The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation of the Army of the Ohio in November 1861, under the command of Brig. Gen.Robert Anderson. The army fought under the name Army of the Ohio until Maj. Gen.William S. Rosecrans assumed command of the army and the Department of the Cumberland and changed the name of the combined entity to the Army of the Cumberland. When Rosecrans assumed command, the army and the XIV Corps were the same unit, divided into three "grand divisions" (wings) commanded by Alexander McCook (right wing), George H. Thomas (Center), and Thomas L. Crittenden (Left).
General Order No. 168 was the order passed by the Union Army on October 24, 1862, that called for commissioning the XIV Corps into the Army of the Cumberland.
The army's first significant combat under the Cumberland name was at the Battle of Stones River. After the battle the army and XIV Corps were separated. The former Center wing became XIV Corps, the Right wing became XX Corps, and the Left wing became XXI Corps. Rosecrans still retained command of the army. He next led it through the Tullahoma Campaign and at the Battle of Chickamauga, after which the army became besieged at Chattanooga. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant arrived at Chattanooga. Reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Tennessee also arrived. Rosecrans had been a popular and respected commander, but because of his defeat at Chickamauga and inability to lift the Confederate siege, Grant chose to replace him with George H. Thomas on October 19, 1863.
Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas
In the Battles for Chattanooga, Grant had been leery of using the Army of the Cumberland in the main fighting, fearing their morale to be too low after the defeat at Chickamauga. Instead, he used the veterans from the Army of the Potomac, proud of their recent victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, to take Lookout Mountain and planned to use the troops from the Army of the Tennessee, also recent victors at the Siege of Vicksburg, to attack the Confederate right flank on Missionary Ridge. The Army of the Cumberland was given the minor task of seizing the rifle pits at the base of Missionary Ridge. However, once they achieved their objective, four divisions (one led by Philip H. Sheridan) stormed up the ridge and routed the Confederate center. When Grant angrily asked who had ordered those troops up the ridge both Thomas and Gordon Granger, a corps commander in the army, responded they did not know. Granger then added, "Once those boys get started, all hell can't stop 'em."
After Grant's victory at Chattanooga earned him promotion to general-in-chief of the U.S. Army, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman assumed command of Grant's Military Division of the Mississippi, which controlled all Union armies in the West. He created an "army group" of the Army of the Cumberland, the Army of the Tennessee, and the Army of the Ohio and marched towards Atlanta in May 1864. On the way to Atlanta they fought in many battles and skirmishes including the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. In September, Atlanta fell to Sherman's army group. When Confederate general John B. Hood moved north from Atlanta, Sherman chose not to follow him and instead dispatched some of the Army of the Cumberland (IV Corps and Provisional Detachment) and the Army of the Ohio (XXIII Corps) after him. Thomas finally met Hood at the Battle of Nashville and crushed him, thus bringing to an end any significant military actions for the Army of the Cumberland. Other elements of the Army of the Cumberland (the XIV and XX Corps) marched to the sea and north through the Carolinas with Sherman, under the command of Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum. These forces became the Union's Army of Georgia and participated in the Grand Review of the Armies in Washington, D.C., before President Andrew Johnson in 1865.
Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN0-8047-3641-3.
Organization of U.S. Forces in the Civil War
Further readingedit
Daniel, Larry J. Days of Glory: The Army of the Cumberland, 1861–1865. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2004. ISBN978-0-8071-3191-6.
Hunt, Robert Eno. The Good Men Who Won the War: Army of the Cumberland Veterans and Emancipation Memory. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2010. ISBN978-0-8173-1688-4.
Prokopowicz, Gerald J. All for the Regiment: The Army of the Ohio, 1861–1862. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2001. ISBN0-8078-2626-X.
Van Horne, Thomas B. The Army of the Cumberland: Its Organizations, Campaigns, and Battles. New York: Smithmark Publishers, 1996. ISBN0-8317-5621-7. First published 1885 by Robert Clarke & Co.
Cist, Henry M. The Army of the Cumberland. Edison, NY, Castle Books, ISBN0-7858-1579-1. First Published 1882, Cist, a general in the army, is considered the definitive work on the Army of the Cumberland.
