Independent Commands

[The Ninth Ohio]

I was wondering if someone with more knowledge on command could explain how independent commands worked in the armies during the war. I suppose each individual case is probably different, but for example Evans' and Milroy's brigades at Second Manassas, or Terry's Texas Rangers at Shiloh. There are others, I know...

First, what was the purpose of having a separate command for a small unit such as a brigade...why not attach them to a division and place someone directly over them?

Second, how did command work within the army structure? To whom did they report? Were their any instances of independent commands refusing orders or refusing to serve under a certain command?

 

[leftyhunter]

I was wondering if someone with more knowledge on command could explain how independent commands worked in the armies during the war. I suppose each individual case is probably different, but for example Evans' and Milroy's brigades at Second Manassas, or Terry's Texas Rangers at Shiloh. There are others, I know...

First, what was the purpose of having a separate command for a small unit such as a brigade...why not attach them to a division and place someone directly over them?

Second, how did command work within the army structure? To whom did they report? Were their any instances of independent commands refusing orders or refusing to serve under a certain command?

Most definitely add General Longstreet being detached from the AnV to help the AoT stop the AoC's invasion of Georgia. General Longstreet did not get aling well with General Bragg then again nobody did. General Longstreet was sent away from the siege of Chattanooga and instead managed to be defeated by General Burnside at Knoxville. Total debacle.
Leftyhunter

 

[James N.]

... First, what was the purpose of having a separate command for a small unit such as a brigade...why not attach them to a division and place someone directly over them?

Second, how did command work within the army structure? To whom did they report? Were their any instances of independent commands refusing orders or refusing to serve under a certain command?

Recently I ran into an example that wasn't exactly a separate command, but one that remained "unattached." This was the 14th Wisconsin that evidently arrived in Savannah, Tenn. immediately before the battle at Shiloh so had yet to be assigned to one of Grant's six divisions. When the battle started, they remained stuck there because vessels going upstream with reinforcements waited until they were full, so the regiment couldn't go until Buell's army loaded for the short journey. They arrived with - but not a part of - Buell's men and were placed on the line along with them for the next morning's counterattack. Even after the battle, for some reason they remained separate from the rest of Grant's army garrisoning Pittsburg Landing instead of marching to Corinth, attached to none of the divisions!

 

[James N.]

First, what was the purpose of having a separate command for a small unit such as a brigade...why not attach them to a division and place someone directly over them?
Second, how did command work within the army structure? To whom did they report? Were their any instances of independent commands refusing orders or refusing to serve under a certain command?

It also occurs to me that there were cases where commands remained separate from each other for no better reason than their commanders simply couldn't get along! For most of 1861, for example, the Missouri State Guard of Sterling Price was totally separate from Confederate forces led by Ben McCullough in neighboring Arkansas and Indian Territory. Since Missouri hadn't seceded Price wouldn't take orders from McCullough who he outranked on his state militia level; McCullough as Confederate commander had no authority over Price. Eventually in early 1862 Price acquiesced and the matter was somewhat "solved" when the Richmond government sent Earl Van Dorn to command over BOTH Price and McCullough, though by then much damage had been done to the cause in the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy.

Another example was when after a failed assault and bloody repulse on Union-held Fort Donelson, Nathan Bedford Forrest swore he would never again serve under young Joe Wheeler, making it necessary to keep their commands separate. For a time the problem was solved by Braxton Bragg to whom they reported independently of each other who kept Wheeler on the right flank of his army while Forrest covered the left. This otherwise successful arrangement was forsaken by Bragg following Chickamauga when he put West Pointer Wheeler in charge of all the cavalry and sent Forrest back to Mississippi.

 

[luinrina]

I always thought Stonewall Jackson's command in the Shenandoah Valley in 1862 was independant. His superior commander Joe Johnston was busy with first the Manassas line and then later protecting Richmond during McClellan's Peninsular Campaign. He just wasn't able to control the situation from that distance and advise Jackson on what maneuvers to make. Lee as Jeff Davis's "military counselor" at some point unofficially took over that part and gave Jackson some guidance, but the how, where and when was in the end Jackson's decision as only he was on site and could (more or less) properly assess the situation.

The same with Jackson, Walker and McLaws moving onto Harper's Ferry during the Maryland Campaign. Lee left the command over all three divisions with Jackson.

 

[Rebforever]

I always thought Stonewall Jackson's command in the Shenandoah Valley in 1862 was independant. His superior commander Joe Johnston was busy with first the Manassas line and then later protecting Richmond during McClellan's Peninsular Campaign. He just wasn't able to control the situation from that distance and advise Jackson on what maneuvers to make. Lee as Jeff Davis's "military counselor" at some point unofficially took over that part and gave Jackson some guidance, but the how, where and when was in the end Jackson's decision as only he was on site and could (more or less) properly assess the situation.

The same with Jackson, Walker and McLaws moving onto Harper's Ferry during the Maryland Campaign. Lee left the command over all three divisions with Jackson.

True. He was no longer an Independent commander after the battle of Ceder Mountain.

 

[Rebforever]

General "Allegheny" Johnson had an Independent command out in the Western Virginia Mountains.

 

[AUG]

or Terry's Texas Rangers at Shiloh

In the case of Terry's Texas Rangers (8th Texas Cav.), they often operated as scouts for the army and, I believe, reported directly to the commanding general of the army or whoever necessary, at least early in the war.

Reading Col. John Wharton's OR of Shiloh, he says he reported to Beauregard and Hardee during the battle.

The Rangers were, however, attached to a brigade later that year and fought as part of Wheeler's cavalry command throughout most of the war, but they did still operate independently on certain occasions.

 

[The Ninth Ohio]

So take Evans, for example. I don't have time at the moment to go through the OR, but...who was he getting his orders from at 2BR? Does anyone know the circumstances that led to him being added to the army OOB, but being an independent brigade? Is this some sort of preferential treatment? Could say, Evander Law (just for example) have said, you know what? You guys in Hood's Division are nice, we've made some hits, but I'm going to try out my solo career?

 

[Rebforever]

General John Daniel Imboden had an Independent command in the Shenandoah Valley after Johnson and Stonewall were gone. I believe he maintained independent command until the end of the CW although he had a case of typhoid Fever and was assigned to lighter duty of running the prisons down South from late '64 to the end of the CW.

 

[AUG]

So take Evans, for example. I don't have time at the moment to go through the OR, but...who was he getting his orders from at 2BR? Does anyone know the circumstances that led to him being added to the army OOB, but being an independent brigade? Is this some sort of preferential treatment? Could say, Evander Law (just for example) have said, you know what? You guys in Hood's Division are nice, we've made some hits, but I'm going to try out my solo career?

IIRC, Evans and his brigade joined the ANV not long before the campaign began, so that was probably why. He was attached to Longstreet's wing but was not assigned to a division.

On August 30 at Second Manassas, Evans was (apparently temporarily) placed in command of a division comprising his own brigade and Hood's division, though Hood still retained direct command of his and Law's brigades.

 

[rpkennedy]

Usually, an officer was in an independent command because of a coincidence of seniority. Another example was Henry Lockwood at Gettysburg. He was senior to the other brigade commanders in the First Division, Twelfth Corps and would have taken command of the division since Alpheus Williams was commanding the corps. Because of this, Williams kept Lockwood as an independent brigade so that he didn't take over the division and Lockwood took orders directly from Williams.

As for Evans, at Second Manassas, he took orders from Longstreet directly and took command of an ad hoc division consisting of his brigade as well as Whiting's Division (under Hood's command).

Ryan