Frankfort Civil War Round Table: The Day Valor Met Its Match

The 28th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment is often overlooked in Civil War histories, yet these young men from Jefferson and Nelson counties served with distinction and honor throughout the conflict. They played crucial roles in numerous battles of the Atlanta and Franklin-Nashville Campaigns. Audiences will be captivated by this harrowing narrative that begins a few days before one such battle. 

Our story opens on November 28, 1864, with a gripping stand-off between two colossal armies, each positioned on opposite banks of the rain-swollen Duck River in central Tennessee. Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood is intent on forging north to seize Nashville. On the opposing bank, Union Gen. John Schofield stands resolute, equally determined to block Hood's advance. The air crackles with tension as each desperately tries to find a way across the torrent river. This gripping narrative tracks these armies as they maneuver across the landscape like chess pieces, each vying for strategic advantage. We’ll witness the gallant men of the 28th repeatedly save the day, only to find themselves in an impossible position on that fateful day at Franklin, Tennessee - a battle often described as the most brutal and bloodiest five hours of the entire Civil War.

Presented by Christopher T. Hall. Hall is a Kentucky native who has lived in Frankfort since 2006, when he took his current job as a researcher for Kentucky’s legislature. Although Chris holds a BA and MA in Anthropology, his broad research interests have led him to contribute to various fields, including archaeology, soil science, behavioral ecology, and numerous public policy issues. Chris’s interest in the Civil War began in 2004, when his own genealogical research found that his 2nd great grandfather had been a Sergeant in the 28th Kentucky Infantry Regiment. Since then, Chris has worked diligently to document the actions of this regiment, has found several primary sources that were previously unknown, and hopes to publish a book about this regiment’s actions.