Person Record

Metadata

Name

Cheatham, Benjamin Franklin

Born

1820

Notes

Cheatham was born on October 20, 1820 in Nashville, Tennessee. He served in the Mexican War as Colonel over a band of Tennessee Volunteers. After the Civil War began, he was appointed a Brig. Gen. on July 9, 1861 and as a Maj. Gen. to rank from March 10, 1862. "He distinguished himself as a brigade, division, and corps commander in every engagement of the Army of Tennessee from Shiloh to Atlanta." Cheatham was appointed to head Hardee's old command after John Bell Hood overtook command of the Army of Tennessee in fall 1864. The battles at Franklin and Spring Hill, Tennessee created a controversy between Hood and Cheatham over the blame for the disastrous results for the Army of Tennessee. Each general contradicted the other's statements, with the debate still being carried on by historians although "Generals in Gray" suggests the evidence supports Cheatham. Cheatham went with the remnants of the Army of Tennessee down through Mississippi, eventually joining up with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's army for the Battle at Bentonville, North Carolina. He was with Johnston at the surrender to Sherman and received his parole in Greensboro, North Carolina. After the war, he returned to Tennessee to take over the family farm and marry Anna Bell Robertson. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1872 and rejected an offer from President U. S. Grant of a Federal position. Cheatham was Superintendent of Tennessee State Prison and accepted an appointment from President Grover Cleveland to be Postmaster of Nashville, Tennessee, which he held until his death on September 4, 1886. His popularity with the troops (now veterans) showed with the vast attendance of his funeral; Cheatham was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.