The Battle of Nashville was a significant military engagement during the American Civil War, fought from December 15 to December 16, 1864. It involved Union forces, led by General George H. Thomas, against the Confederate army commanded by General John Bell Hood. The battle aimed to secure Nashville, Tennessee, and eliminate Hood's army as a fighting force. The Union victory at Nashville resulted in the retreat of Confederate troops and marked a turning point in the war. This battle effectively ended major Confederate operations in the western theater, contributing to the overall decline of the Confederacy as the war approached its conclusion.