Army of the Ohio
Encyclopedia
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union
armies in the American Civil War
. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland
and the second army was created in 1863.
Don Carlos Buell
to command the Department of the Ohio
. All the forces of the department were then organized into the Army of the Ohio, with Buell in command. Early in 1862, the army fought its first engagement at the Battle of Mill Springs
, although only the 1st Division, commanded by Brig. Gen.
George H. Thomas, was engaged. The whole army marched to the reinforce Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
on the second day of the Battle of Shiloh
. Buell was replaced as commander of the Department of the Ohio by Brig. Gen. Horatio G. Wright in August, but because of Wright's junior rank, Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck ordered Thomas to replace Wright in command. However, Thomas foresaw a major battle and felt it unwise to change an army commander on the eve of battle. Thus Buell remained in command of the Army and Thomas was made his second-in-command. The battle Thomas foresaw occurred in October 1862, when the Army repulsed Gen. Braxton Bragg
's invasion of Kentucky
at the Battle of Perryville
. Buell came under criticism for not following up his victory and was relieved of command of the Army, replaced by Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans. Rosecrans was also appointed to command of the Department of the Cumberland and subsequently renamed the Army of the Cumberland
.
On March 25, 1863, Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside
assumed command of the Department of the Ohio. Burnside consolidated all the forces of the department and created the XXIII Corps
, which was also styled the Army of the Ohio, with himself in command. He became one of the few officers to directly command two completely different armies (he had earlier commanded the Army of the Potomac
). The new Army of the Ohio first repelled Morgan's Ohio raid
, although the entire army rarely functioned as one complete unit during this campaign. Next Burnside moved to Knoxville, Tennessee
. Here the IX Corps
was added and the army grew to two corps, plus a division of cavalry. Burnside defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Fort Sanders
in the Knoxville Campaign
. After the battle, he asked to be relieved of command due to illness. Maj. Gen. John G. Foster
replaced Burnside as commander of the Army and Department of the Ohio on December 9.
Foster's time in command of the Army was short. On February 9, 1864, Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield assumed command of the Department of the Ohio, and then the Army of the Ohio and the XXIII Corps in April. During this time the XXIII Corps and the Army of the Ohio were synonymous. Schofield led the Army during the Atlanta Campaign
and pursued Confederate
Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood
into Tennessee
after the fall of Atlanta
. At the Battle of Franklin, Schofield inflicted a severe defeat on Hood's army before joining with Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas and the Army of the Cumberland
for the Battle of Nashville
. On February 9, 1865, Schofield was transferred to command the Department of North Carolina. When Schofield departed to assume departmental command, Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox temporarily assumed command of the Army.
The XXIII Corps was ordered to North Carolina and only Cox's division was present for the Battle of Wilmington
. It was not until March 1865 that the rest of the XXIII Corps landed at New Bern, North Carolina
. Upon the arrival of the XXIII Corps in its entirety, Schofield joined that corps with the X Corps
under Maj. Gen. Alfred H. Terry
to form the Army of the Ohio. The Army was designated the Center Wing of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman
's army and participated in the final stages of the Carolinas Campaign
. With the close of the war, the troops were mustered out of military service. A number of post-war reunions were held by various elements of the old Army of the Ohio.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
armies in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
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.-History:...
and the second army was created in 1863.
History
General Orders No. 97 appointed Maj. Gen.Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville. The nation was angry at his failure to defeat the outnumbered...
to command the Department of the Ohio
Department of the Ohio
The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River.General Orders No...
. All the forces of the department were then organized into the Army of the Ohio, with Buell in command. Early in 1862, the army fought its first engagement at the Battle of Mill Springs
Battle of Mill Springs
The Battle of Mill Springs, also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek in Confederate terminology, and the Battle of Logan's Cross Roads in Union terminology, was fought in Wayne and Pulaski counties, near current Nancy, Kentucky, on January 19, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It...
