter (wikipedia.org) 9 Columbia, SC (wikipedia.org) 10 Cleburne’s Coat (wikipedia.org) 11 McGavock Cemetery & Carnton Plantation (wikipedia.org) 12 Carrie McGavock (wikipedia.org)

“Deus Vult!”

The Knights Templar Destroyed, November 22, 1307

ohammed, the founder and prophet of Islam, and his successors, spread their new religion across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia beginning in the 7th Century, through conquest, commerce, and missionaries. Those who did not convert, particularly Christians and Jews, were compelled to pay extra taxes, and bid to comply with the new cultural changes. They established new Muslim dynasties in the areas conquered, including in Palestine, where many of the historic sites from the time of Christ and the apostles were located. Christian pilgrims who travelled to those places were sometimes set upon by thieves and lawless gangs, and the Christians and Jews of those areas faced the constant pressure to convert to Islam. Moslem structures were sometimes constructed over the older Christian ones. The Roman Pontiffs began calling for the re-conquest of the Middle East, from the 11th to the 14th Centuries.

A panoramic view of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, as seen from the Mount of Olives

Kings, princes and monks raised armies in Europe, especially France, to make the long journey to the Holy Land to drive out the Muslim interlopers. The Latin Church granted them forgiveness and indulgence, the nobility called on the feudal obligations of their vassals to go to war, and Kings took up their positions at the head of armies, all with the commendation and approval of the Pope in Rome. The success of the First Crusade, with the capture of Jerusalem in 1099, however, did not eliminate the dangers that awaited Christian pilgrims, who had to walk or ride from Joppa to Jerusalem. Death came to hundreds of European pilgrims from thieves and terrorists who stalked the byways leading to the city.

King Baldwin II of Jerusalem ceding the location of the Temple of Solomon to Hugues de Payns and Gaudefroy de Saint-Homer in the presence of Warmund, Patriarch of Jerusalem

In 1119, nine knights banded together and petitioned Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem and Warmund, the Patriarch of the region, to allow them to create a new warrior-monastic order to protect the pilgrims coming to the Holy City. Their petition was granted and the Knights were given part of the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for their headquarters.

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem, showing Al Aqsa Mosque (once headquarters of the Knights Templar) prominently in the center with the gold dome

The first knights were poor men, relying on donations to keep their horses and themselves in shape for the hazards that lay in wait. Their initial moniker consisted of two knights riding one horse. Their official name began as “Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon,” fortunately shortened to Knights Templar. One of the founding Templars was André de Montbard, the uncle of one of the most influential monks of Christendom, Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux, founder of the Cistercian Order, hymn writer, and powerful preacher. In 1129 Bernard convinced a Church Council to approval the Knights, resulting in large contributions, new recruits, and a Templar fighting force to be reckoned with.

The Seal of the Knights Templar, showing two knights riding one horse

On March 31, 1146—with King Louis VII of France present—Bernard of Clairvaux preached to an enormous crowd in a field at Vézelay, making “the speech of his life”

The Popes declared that the Templars could pass through any lands, exempted from taxes and local laws, and answerable to the Pope alone. Mounted on their huge destriers, wearing the finest armor and confident in their cause, the Knights led Crusader attacks wearing their white tunics with the red cross on the front and bearing their banners so the enemy would know who they were up against. In one battle, five hundred knights and a few thousand foot soldiers defeated a 26,000-man army led by Saladin himself, the most feared of the Moslem chiefs.

Represented by Guy of Lusignan, members of the Knights Templar (in their classic white robes with red crosses) surrender to Saladin after their defeat at the Battle of Hattin

While the knights of the order took individual vows of poverty, and most of them just provided logistical help for the fighters, the Templars accumulated vast treasures put in their care by crusader nobles along with donations from wealthy supporters and the Church. Their financial services became an early form of banking. The Knights Templar built castles and cathedrals and acquired vast tracts of land in Europe and the Middle East, becoming a form of multi-national corporation. They inspired the creation of other warrior orders, the Teutonic Knights from the Germanies and the Knights of St. John, known as the Hospitallers, devoted to both the healing arts and ferocious warriors of the Church.

Hugues de Payens (1070-1136) was the co-founder and first Grand Master of the Knights Templar. In association with Bernard of Clairvaux, he created the Latin Rule, the code of behavior for the Order.

