Third Battle of Murfreesboro

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The Third Battle of Murfreesboro, fought December 5–7, 1864, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was part of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign. The Union won.

What led to the battle:
- Confederate General John Bell Hood had moved north from Franklin toward Nashville to threaten Sherman’s Union army in Georgia.
- Hood sent Major General Nathan B. Forrest with two cavalry divisions and Major General William B. Bate’s infantry to Murfreesboro to disrupt Union lines and keep Nashville within reach.

What happened:
- December 2: Hood ordered Bate to destroy the railroad between Murfreesboro and Nashville and join Forrest.
- December 4: Bate attacked Blockhouse No. 7 at Overall’s Creek, but Union troops held their ground.
- December 5: Forrest attacked Murfreesboro in two columns. They captured the fort on the hill and Blockhouse No. 4 at La Vergne. Forrest then joined Bate and the Confederates moved toward Murfreesboro along two roads, pushing the Union forces back behind Fortress Rosecrans.
- December 6: Fighting was brief and then paused for the day.
- December 7: Rousseau, commanding allUnion forces at Murfreesboro, sent two brigades under Milroy along the Salem Pike to probe the enemy. Brigades led by Minor T. Thomas and Edward Anderson engaged the Confederates; at times some of Bate’s troops flinched, but Forrest tried to rally them. The Union attacked, but the Confederates withdrew in good order to the outskirts of Murfreesboro.

Aftermath:
- Forrest destroyed railroad tracks, blockhouses, and some homes, and disrupted Union operations. Still, he kept Rousseau confined to Murfreesboro and kept the key supply line and retreat route open.
- The battle ended in a Union victory, with roughly 225 Union casualties and about 197 Confederate casualties.