During the Franklin-Nashville Campaign, Opdycke distinguished himself at the Battle of Franklin. As the Confederate troops under Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood approached, his division commander, Brig. Gen. George D. Wagner, ordered Opdycke and the other two brigade commanders to take up hasty defensive positions in front of the Union fortified line. Opdycke challenged this order, argued with Wagner, and marched his men into a reserve position behind the fortifications. When the Confederate assault broke the Union line near the Columbia Pike, Opdycke quickly redeployed his men into line of battle, straddling the road, and they were confronted by masses of fleeing Union soldiers, pursued by Confederates. Opdycke ordered his brigade forward to the works. At the same time, his corps commander, Maj. Gen. David S. Stanley, arrived on the scene. He later wrote, "I saw Opdycke near the center of his line urging his men forward. I gave the Colonel no orders as I saw him engaged in doing the very thing to save us, to get possession of our line again." The counterattack turned the tide and the Union Army achieved an important victory.