As part of John Bell Hood's Tennessee campaign to attempt to draw off Sherman's march through the South, he moved to split Thomas' forces between Columbia and Nashville.
He confronted Schofield at Columbia with a small force and much of his artillery, while his main force, with Forrest's cavalry in the lead, made a flanking move to reach Spring Hill and cut him off from Nashville. Schofield guessed the ruse, however and fell back along the shorter line and after some rearguard action, reached the dug in positions around Franklin on the Harpeth before Hood.

Hood decided to attack anyway and goaded his army of Tennessee into a frontal attack. Some of his lead brigades broke the Blue line, after following 2 outpost Union brigades so closely that the main force was unable to fire on them for fear of hitting their own, but once breached, the line was restored by Union reserves and the Rebels who had won the un defendable positions were cut down.
Brutal fighting continued long after dark with both sides only breaking off after midnight, at which point Schofield's troops continued their progress north to join Thomas at Nashville leaving an all but wrecked Confederate army behind them.

Around Franklin, Tennessee, USA (USA)