Army of the Tennessee

The Army of the Tennessee was a Union field army during the American Civil War. It fought in the Western Theater. It was named after the Tennessee River. It is not the same as the Army of Tennessee, which was a Confederate army named after the state of Tennessee.

History

The name of "Army of the Tennessee" was first used in March 1862.[1] It was used for the army commanded by Ulysses S. Grant. The army was commanded by Grant from 1862 until late summer 1863. At that time Grant was promoted to command of all of the Union armies in the Western Theater.[2] Then the Army of the Tennessee was commanded by William T. Sherman. On August 1, 1863 when Sherman was given command of all armies in the west, James B. McPherson took command of the Army of the Tennessee.[2] On July 22, 1864 McPherson was shot and killed by Confederate skirmishers as his army prepared to capture Atlanta.[2] He was temporarily replaced by John A. Logan.[3] General Oliver O. Howard then took command of the Army of the Tennessee.[3]

Battles

The Army of the Tennessee fought in several of the largest battles of the Civil War, including the Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Vicksburg, and the Battle of Bentonville. It played a large part in the Atlanta Campaign and fought in the Battle of Atlanta. The Army of the Tennessee marched in Washington, D.C. in the final grand review.[1] On July 28, 1865 at Louisville, the last units were mustered out.[1]

Army Of The Tennessee Media

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Army, ed. Jerold E. Brown (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001), p. 36
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "James B. McPherson; Major General, November 14, 1828 – July 22, 1864". Civil War Trust. n.d. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Society of the Army of the Tennessee, Report of the Proceedings of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, Twentieth meeting (Cincinnati, published by the Society, 1893), p. 471

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