, although only the 1st Division, commanded by Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
George H. Thomas, was engaged. The whole army marched to the reinforce Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
on the second day of the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
. Buell was replaced as commander of the Department of the Ohio by Brig. Gen. Horatio G. Wright in August, but because of Wright's junior rank, Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck ordered Thomas to replace Wright in command. However, Thomas foresaw a major battle and felt it unwise to change an army commander on the eve of battle. Thus Buell remained in command of the Army and Thomas was made his second-in-command. The battle Thomas foresaw occurred in October 1862, when the Army repulsed Gen. Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
's invasion of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
at the Battle of Perryville
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
. Buell came under criticism for not following up his victory and was relieved of command of the Army, replaced by Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans. Rosecrans was also appointed to command of the Department of the Cumberland and subsequently renamed the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
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.-History:...
.
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
assumed command of the Department of the Ohio. Burnside consolidated all the forces of the department and created the XXIII Corps
XXIII Corps (ACW)
XXIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Western Theater as part of the Army of the Ohio.The corps was organized in April 1863 by order of the departmental commander, Ambrose E. Burnside...
, which was also styled the Army of the Ohio, with himself in command. He became one of the few officers to directly command two completely different armies (he had earlier commanded 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.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
). The new Army of the Ohio first repelled Morgan's Ohio raid
Morgan's Raid
Morgan's Raid was a highly publicized incursion by Confederate cavalry into the Northern states of Indiana and Ohio during the American Civil War. The raid took place from June 11–July 26, 1863, and is named for the commander of the Confederates, Brig. Gen...
, although the entire army rarely functioned as one complete unit during this campaign. Next Burnside moved to Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. Here the IX Corps
IX Corps (ACW)
IX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War that distinguished itself in combat in multiple theaters: the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi.-Formation, Second Bull Run, and Antietam:...
was added and the army grew to two corps, plus a division of cavalry. Burnside defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Fort Sanders
Battle of Fort Sanders
The Battle of Fort Sanders was the decisive engagement of the Knoxville Campaign of the American Civil War, fought in Knoxville, Tennessee, on November 29, 1863. Assaults by Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet failed to break through the defensive lines of Union Maj. Gen...
in the Knoxville Campaign
Knoxville Campaign
The Knoxville Campaign was a series of American Civil War battles and maneuvers in East Tennessee during the fall of 1863. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside occupied Knoxville, Tennessee, and Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. James Longstreet were detached from Gen...
. After the battle, he asked to be relieved of command due to illness. Maj. Gen. John G. Foster
John G. Foster
John Gray Foster was a career military officer in the United States Army and a Union general during the American Civil War whose most distinguished services were in North and South Carolina. A postbellum expert in underwater demolition, he wrote the definitive treatise on the subject.-Early...
replaced Burnside as commander of the Army and Department of the Ohio on December 9.
Foster's time in command of the Army was short. On February 9, 1864, Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield assumed command of the Department of the Ohio, and then the Army of the Ohio and the XXIII Corps in April. During this time the XXIII Corps and the Army of the Ohio were synonymous. Schofield led the Army during the 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 during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
and pursued Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
into Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
after the fall of Atlanta
Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed...
. At the Battle of Franklin, Schofield inflicted a severe defeat on Hood's army before joining with Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas and the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
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.-History:...
for 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. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under...
. On February 9, 1865, Schofield was transferred to command the Department of North Carolina. When Schofield departed to assume departmental command, Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox temporarily assumed command of the Army.
The XXIII Corps was ordered to North Carolina and only Cox's division was present for the Battle of Wilmington
Battle of Wilmington
The Battle of Wilmington was fought February 11 – February 22, 1865, during the American Civil War. It was a direct result of the Union victory at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher.-Background:...
