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The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 operating between the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains or , often called the Appalachians, are a vast mountain range in eastern North America. Definitions vary on the precise boundaries of the Appalachians....
 and the Mississippi River
Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
 during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War....
.

army was formed on November 20, 1862, renaming the Army of Mississippi
Army of Mississippi

There were three organizations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. ...
.






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The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 operating between the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains or , often called the Appalachians, are a vast mountain range in eastern North America. Definitions vary on the precise boundaries of the Appalachians....
 and the Mississippi River
Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
 during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War....
.

History


1862

Braxton Bragg
Joseph Johnston
John Bell Hood
The army was formed on November 20, 1862, renaming the Army of Mississippi
Army of Mississippi

There were three organizations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. ...
. Its first commander was General Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a General officer in the Confederate States Army, a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, who fought Union Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a 2 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 William Rosecrans
William Rosecrans

William Starke Rosecrans was an inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and United States Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union Army general during the American Civil War....
's Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland

The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater of the American Civil War during the American Civil War....
 to a draw at the Battle of Stones River
Battle of Stones River

The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
 on December 31, 1862. However, Bragg was forced to withdraw from Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States. The population was 100,575 according to the city's 2008 official special census, up from 81,393 residents certified during the 2005 special census....
 and fall back on Tullahoma
Tullahoma, Tennessee

Tullahoma is a city in Coffee County, Tennessee and Franklin County, Tennessee counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Tennessee....
.

1863

In the summer of 1863, Rosecrans began an offensive, generally known as the Tullahoma Campaign
Tullahoma Campaign

The Tullahoma Campaign or Middle Tennessee Campaign was fought between June 24 and July 3, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Union Army Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Major general William S....
, a name taken from the Confederate headquarters at the time. Union forces gradually forced Bragg to fall back into northern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
, abandoning the important railroad hub of Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, "the Scenic City", is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee , and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, in the United States....
. However, reinforced by Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
's First Corps
First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

The First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia was a military unit fighting for the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. It was formed in early 1861 and served until the spring of 1865, mostly in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
 from the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, the Army of Tennessee was able to inflict a significant defeat on Rosecrans at Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga

The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union Army offensive in south-central Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign....
 in September 1863.

After Chickamauga the Army of Tennessee besieged the Union army in Chattanooga, taking up defensive positions on the surrounding hills. The Army of the Cumberland was reinforced by the troops of Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
's Army of the Tennessee, along with two corps
Corps

A Corps is either a large formation , or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service....
 from the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
 under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
, and Grant replaced Rosecrans in command. Bragg then sent Longstreet's forces to Knoxville and nearly all of his cavalry away, reducing his army's strength. The combined Union army was able to inflict a significant defeat on Bragg at the Battle of Missionary Ridge
Battle of Missionary Ridge

The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union Army victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Major general Ulysses S....
 on November 25, forcing Bragg to abandon the siege of Chattanooga and withdraw again into northern Georgia.

1864

Shortly thereafter, Bragg was replaced as commander of the Army of Tennessee by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career United States Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, who was much better liked by both troops and high level subordinates than the sour Bragg. In the 1864 Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the American Civil War....
, Johnston faced the combined Northern armies of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, whose orders were to destroy the Army of Tennessee, with the capture of Atlanta as the secondary objective. Johnston, who felt the continued existence of his army was more important than protecting territory, tended to avoid battle with Sherman, executing a skillful withdrawal, which caused impatience among the Confederate leadership in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
, particularly Confederate President
President of the Confederate States of America

The President of the Confederate States of America was the Head of State and Head of Government of the Confederate States of America, which was formed from the U.S....
 Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Finis Davis was an United States politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history, 1861 to 1865, during the American Civil War....
, who had never gotten on well with Johnston. Following Sherman's outflanking of Johnston at the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River

The Chattahoochee River runs from the Chattahoochee Spring in the Appalachian Mountains of northeastern Georgia , near the Carolinas, to the southwestward to Atlanta and through its suburbs....
, forcing Johnston back on Atlanta itself, Johnston was replaced by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness....
.