External linksedit
Rosecrans' campaign with the Fourteenth Army Corps, or the Army of the Cumberland: a narrative of personal observations, with an appendix consisting of official reports of the Battle of Stone River (1863) at the Internet Archive
Army Organization during the Civil War
Annals of the Army of the Cumberland: comprising biographies, descriptions of departments, accounts of expeditions, skirmishes, and battles, also its police record of spies, smugglers and prominent rebel emissaries : together with anecdotes, incidents, poetry, reminiscences, etc. and official reports of the battle of Stone River (1863) at the Internet Archive
February 15, 2024
army, cumberland, principal, union, armies, western, theater, during, american, civil, originally, known, army, ohio, battle, missionary, ridgeactiveoctober, 1862, august, 1865country, united, statesbranchunited, states, armytypefield, armyengagementsamerican,. The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio Army of the CumberlandBattle of Missionary RidgeActiveOctober 24 1862 August 1 1865Country United StatesBranchUnited States ArmyTypeField armyEngagementsAmerican Civil War Battle of Stones River Tullahoma Campaign Battle of Chickamauga Chattanooga Campaign Atlanta Campaign Franklin Nashville CampaignCommandersNotablecommandersWilliam S RosecransGeorge H ThomasRobert Anderson Contents 1 History 2 Command history 3 Orders of battle 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksHistory edit nbsp Maj Gen William S RosecransThe origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation of the Army of the Ohio in November 1861 under the command of Brig Gen Robert Anderson The army fought under the name Army of the Ohio until Maj Gen William S Rosecrans assumed command of the army and the Department of the Cumberland and changed the name of the combined entity to the Army of the Cumberland When Rosecrans assumed command the army and the XIV Corps were the same unit divided into three grand divisions wings commanded by Alexander McCook right wing George H Thomas Center and Thomas L Crittenden Left General Order No 168 was the order passed by the Union Army on October 24 1862 that called for commissioning the XIV Corps into the Army of the Cumberland The army s first significant combat under the Cumberland name was at the Battle of Stones River After the battle the army and XIV Corps were separated The former Center wing became XIV Corps the Right wing became XX Corps and the Left wing became XXI Corps Rosecrans still retained command of the army He next led it through the Tullahoma Campaign and at the Battle of Chickamauga after which the army became besieged at Chattanooga Maj Gen Ulysses S Grant arrived at Chattanooga Reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Tennessee also arrived Rosecrans had been a popular and respected commander but because of his defeat at Chickamauga and inability to lift the Confederate siege Grant chose to replace him with George H Thomas on October 19 1863 nbsp Maj Gen George H ThomasIn the Battles for Chattanooga Grant had been leery of using the Army of the Cumberland in the main fighting fearing their morale to be too low after the defeat at Chickamauga Instead he used the veterans from the Army of the Potomac proud of their recent victory at the Battle of Gettysburg to take Lookout Mountain and planned to use the troops from the Army of the Tennessee also recent victors at the Siege of Vicksburg to attack the Confederate right flank on Missionary Ridge The Army of the Cumberland was given the minor task of seizing the rifle pits at the base of Missionary Ridge However once they achieved their objective four divisions one led by Philip H Sheridan stormed up the ridge and routed the Confederate center When Grant angrily asked who had ordered those troops up the ridge both Thomas and Gordon Granger a corps commander in the army responded they did not know Granger then added Once those boys get started all hell can t stop em After Grant s victory at Chattanooga earned him promotion to general in chief of the U S Army Maj Gen William T Sherman assumed command of Grant s Military Division of the Mississippi which controlled all Union armies in the West He created an army group of the Army of the Cumberland the Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Ohio and marched towards Atlanta in May 1864 On the way to Atlanta they fought in many battles and skirmishes including the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain In September Atlanta fell to Sherman s army group When Confederate general John B Hood moved north from Atlanta Sherman chose not to follow him and instead dispatched some of the Army of the Cumberland IV Corps and Provisional Detachment and the Army of the Ohio XXIII Corps after him Thomas finally met Hood at the Battle of Nashville and crushed him thus bringing to an end any significant military actions for the Army of the Cumberland Other elements of the Army of the Cumberland the XIV and XX Corps marched to the sea and north through the Carolinas with Sherman under the command of Maj Gen Henry W Slocum These forces became the Union s Army of Georgia and participated in the Grand Review of the Armies in Washington D C before President Andrew Johnson in 1865 Command history editCommander From To Major Battles and CampaignsMajor General William S Rosecrans October 24 1862 October 19 1863 Stones River Tullahoma Campaign ChickamaugaMajor General George H Thomas October 19 1863 August 1 1865 Chattanooga Atlanta Campaign Franklin NashvilleOrders of battle editStones River Union order of battle Chickamauga Union order of battle Chattanooga Ringgold Campaign Union order of battle Atlanta Campaign Union order of battle Peachtree Creek Union order of battle Nashville Union order of battleReferences editEicher John H and David J Eicher Civil War High Commands Stanford CA Stanford University Press 2001 ISBN 0 8047 3641 3 Organization of U S Forces in the Civil WarFurther reading editDaniel Larry J Days of Glory The Army of the Cumberland 1861 1865 Baton Rouge Louisiana State University Press 2004 ISBN 978 0 8071 3191 6 Hunt Robert Eno The Good Men Who Won the War Army of the Cumberland Veterans and Emancipation Memory Tuscaloosa University of Alabama Press 2010 ISBN 978 0 8173 1688 4 Prokopowicz Gerald J All for the Regiment The Army of the Ohio 1861 1862 Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Press 2001 ISBN 0 8078 2626 X Van Horne Thomas B The Army of the Cumberland Its Organizations Campaigns and Battles New York Smithmark Publishers 1996 ISBN 0 8317 5621 7 First published 1885 by Robert Clarke amp Co Cist Henry M The Army of the Cumberland Edison NY Castle Books ISBN 0 7858 1579 1 First Published 1882 Cist a general in the army is considered the definitive work on the Army of the Cumberland External links editRosecrans campaign with the Fourteenth Army Corps or the Army of the Cumberland a narrative of personal observations with an appendix consisting of official reports of the Battle of Stone River 1863 at the Internet Archive Army Organization during the Civil War Annals of the Army of the Cumberland comprising biographies descriptions of departments accounts of expeditions skirmishes and battles also its police record of spies smugglers and prominent rebel emissaries together with anecdotes incidents poetry reminiscences etc and official reports of the battle of Stone River 1863 at the Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Army of the Cumberland amp oldid 1148943930, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
