Vic C.
Yelp
Carnton Plantation served as one of the largest hospitals during the bloodiest battle in Tennessee's history, during the Battle of Franklin in 1864 (during the Civil War). The Battle of Franklin is know to be one of General John Bell Hood's (a Confederate general) catastrophic defeat in Tennessee.
This antebellum mansion was owned originally by former mayor of Tennessee, Randal McGavock. His son, John McGavock, inherited the home and the grounds when he passed away. On November 30, 1864, John McGavock, his wife and family's lives forever changed. Soldiers knocked on John McGavock's door and said their home will be used as a hospital to house and care for wounded soldiers (they were ordered to do this and not given a choice).
The battle itself took place a few miles away, at the Carter House, that lasted close to 5 hours. Most of the battle took place during night fall, in the dark. With about 9500 soldiers dead, 7000 of which were Confederate troops.
At the end of this battle, four Confederate generals (Patrick R. Cleburne, Hiram B. Granbury, John Adams and Otho F. Strahl) were taken to the Carnton home, laying side by side on the back porch, in which they ended up dying. There are blood stains on the floor boards throughout the house, as a reminder of this bloody battle.
The Carnton mansion is 2 stories with about 22 rooms. There are white columns with a front porch on both the first and second floor. There is a porch and verandah on the back side of the house. According to the docent led tour, most of the furniture in the home is original from 1820- 1860.
In 1866, John and Carrie McGavock designated 2 acres of their land, next to their family cemetery, as a burial place for ~1500 Confederate soldiers that were killed. They maintained the cemetery until they had passed away.
The cemetery is actually well laid out and organized by state where the soldiers are from and buried accordingly. Our docent told us that they are still forever trying to identify those that have been buried, as not all of the soldiers have been. But she did say that there have been many family members that are appreciative that they had discovered that their loved ones were buried here.
Carnton Plantation was owned by the McGavock family until 1911, when Susie Lee McGavock had sold it. Susie Lee McGavock was the widow of Winder McGavock (one of John and Carrie McGavock's sons). Eventually in 1977, the home and 10 acres of land was donated to the Carnton Association. The association restored the home (even with the restoration, the blood stains still remained on the floor boards) and had been providing guided tours for the public ever since.
To tour the home, it cost $18 per person. But if you wish to walk the grounds and visit the cemetery, that is free. But the tour does better enhance your knowledge of the Battle of Franklin. I would also highly recommend doing both the Carter House Tour and Carnton Plantation together, as you save a little bit of money. But if you do plan to do that (which you can purchase these discounted package at either site), you want to make sure you arrive early for the first place you visit so that there is enough time to visit the other. There is also a discounted package to also visit the home at Rippa Villa (but I believe this place is about an hour away). Please note that tickets do not expire on the same day so you could always tour this home on another day.
At the visitor center, there is a small museum in which you can read some of the boards to learn about the battle. You can also purchase souvenirs (and the discount ticket packages that I had mentioned earlier). There are also clean restrooms right outside the visitor center (there are no restrooms available at the mansion so you are encouraged by the staff to use the restroom prior to taking the tour).
I do want to mention that although the Lotz Home, which is across the street from the Carter Home, is not part of the package deal, it also played an essential role during the Battle of Franklin and is available for a tour. The Lotz home served as another hospital for the wounded. Albert Lotz, a German immigrant, and his family fled across the street to the Carter House during the battle. The 2 families took shelter in the basement during the battle.
