Organized in the late summer and early fall of 1864 under Col. Robert C. Bradshaw, a veteran of Lexington and Shiloh, the 44th Missouri Infantry was sent to Tennessee to help defend against the Confederate invasion aimed at Nashville before it had seen combat. Assigned to Brig. Gen. Thomas Ruger’s Division and posted on the secondary reserve line at Franklin, the regiment was suddenly drawn into heavy, often close-quarters fighting on November 30 when Southern troops broke through the main Federal line of defense. The 44th Missouri served as an anchor and helped stem the breakthrough, suffering roughly 25% casualties and buying crucial time for the Federal army to allow Col. Emerson Opdyke’s brigade to enter the fight and effectively shatter the Confederate attack west of the Columbia Pike.