Krak des Chevaliers in Syria was built during the 12th and 13th centuries by the Knights Hospitaller with later additions by Mamluks

In the mid-12th Century, Crusader fortunes waned as strong Islamic leaders like Saladin found strategies to defeat the Latin armies. The military orders became sometimes bitter rivals, thus dividing the loyalties within the Crusader ranks. They lost Jerusalem in 1187, retook it in 1229 and surrendered the city in 1239, where it remained under Muslim control until the British seized it in 1917 from the Ottoman Turks. Templar headquarters moved to Acre, which they held for a hundred years before yielding to relentless attacks, pushing them to Cyprus. After two hundred years of fighting, the Templars settled down to international businesses, farming, and vineyards.

Philip IV of France (1268-1314)

Pope Clement V (c. 1264-1314)

In 1307, King Philip IV of France (deeply in debt to the Templars) and Pope Clement V (eager to put an end to the order) colluded together to destroy the Templars. On November 22, Clement issued a papal bull ordering the disbandment of the Knights Templar, and calling for their arrests and the seizure of their properties. Following their arrests, they were put on trial for crimes that historians conclude never occurred, based on the best evidence. Besides charges of financial corruption, the Templars were accused of spitting on the cross of Christ, blasphemy, and idolatry. Torture and coerced confessions confirmed the charges, though they all recanted their confessions once the torture was finished. In the end, de Molay and many Templars were burned at the stake, others were pensioned off, or joined other orders. Many of their assets were transferred to the Hospitallers. Some believe there still exists a vast treasure trove of hidden Templar wealth. There are all sorts of reported sightings of Templars in the years following their disbandment, such as joining Scottish armies in battle in Scotland against the English. Templar architecture remains intact in several countries, including Portugal, Spain, and England. The mystique of the Knights Templar still excites historians of the Middle Ages and of the Crusades, as well as those who still dream of gallant Christian warriors putting a stop to the enemies of Christendom.

Jacques de Molay (c. 1240–1250 – 1314) was the 23rd and last grand master of the Knights Templar, leading the order sometime before April 20, 1292 until it was dissolved by order of Pope Clement V in 1312

Image Credits: 1 Jerusalem Panoramic (wikipedia.org) 2 Temple given to Templars (wikipedia.org) 3 Temple Mount (wikipedia.org) 4 Seal of Templars (wikipedia.org) 5 Bernard Preaching (wikipedia.org) 6 Saladin and the Knights (wikipedia.org) 7 Hugues de Payens (wikipedia.org) 8 Krak des Chevaliers (wikipedia.org) 9 Philip IV of France (wikipedia.org) 10 Clement V (wikipedia.org) 11 Jacques de Molay (wikipedia.org)

Nast Cartoon Debuts the Republican Elephant, November 7, 1874

articular national images resonate through the years, becoming iconic symbols with great meaning in popular culture. The U.S. flag probably ranks first as the most recognizable symbol of the United States. The Liberty Bell, American Eagle, Statue of Liberty and others are permanent reminders of our history and freedoms. Unlike the origins of the above images, the political party symbols were created by “the father of American cartoonists,” Thomas Nast, who gave us the Republican elephant on November 7, 1874, and the Democratic donkey on another satirical occasion. Although he is not widely known today, his biting criticism of political corruption and advocacy of various reforms through clever and often hilarious cartooning, were “instrumental” in helping the American people decide five presidential elections, thus making an indelible mark on the history of the United States.

Thomas Nast (1840-1902)

The debut of the Republican Party elephant in the November 7, 1874 issue of Harper’s Weekly

Thomas Nast began life in a military barracks in Landau, Bavaria, where his father was a trombonist with the Bavarian 9th Regimental Band, which seems a most unusual Providence. His father became one of those German rebels who took issue with his national government and decided for safety sake to vote with his feet, sending his family to New York City in 1846. He enlisted to serve on a French man-of-war and then an American one, the details of which are no doubt colorful but unknown.

The village of Landau, Bavaria (in present-day Germany), birthplace of Thomas Nast

Thomas attended school in New York City, a slightly built youth, bullied by toughs, and proving to be a rather unpromising scholar. He had a natural talent for drawing, however, and apprenticed for a year with two artists before attending the National Academy of Design. He joined Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper in 1856. When Nast was 18, his first cartoon appeared in the Harper’s Weekly issue of March 19, 1859, exposing police corruption. The following year Nast received international attention by covering an athletic event in England, and drawing supporting cartoons of Garibaldi’s revolution in Italy. He popularized that unification movement that also attracted the likes of journalist George Alfred Henty.

Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882)

Front cover of Harper’s Weekly for December 2, 1876,
featuring a self-portrait by illustrator Thomas Nast

Nast came into national prominence with the coming of the War Between the States. As a rock-ribbed Republican, hater of the Confederacy, and opponent of Northerners who opposed the war, he joined Harper’s Weekly and produced multiple cartoons related to the war. He also had a decided nostalgic streak, drawing pictures of families praying for their soldiers at the front, soldiers sitting before campfires, and battlefield scenes. President Lincoln called him “our best recruiting sergeant.” Christmas-related themes were among his most popular pieces; he drew the most famous Santa Claus.

A Nast cartoon depicting the “Lightning Speed of Honesty”

Nast’s now-iconic sketch of “Merry Old Santa Claus”, from the January 1, 1881 edition of Harper’s Weekly

Nast’s real métier came with drawing caricatures, especially of politicians, holding them up to satire and ridicule. He opposed President Johnson’s Reconstruction policies after the war and made sure the country despised any compromises with punishing the South. His sympathies lay especially with the ex-slaves, as well as Indians and Chinese, when popular attitudes bordered on genocide. Nast’s vilification of the South—especially Jefferson Davis—and Northern corrupt politicians was exceeded only by his ridicule of the Irish immigrants, perhaps stemming from his youth, the New York City draft riots in 1863, and the “full paddy-wagons” of the metropolis. Because of his anti-Irish and anti-Catholic biases, he has been cancelled in recent times by the Board of the Thomas Nast Awards and dropped from historical interpretations of the period except as an example of American xenophobia.

Thomas Nast bows low before the floor of the U.S. Senate in a feigned apology for his cartoons

In the post-war era Nast reigned as the foremost cartoonist in America. He published his own Nast’s Illustrated Almanac while still drawing for Harper’s. He brought down the uber-corrupt Tweed Ring in New York City—some of his best works show Boss Tweed in all his rotundity. Nast supported the presidencies of Lincoln, Grant, Hayes and Cleveland and trashed their opponents with an effectiveness that should be the envy of both political parties today. Nast’s audiences reached up to a million readers, with little appreciable competition.

Nast’s depiction of Tweed

Thomas Nast in his studio surrounded by some of his work, circa 1888

After 1890, the fortunes of Thomas Nast began to wane. He published some popular works, but his arthritic hands restricted his expected out-put. He tried his hand at an Illustrated Weekly but it failed after a half-year run. He produced a few oil paintings on commission and illustrated a few books, but his days as the master-political cartoonist were over. He applied for a job with the State Department and President Theodore Roosevelt, one of his biggest fans, appointed him consul general to Ecuador. He died there in 1902 shortly after arrival from a disease contracted in that country.

Nast in 1902, the year he died

The list of Thomas Nast-drawn symbols still evoke American history and politics, for example the Republican elephant, the Democratic donkey, the Tammany tiger, Uncle Sam, and the famous portrait of General Lee and general Grant at Appomattox. The Thomas Nast award has been given to a “Who’s Who” of the most distinguished cartoonists in American history, especially those of the 20th Century. His biting criticism or support made a huge impact on elections, when the only means of knowing much about the candidates came from the Newspapers, especially the illustrated ones.

A Nast cartoon from 1872 ridiculing Horace Greeley as traitor

So effective was Nast that a rumor still circulates that the word nasty stems from his name. It actually has centuries-old reference in the Dutch and English language. Someone please inform his woke detractors.

Image Credits: 1 Republican Elephant Debut (wikipedia.org) 2 Thomas Nast (wikipedia.org) 3 Garibaldi (wikipedia.org) 4 Landau, Bavaria (wikipedia.org) 5 Self portrait (wikipedia.org) 6 “Lightning Speed of Honesty” (wikipedia.org) 7 Santa (wikipedia.org) 8 Pardon (wikipedia.org) 9 Tweed (wikipedia.org) 10 Studio (wikipedia.org) 11 Nast in 1902 (wikipedia.org) 12 Greeley cartoon (wikipedia.org)