McGavock Confederate Cemetery

McGavock Confederate Cemetery is a military burial ground in Franklin, Tennessee that holds nearly 1,500 soldiers who died in the Battle of Franklin. The graves are arranged according to the soldiers' home states.

The cemetery was founded in 1866 when Colonel John McGavock and his family donated two acres to provide a permanent home for Confederate soldiers initially buried at the battlefield. This represented a shift from temporary to permanent burial arrangements.

The cemetery reflects how local communities have cared for and remembered the fallen soldiers over generations. This ongoing stewardship shapes how the grounds look and feel today.

The grounds are open during daylight hours and visitors can use reference materials to locate information about individual soldiers. The layout is designed for comfortable walking and viewing of the graves.

The graves represent 13 different states, with Mississippi having the largest number due to particularly heavy casualties from that state in the battle. This distribution tells a geographic story of the conflict's impact.

Location: Williamson County

Website: http://mcgavockcemetery.org

GPS coordinates: 35.90417,-86.85917

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:46