“This was a desperate conflict,” remembered one veteran of the 11th Tennessee Infantry about the fighting at Franklin, Tennessee, on November 30, 1864. The 11th and the rest of its corps, commanded by Benjamin F. Cheatham, suffered significant losses. Among the casualties was Private James Anderson Lewis, 27, with a severe chest wound. He had joined Company A in 1861 and is pictured here about that time with a rifle befitting his rank and a revolver and militia sword that may have been used to enhance his martial look. A pair of blue-tinted cockades is pinned to his coat. Lewis participated in the battles at Stones River and Chickamauga and in the Atlanta Campaign. After his Franklin wounding, he was treated and given a 60-day furlough. In early 1865, as he attempted to make his way back to the 11th, he was captured by Union forces. Believing the war was over, he surrendered and took the Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. Constitution. Lewis returned home to his family and farm in Dickson County. He died in 1913.
Ronald S. Coddington is publisher of Military Images, a magazine dedicated to showcasing and preserving photos of Civil War soldiers and sailors.
Related topics: Confederacy