. It was not until March 1865 that the rest of the XXIII Corps landed at New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
. Upon the arrival of the XXIII Corps in its entirety, Schofield joined that corps with the X Corps
X Corps (ACW)
X Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served during operations in South Carolina in the Department of the South, and later in Benjamin Butler's Army of the James, during the Bermuda Hundred and Petersburg Campaigns.-History:...
under Maj. Gen. Alfred H. Terry
Alfred Terry
Alfred Howe Terry was a Union general in the American Civil War and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869 and again from 1872 to 1886.-Early life and career:...
to form the Army of the Ohio. The Army was designated the Center Wing of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
's army and participated in the final stages of the Carolinas Campaign
Carolinas Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
. With the close of the war, the troops were mustered out of military service. A number of post-war reunions were held by various elements of the old Army of the Ohio.
Commanders
- Maj. Gen. Don Carlos BuellDon Carlos BuellDon Carlos Buell was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville. The nation was angry at his failure to defeat the outnumbered...
(November 15, 1861 – October 24, 1862) also department commander until March 11 - Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans (October 24 – October 30, 1862) became the Army of the Cumberland
- Maj. Gen. Ambrose BurnsideAmbrose BurnsideAmbrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
(March 25 – December 9, 1863) also department commander - Maj. Gen. John G. FosterJohn G. FosterJohn Gray Foster was a career military officer in the United States Army and a Union general during the American Civil War whose most distinguished services were in North and South Carolina. A postbellum expert in underwater demolition, he wrote the definitive treatise on the subject.-Early...
(December 9, 1863 – February 9, 1864) also department commander - Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield (February 9 – September 14, 1864) also department commander
- Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox (September 14 – October 22, 1864)
- Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield (October 22, 1864 – February 2, 1865)
- Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox (February 2 – February 9, 1865)
- Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield (February 9 – March 31, 1865) also commander of the Department of North Carolina
Major battles and campaigns
- Battle of ShilohBattle of ShilohThe Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
(Buell) - Battle of PerryvilleBattle of PerryvilleThe Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
(Buell) - Morgan's RaidMorgan's RaidMorgan's Raid was a highly publicized incursion by Confederate cavalry into the Northern states of Indiana and Ohio during the American Civil War. The raid took place from June 11–July 26, 1863, and is named for the commander of the Confederates, Brig. Gen...
(Burnside) - Knoxville CampaignKnoxville CampaignThe Knoxville Campaign was a series of American Civil War battles and maneuvers in East Tennessee during the fall of 1863. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside occupied Knoxville, Tennessee, and Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. James Longstreet were detached from Gen...
(Burnside), (Foster) - Atlanta CampaignAtlanta CampaignThe 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 during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
(Schofield) - Battle of FranklinBattle of Franklin IIThe Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864, at Franklin, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. It was one of the worst disasters of the war for the Confederate States Army. Confederate Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee conducted...
(Schofield) - Battle of NashvilleBattle of NashvilleThe 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. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under...
(Schofield) - Carolinas CampaignCarolinas CampaignThe Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
(Schofield)
Orders of Battle
- Shiloh Union order of battleShiloh Union order of battleThe following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Shiloh of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is shown separately.-Military rank:* MG = Major General* BG = Brigadier General* Col = Colonel...
- Perryville Union order of battlePerryville Union order of battleThe following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Perryville of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is listed separately.-Military rank:* MG = Major General* BG = Brigadier General* Col = Colonel...
- Knoxville Union order of battleKnoxville Union order of battleThe following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Knoxville Campaign during the American Civil War from November 4 to December 23, 1863 under the command of Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
- Atlanta Campaign Union order of battleAtlanta Campaign Union order of battleThe following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is listed separately.This order of battle covers the period of May 7 - June 27, 1864...
- Franklin Union order of battle
- Nashville Union order of battleNashville Union order of battleThe following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Nashville of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is shown separately.-Military rank:* MG = Major General* BG = Brigadier General* Col = Colonel...
- Wilmington Union order of battleWilmington Union order of battleThe following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Wilmington of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is listed separately.-Military Rank:* MG = Major General* BG = Brigadier General...