The Franklin Battlefield was the site of two Civil War skirmishes, the first of which took place on April 10, 1863. A total of 237 men fell in this Union victory. The second Franklin battle, far bloodier than the first, took place on November 30, 1864. Casualties were heavy (8,500+ men lost their lives, more than two-thirds of which belonged to the Confederacy) in this clear victory for the Union army. The fighting was intense, lasting from 4pm to 9pm , with over 55,000 soldiers fighting in a 1 square mile area
Two attractions related to the Civil War battle at Franklin are the Carnton Plantation and the Carter House. Located on the south side of Franklin, the Carnton Plantation served as the largest field hospital during the Franklin Battle tending to hundreds of wounded Confederate Soldiers. Four Confederate generals' bodies were laid out on the Carton's porch during the Battle of Franklin. Evidence of the carnage can be seen today in the blood stained floors of the mansion. The plantation house was built in the early 1800's and recently restored to its Antebellum prime.
The Carter House at 1140 Columbia Avenue functioned as the Union command post during the Franklin Battle and fighting took place right at the house and there are still hundreds of bullet holes to prove that.