Hood's tenure as commander proved disastrous. After several unsuccessful attempts to force Sherman's withdrawal from Atlanta, the city fell to Union troops on September 2, 1864. Instead of continuing to parry against Sherman's forces, Hood now turned west and headed back north into Tennessee, allowing Sherman to turn south unopposed for the March to the Sea. In the meantime, Hood was faced in Tennessee by the army's old enemy, the Army of the Cumberland, under Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, as well as the Army of the Ohio
Army of the Ohio

The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union Army armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863....
 under Maj. Gen. John Schofield
John Schofield

John McAllister Schofield was an United States soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He later served as U.S. Secretary of War and commanding general of the United States Army....
. On November 30, 1864, Hood attacked Schofield's smaller army at the Battle of Franklin
Battle of Franklin II

The Second Battle of Franklin was fought at Franklin, Tennessee, on November 30, 1864, as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War....
, losing almost a quarter of his troops, but continued to advance north into central Tennessee, where he attempted to besiege Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
. On December 15, Thomas's troops launched their attack, completely routing the Confederates in the Battle of Nashville
Battle of Nashville

The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting in the Western Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, the most decisive tactical engagement of the war. The Federals pursued the retreating Army of Tennessee, which left stragglers, cannons, and small arms in its wake. When the army stopped its retreat in Tupelo
Tupelo, Mississippi

Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States. It is the eighth largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, Mississippi, and larger than Olive Branch, Mississippi....
 just before the new year, barely half of the men remained who had set out at the beginning of the campaign.

1865

Thereafter, the Army of Tennessee ceased to be an effective fighting force, although its remnants were sent to the Carolinas
Carolinas Campaign

The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Army Major General#United States William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia....
 to provide some opposition to Sherman's continuing advance in that area. The army surrendered to Sherman on April 26, 1865.

Corps organization

  • First Corps
    First Corps, Army of Tennessee

    The First Corps of the Army of Tennessee was officially created on November 20, 1862, and continued in existence until its surrender in April 1865 in North Carolina....
  • Second Corps
    Second Corps, Army of Tennessee

    The Second Corps, Army of Tennessee was a military formation in the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War...
  • Third Corps
    Third Corps, Army of Tennessee

    The Third Corps was a military formation in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War....
  • Forrest's Cavalry Corps — Nathan Bedford Forrest
    Nathan Bedford Forrest

    Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Lieutenant General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self made and innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a figure in the postwar establishment of the first Ku Klux Klan organization opposing the Reconstruction era of the United States in the South....


Major battles and campaigns

  • Confederate Heartland Offensive (Bragg)
  • Battle of Stones River
    Battle of Stones River

    The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
      (Bragg)
  • Chickamauga Campaign
    Battle of Chickamauga

    The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union Army offensive in south-central Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign....
      (Bragg)
  • Battle of Chattanooga (Bragg)
  • Atlanta Campaign
    Atlanta Campaign

    The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the American Civil War....
      (Johnston, relieved/Hood)
  • Franklin-Nashville Campaign
    Franklin-Nashville Campaign

    The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War , fought in the fall of 1864 in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War....
      (Hood)
  • Carolinas Campaign
    Carolinas Campaign

    The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Army Major General#United States William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia....
      (Johnston)


External links



Further reading

  • Connelly, Thomas Lawrence, Army of the Heartland: The Army of Tennessee, 1861-1862, Louisiana State Univ Press, 1967, ISBN 0807104043.
  • Connelly, Thomas Lawrence, Autumn of Glory: The Army of Tennessee, 1862-1865, Louisiana State University Press, 1996, ISBN 0807104450.
  • Daniel, Larry J., Soldiering in the Army of Tennessee: A Portrait of Life in a Confederate Army, University of North Carolina Press, 1991, ISBN 0807820040.
  • Haughton, Andrew, Training, Tactics and Leadership in the Confederate Army of Tennessee, Routledge, 2000, ISBN 0714650323.
  • Horn, Stanley Fitzgerald, The Army of Tennessee, University of Oklahoma Press, 1993, ISBN 0806125659.
  • Liddell, St. John Richardson, Liddell's Record, American Society for Training & Development, 1997, ISBN 0890293147.
  • McMurry, Richard M., Two Great Rebel Armies: An Essay in Confederate Military History, Univ of North Carolina Press, 1989, ISBN 0807818194.
  • Woodworth, Steven E., Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the West, University Press of Kansas, 1990, ISBN 0700605673.